Improving your spelling

English spelling is a notoriously difficult area, even for native speakers.There seem to be no clear rules governing how words are spelt, and many different combinations of letters which represent the same sound.

Johnnie from Portugal is a learner of English featured in English Makeover. In this extract from the programme, Karen Adams give him advice on how to improve his spelling.

Before you read the extract Think of 3 words which you know cause spelling problems for you.Write them down. Is the spelling correct?

Spelling. It can be a huge problem and I’m not surprised that Johnnie finds it difficult – even I do sometimes! I think there are three main problems for learners. First of all, unlike many languages, English spelling isn’t phonetic – that is, there isn’t always a direct link between how a word is spelt and how it sounds. Secondly, because English has borrowed words from all over the place – French, Latin, Greek to name but a few, English words often retain the spelling of the original language so it’s like a patchwork of different spelling rules. And finally, part of the joy of English is that it is changing so rapidly, absorbing new words or changing as new generations and cultures take it on. So you end up with changes in spelling. For example, some people write ‘spelt’ and some ‘spelled’. And both are ok. However, there are some things which you can do to help improve your spelling. First of all, learn some common patterns. One which people in the UK learn is ‘i before e, except after c.’Then look for your own patterns to help you remember spelling. And finally, try to make up your own mnemonics – to help you remember spelling. I always used to confuse stationary and stationery – one is an adjective which means ‘standing still’ and one is a noun for paper, pencils, etc.Then I realised – stationery is linked to paper. It’s my own mnemonic.

1. Find 3 reasons why English spelling causes problems for learners.
2. Find 2 things you can do to help improve your own spelling.

Answer

• English words are not always spelt the way they sound; English contains words from many different languages; English is changing because it is being used in so many different countries, so spelling is changing too.
  
• Learn common spelling patterns; make your own mnemonics.

5 top tips for improving your spelling

1. Learn some common spelling patterns. For example, when you have a combination of ‘i’ and ‘e’, it will usually be ‘ie’ (e.g. friend) except when a ‘c’ goes before it (e.g. receipt). However, like all English ‘rules’, this is usually – not always – the case.
   
2. Learn to recognise common sound/spelling links. For example, the sound /S??/ often comes at the end of words and is often spelt –tion (e.g. education; election).
3. Spell by syllables.Try to break a long word into its individual syllables and say these when you need to write the word down. For example, should you write independent or independant? Try syllable spelling – in-dep-en-dent.
4. Make your own mnemonic.When you learn a word which you find, try to make a link between the spelling and a different idea. For example, Karen found the words stationary and stationery difficult to remember.We often say the phrase stationary train – Karen remembers the spelling by remembering that both words have an ‘a’ – stationary train.
5. Test yourself.When you are revising new vocabulary, don’t just check that you understand the meaning. Try to write down the new word before checking with your notebook or dictionary.

TASK        Make your own mnemonic

A mnemonic is something which you know will help you remember a piece of information. For example, when you need to remember the spelling of a word, think of the mnemonic and this will jog your memory.

Go back to the words which you wrote down before you read the extract.These should be words which you know you find difficult to spell.Try to create a mnemonic for the spelling of each word.