Tag Archives: spell
Jan 17th , 2011
Why is it Spelled that Way?
The invention of the automatic spell checker was no accident. Learning how to spell correctly in English can be a challenging process. Whereas in other languages, words are often spelled more or less like they sound, in English words are often spelled in ways that seem to have little in common with how they are pronounced.
Instead of learning a set of basic rules and applying them universally, students must deal with a variety of exceptions and linguistic idiosyncrasies which can often seem daunting.
Why, for example, are “hare” and “hair” spelled differently but pronounced the same? How is it that “food” and “good” are both spelled with a double “o,” yet are pronounced differently? What is the difference between “thorough” and “through,” and why do neither sound anything like “tough”? Why do words like “diaphragm” and “psychologist” contain letters that are not pronounced at all? And what about the spelling of words which were adopted from foreign languages, and do not obey any of the familiar rules of English spelling?
Fortunately, there are many online resources available to help students spell correctly. For those who learn through memorization, there are several different lists of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language. For kids and those who seek fun ways to learn, there are many games, online and otherwise, that are designed to help students improve their spelling.
When it comes to writing, the spell corrector is an invaluable tool. By allowing the student to write freely, focusing on content without being overly concerned about how he or she spells each and every word, automatic spell checkers facilitate easier writing for native and non-native speakers alike. As a tool for learning, spell correctors also offer advantages, such as immediate feedback and instant self-correction.
One educational tool for learning and improving spelling abilities is dictation. By transcribing a dictated text, a student’s listening comprehension can be evaluated, as well as his ability to understand grammar constructs. The old fashioned technique of sounding out words – breaking down words into individual syllables – can help, along with the teaching of prefixes and suffixes.
For any student of the English language, spelling is an essential part of mastering the new tongue. While it can be challenging, spelling is easy to learn if you know how, and many tools are available to help students out.
Posted in Spelling | Tagged spell, spell checker, spelling
Jan 10th , 2011
Spelling Correction and Learning to Spell
When we were children, just beginning to learn to read, write and spell words, we had to rely on teachers and parents to review our work and correct it. Quite similarly, children, students, non-native speakers, and people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, each for their specific purpose, may all require such assistance in order to spell a word or construct a sentence.
Today, when one wants to know how a word is spelled, one usually uses a computer. This sort of shift is having an important effect on the process of learning how to write and spell. It is true that for the purpose of reviewing a text, spell correctors and grammar checkers can be invaluable. Tools like these are highly available. They can be either accessed online, as in the case of online dictionaries or an online spell check, or built into a client's word processor. The writers, for their part, can search for the tools and develop the techniques that they are comfortable with and which are better suited for them.
Now, apart from proofing a text, tools like a spell corrector can also be utilized for the purpose of improving writing skills. When we think about it more generally, we see the potential such tools hold in enabling new approaches for learning language. This is true because, ultimately, to write and to spell are personal abilities, and a major advantage of these tools is their potential capacity for personalization. A personalized environment lets the writer become a learner, by providing practice tools that help ensure they can work on what matters as often as possible.
Still, along with the technological enhancements for creating solid texts, there are disadvantages in this method. One can perhaps rely on a spell corrector when examining a text, but what about the text's clarity and its coherency? These features of language are without a doubt no less essential and evoke the need for experience and interaction. In addition, as people rely more and more on correction tools, they no longer feel the need to know how to spell by themselves. Using the corrections but neglecting to practice and acquire a personal skill undermines the learning process. So, in conclusion we must admit that there is no substitute for learning for ourselves. But there is great value in aids, on the condition that they are used sensibly.
Posted in Spelling | Tagged spell, spell corrector, spelling Correction