Understanding and Teaching English Spelling

Concise and engaging, this text provides pre-service and practicing English language teachers with the knowledge they need to successfully teach the spelling of English. Offering context and explanation for the English spelling system as well as uniquely addressing specific problems in learning the spelling of English words, this book empowers readers with strategies for coping with these problems. Divided into six accessible sections, Brown covers the history of English spelling, the influence of technology on spelling, the role of punctuation, the features of present-day English spelling, teaching strategies for coping with difficult spelling, and the future of spelling and literacy. The short, digestible chapters include practical learning objectives and end-of-chapter exercises to help teachers understand and explain English spelling concepts.

Autorentext

Adam Brown is Director of Research at Auckland Institute of Studies, New Zealand.

Inhalt

1. Introduction

2. Types of Spelling System

3. Spelling, Writing and Reading

4. History of English

5. History of English Spelling

6. A Computer is Not a Typewriter

7. Technology

8. Rules of English Spelling

9. Punctuation

10. Spaces and Hyphens

11. Capital Letters

12. Silent Letters

13. Doubled Consonant Letters

14. Spelling of Unstressed Vowels

15. Variation

16. Loanwords

17. Names of Letters

18. Spelling Pronunciation

19. Pronunciation Spelling

20. Homophones and Homographs

21. Other Consequences of English Spelling

22. Morphological Strategy

23. Etymological Strategy

24. Phonological Strategy

25. Analogical Strategy

26. Visual Strategy

27. Teaching English Spelling

28. Testing English Spelling

29. Spelling Reform

30. English Spelling and Malay Spelling

31. The Future of English Spelling

32. Conclusion

    * Appendix 1: Sound-to-spelling correspondences for British English

Appendix 2: Surnames exemplifying spelling rules

Appendix 3: The main uses of punctuation in English

Appendix 4: Answers *