Spelling Tips for Esl Students
Spelling in English is hard even for those of us who have been practicing for years! For one thing there are so many exceptions to the rules. The English language actually has two basic types of words – words which are original to English and those adopted from other languages. Words which are original to English follow a few simple rules and are generally spelled as they sound. Words adopted from other languages go through a process called transliteration. Sounds from the foreign language will be represented by the English alphabet. Each language from which words have been adopted gets its own set of rules for how the sounds in that language will be represented in English. Since the English language has adopted words from many other languages, this can make for a very challenging number of spelling rules.
Nevertheless, there are some techniques you can use to increase your spelling accuracy. If you apply these tips you will improve your spelling and, therefore, your ability to communicate in English.
Really look at a word. When you encounter a new word or one you know you have trouble spelling, take the time to really look at the word closely. Try breaking the word into syllables and then imagine stringing them together like pearls to form the word. Take time to write the word on a scrap of paper, checking the spelling as you go against the correctly spelled word. Studying words in this way imprints an image of the word in your brain which you will use later when you write the word again. The more times you see the word correctly spelled, the more likely it is that you will be able to spell the word correctly when