Background

Spelling is the “face” of written communication. It makes an impression, good or otherwise, on the reader. We observed that many ESL writers make such frequent and severe misspellings that their essays and emails are difficult to decipher.

Intervention

Our intensive English program (IEP) experimented with a semester-long intervention to help students enrolled in composition and vocabulary classes improve their spelling. The focus on spelling involved five phases:

1. Select target word list.
2. Motivate students to work on spelling.
3. Provide opportunities for practice in and out of class.
4. Determine finalists.
5. Host a spelling bee (with fabulous prizes to be won!).

Phase 1: Select Target Word List

We recommend vocabulary words that are high frequency and relevant to students’ needs. The Academic Word List (AWL) by Coxhead (2000) was a good fit for our program because it is derived from introductory-level college textbooks. It can be found in the appendix of many academic vocabulary textbooks as well as online. (Note that many lists use British spelling.) The target word list was distributed to all students in all levels at the beginning of the semester. (Additional suggestions for word lists are provided in Appendix A.)

Phase 2: Motivate Students to Work on Spelling

Students may not know that there are real-world consequences to poor spelling. First of all, Microsoft Word’s spell check does not “fix” all their errors. (Sometimes a word is so misspelled that spell check suggests a completely different word than the writer intended.) Furthermore, there is no spell check feature on the writing sections of the TOEFL or SAT. Nor is spell check available on in-class college exams requiring short-answer and essay-length responses. On a resume, a typographical error can end a person’s job candidacy.

Second, students should know that good spellers are good readers. Not knowing how a word is spelled—even when a student “knows” that word—means a slower reading rate when that word is encountered in a text (Fender, 2008, summarizing L1 research).

Another motivator is the inspirational movie Akeelah and the Bee (Lions Gate Films 2006), inspired by a true story about a junior high girl who overcomes disadvantages to reach the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition. We showed this film to students, explaining that, in American English, a “bee” is a social gathering to make an arduous job easier. Correct spelling doesn’t come easily, even for native speakers, so it’s best tackled together. A printed listening guide with discussion questions directed their attention to Akeelah’s study strategies and her discovery that “big words are made of little words.”

Phase 3: Provide Opportunities for Practice In and Out of Class

Instructors of composition and vocabulary were asked to devote time to the AWL. The amount of time and the type of activity was left up to their discretion. Some instructors gave traditional spelling quizzes or dictations; others played games (Wheel of Fortune, Hangman, etc.). A vocabulary teacher reported, “I really enjoyed playing ‘Last One Standing’ with the list of spelling words . . . every other day in class. It was a way to stretch our legs in a long class; it sometimes acted as a sponge activity (soaking up that extra 5 minutes at the end of class).” Instructors also made worksheets of crossword puzzles and word shapes (good for visual learners) using the website http://tools.atozteacherstuff.com.

Students had ample opportunities to practice outside of class as well. They were directed to websites with practice activities for the AWL (see www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/links). Native-English-speaking student workers recorded and provided audio files of the target words, pronounced as a whole and then spelled letter by letter, so that students could drill themselves.

Phase 4: Determine Finalists

After 2 months, participating instructors identified their top spellers and asked them if they wished to compete in the spelling bee. (We found 20 contestants to be a good size.) Participation was voluntary, because this involved public risk-taking. Students who agreed to compete were taught the rules of the competition (see Appendix B).

Phase 5: Host a Spelling Bee

The entire IEP student body was invited to attend the bee, with snacks and live music to follow. A master of ceremonies announced the names of each contestant, emphasizing that this person was already a winner and was representing his or her class section. After a review of the rules of the competition, three faculty members engaged in a short mock spelling bee with outrageously difficult words, to demonstrate the procedure. Then the bee began, with a pronouncer giving each contestant a word to spell, starting from the students in the advanced level down to the basic level.

The spelling bee modified for ESL students differs from the Scripps National Spelling Bee in significant aspects. To make it a more effective learning experience, the target word list had been circulated ahead of time and contained only high-frequency words relevant to the ESL students’ goals. Words progressed from easy to difficult (e.g., draft to whether). Students heard each word in a meaningful sentence, providing context. A teacher transcribed each contestant’s spelling, letter by letter, on a laptop connected to a projector, for all the audience to see. If incorrect, the transcriber provided the correct spelling alongside it (except when only two contestants remained).

When a contestant was eliminated, he or she was given a consolation prize. The third, second, and first place finishers received substantial prizes, such as a pair of tickets to a nearby cultural event.

Results

Faculty and staff gave this feedback:

• “It was very encouraging to see students excited about spelling. At the actual spelling bee, it was evident other students were spelling along and were visibly upset when they knew a student messed up. I also thought it was a nice demonstration of the overlap between Vocabulary and Oral Skills (and other subjects as well).”
• “A positive addition to our already existing cultural activities. It was nice that the event was academically focused.”
• “This semester students seemed to realize that spelling was not just their teacher’s pet peeve—spelling is really a language skill.”

