The English language is full of silent letters, irregularities and exceptions to rules, making spelling something of a headache for native speakers – let alone those who are learning it as a second language. Nevertheless, there are some techniques that you can use to improve your spelling in English, and read and write more effectively as a result.
Learning the rules for different word groups can be a good place to start, although you should also be ready for the many exceptions that exist in English. A good study habit to this end is to keep a notebook of words that you find difficult to spell. These can be grouped alphabetically or according to different patterns; whatever works best for you. It is also helpful to have a good dictionary to hand and avoid relying too heavily on electronic spellcheckers. While a computer can be a useful tool, it is not able to recognise the context of your writing and whether ‘there’ or ‘their’ is correct, for example.
When it comes to committing spellings to memory, many learners use the ‘look–say–cover–write– check’ technique to practice difficult words. Another effective strategy can be the use of mnemonic devices, such as ‘i before e except after c’ (watch out for exceptions!) or phrases such as ‘Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants’ to remember the word ‘because’ correctly. There are also a lot of word game ideas in study books or on the Internet that can make the whole process a bit more fun.
So how do you work to improve your spelling as you negotiate the many challenges of writing accurately in English? Do you use any of the techniques above or have some additional tricks up your sleeve? The telc English online community can be accessed via our Facebook page and is a great place to share ideas – we hope to see you there!
Don’t miss our introductory offer for the telc English programme:
Register your students via our website for one of the new dual-level examinations – telc English A2-B1 or telc English A2-B1 School – by 31 December 2011, and receive examination preparation materials for all test takers free of charge!