Does the Spelling Society see a role for more consumer research with regard to spelling reform?
We accept that there is always a need for research when advocating change. No doubt if it were decided to promote a particular alternative solution (perhaps through an international commission) it would be desirable to carry out prior research to assess (i) its acceptability to those familiar with TS (ii) its ease of learning for those who have not yet learned to spell English (eg children and those learning English as a second language), and (iii) its overall impact on literacy. There is in fact already plenty of research evidence showing that learning to read and write English would be much easier and less time-consuming if its spelling were more consistent, but people are either not aware of it or choose to ignore it.