Eighteen students from two levels completed anonymous surveys. When asked, “Has your English spelling improved this semester?” 11 circled “Yes, a lot”; 7 circled “Yes, a little”; and none circled “No.” In response to the open-ended question “From the focus on spelling, what did you learn about the English language?”, students named (in order from most responses to least):

1. vocabulary, especially new academic words
2. prefixes, suffixes, and roots/word origins (from other languages)
3. the complexity, the exceptions, and the lack of sound-spelling correspondence
4. improved spelling when writing
5. pronunciation
6. strategy: using visual intelligence

An advanced-level student commented, “After this semester I take spelling more seriously, because it is an important part of academic life.” Some students liked participating in the spelling bee because it was “fun”; “creative, funny, and dynamic”; “a challenge”; and a way to practice. Regarding risk-taking and making mistakes in public, one student responded, “Yes, [I will participate in the next spelling bee] because even I wrong I will learn more.”

Instructors noted the following unanticipated benefits:

• improved spelling aloud, especially of troublesome distinctions, such as b/v and p/b
• awareness of the schwa vowel sound (ə) in unstressed syllables
• more attentive listening (e.g., synthesis vs. synthesize)
• discovery of a previously undiagnosed learning disability such as dyslexia or hearing problems

Confirmation From Research

Learning should be fun!

“Second language learning has been described as a cyclical process: strong motivation, positive attitudes, and effective learning effort may result in increased language attainment and the feeling of progress, which may in turn enhance motivation and facilitate further effort” (Gan, Humphreys, & Hamp-Lyons, 2004, p. 231).

Second language (L2) aptitude is componential. Phonology/orthography is one component. Therefore, an advanced-level student is not necessarily a better speller than a basic-level student. Interestingly, our first place winner was from the intermediate level, and the second place winner was from the basic level.

Aptitude is not a monolithic construct: students are not “across the board winners or losers” in relation to L2 learning (Skehan, 1998, p. 192). . . . Acknowledgement of the componential nature of L2 aptitude holds the potential to identify specific language strengths and weaknesses. (Sparks, Humbach, Patton, & Ganschow, 2011, p. 269)

Spelling can be improved by

developing “the ability to recognize and map spelling patterns to corresponding sound patterns at the phoneme, syllable, and word levels…and through repeated exposure to the words.” (Fender 2008, par. 4 in a literature review citing Caravolas, Hulme, & Snowling, 2001; Ehri, 1997, 2005; Templeton & Morris, 2000)

Let’s rethink how we teach spelling.

“Spelling instruction ought to be reconceptualized from having as its purpose the simple mastery of conventional spellings to emphasizing more broadly word study… [with an] emphasis on the interrelatedness of spelling and phonics, morphology, and vocabulary.” (Templeton & Morris 2000, October, par. 4 of section “Implications for instruction”).

References

Atchison, D. (Director). (2006). Akeelah and the Bee. [Film]. (Available from Lions Gate Films.)

Coxhead, A. (2000). A New Academic Word List. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2): 213-238.

Fender, M. (2008). Spelling knowledge and reading development: Insights from Arab ESL learners. Reading in a Foreign Language, 20(1), 19-42.

Gan, Z. et al. (2004). Understanding successful and unsuccessful EFL students in Chinese universities. Modern Language Journal, 88(2), 229-244.

Sparks, R., Humbach, N., Patton, J., & Ganschow, L. (2011). Subcomponents of second-language aptitude and second-language proficiency. Modern Language Journal, 95(2), 253-273.

Templeton, S., & Morris, D. (2001, October). Reconceptualizing spelling development and instruction. Reading Online, 5(3). Available at http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=/articles/handbook/templeton/index.html

Appendix A: Other Word Lists That May Be Helpful for Other Learners

Elementary School

www.dolchword.net

www.bingocardcreator.com/dolch-sight-words-lists.htm

Middle School

www.auburn.edu/~nunnath/engl6240/wlistgen.html

http://dynamo.dictionary.com/middle-school-vocabulary

High School

www.vocabulary.com/lists/79298

www.freevocabulary.com

www.majortests.com/sat/wordlist.php

College Level

www.academicwords.info

www.studybeans.com/gre/vocab_list.html

Word lists can be organized into smaller sections for ease of teaching. For example:

• by spelling rule (such as the two-vowel rule by Judy Gilbert)
• by theme/schema
• by part of speech
• by etymology (e.g., Latin root)

Appendix B: Spelling Bee Rules

The pronouncer will say a word, use it in a sentence, and repeat the word. The speller cannot ask for repetitions, definitions, word origin, or any help. The speller must spell the word correctly on his or her first attempt or be eliminated until there are only two spellers left, at which point the word must be spelled correctly by the victor. A speller can start over again from the beginning of the word, but may not change any letters he or she has already spoken. A speller may use a small notepad and pencil to write out the word before spelling it aloud. No help from the audience is permitted. If you decide to accept British [or American or another dialect] spelling, bring a dictionary of British English in case a word’s spelling is contested.

Ginessa Lawson Payne, Catherine McIntyre, and Sue Ellen Davis have a combined 25+ years of ESL instructional experience. They teach international students a variety of skills at a variety of levels in the English Language Institute at Texas A&M University in College Station.