Reading, Writing, Spelling and the ESL Learner

Spelling and the ESL Learner

• ESL students may have special difficulty spelling by phoneme/grapheme (sound/ symbol) correspondence due to their limited exposure to spoken English. Most EFL (English as a Foreign Language) and many ESL students have most of their exposure to English through reading, not speaking.
• If the native language uses Roman script, like English does, there may be some letters that represent different phonemes in their native language than in English. These letters will require extra attention.
• Some researchers argue that spelling is a very useful tool for teaching and refining pronunciation. Some advanced pronunciation classes carefully analyze spelling cues. For example, knowing syllabication rules will give clues to which syllables need to be stressed and whether a vowel should be a long or short sound.
• The “listening difficulties” that ESL learners experience often transfer into spelling difficulties. The learner may not “hear” or is not attending to particular sounds or syllables. Or learners may insert additional sounds or syllables into their speech and writing. For example, Spanish speakers spell “estudent.” Often word endings cause problems and students will omit them in their writing. Pronunciation training, which includes training students to notice pronunciation, can improve spelling. (Helen Aitken-Ritzer, NorQuest College instructor)
• Some researchers argue that ESL students should use English-only dictionaries as soon as possible. They suggest that the English dictionary will give a more precise English definition and will include synonyms and related words that build students’ vocabulary. English dictionaries also include etymological (word history) information, which is helpful for understanding the word’s meaning and spelling.
• Just as with native English speakers, ESL students need to be encouraged to read widely and continue to build vocabulary and spelling in context.
• And again, just as with native English speakers, spelling should not be so heavily emphasized that it hinders a learner’s willingness to write. Spelling corrections are made at the editing stage in the writing process.

Brokop, F. (n.d.). Spelling and the ESL learner. Edmonton, Alberta: NorQuest College. Workshop handout. Used with permission.

Handout 12.23