An anectode about spelling --
Over the past couple years, I did not hire two potentially very good
(and experienced) writing instructors because of their poor spelling.
(Part of our interview process involves asking candidates to comment in
writing on student papers. One of the candidates had six spelling errors
in three lines of comments. The other had even more.)
Because I think that spelling is important and that the ethos of writing
instructors may depend at least in some small part upon the ability to
spell, I stand by my hiring decisions--though not without a twinge of
regret when thinking about the other great characteristics each of these
candidates possessed. In the short-run at least, spelling did make a
difference to these two people.
(On the other hand, I have a very high tolerance for comma splices...)
Jo-Anne Andre
U of Calgary
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