Graphology and spelling

1. Graphology and spelling Objectives • Define the term ‘graphology’ • Identify problems with learning to spell • Identify good practice in the teaching of spelling • Devise plans for teaching spelling using text based activities

2. Some ideas about spellingAgree or disagree? • If you want to learn to spell, you should read more. • There’s no logic in English spelling – that’s why it’s so hard. • There is one correct way to learn spellings. • People make spelling mistakes because they don’t speak properly. • If you get stuck, just sound it out.

3. Good spellers have a store of word pictures in their mind which they refer to when they want to spell a word • Learn the rules, then you’ll be able to spell. • Look it up in the dictionary. • Writing a word helps you learn to spell it. • Good spelling isn’t important. It’s the ideas that count. • You’ll put students off if you correct their spelling.

4. The history of English Spelling • Christian missionaries replace 31 Old English runes with 23 Latin letters (and add æ, θ, ð, þ) • Norman scribes introduce French conventions (cw → qu, h → gh, u → ou etc.) and innovations (luve → love, sun → son) • the “Great Vowel Shift” from C15th → C18th - pronunciation moves away from spelling: • /a:/ → /ei/ /i:/ → /ai/ etc. • 1476 Caxton’s printing press: new technology “freezes” old phonetic spelling of vowels and other words (e.g. knee, time)

5. C16th scholars demonstrate the classical roots of words: • dette → debt (debitum), doute → doubt (dubitare), igland → island (a false analogy with insula) • reformers extend rules, so gh in night and light now in delight and tight • C16th/C17th travel, C18th/C19th imperialism, C20th globalisation bring loan words – foreign spelling maintained • George Bernard Shaw  Noam Chomsky 

6. Complexity of spelling • linguistic • cognitive • social • affective • HUGHES, N. & SCHWAB, I. (2010) Teaching Adult Literacy: Principles and Practice Maidenhead, Berks. Open University Press

7. Graphology • The study of the systems of symbols that have been devised to communicate language in the written form – linguistic graphology • Analogy with phonology • Phoneme – smallest unit of sound • Grapheme – smallest unit in a writing system which can cause a contrast in meaning • cat – bat c and b different graphemes • Main graphemes – 26 letters of alphabet

9. Using different strategies • In pairs identify some strategies which you could use to remember spellings from the list below. • interesting • address • accommodation • + words that your learners need

10. Diagnosing difficulties/ developing individual spelling programmes Consider: • What words are useful/relevant? • Best method/methods linked to individual learning style • Multi-sensory approaches ‘Look, say, cover, check, write’

11. Using the text that you have been given as a starting point, devise a group session to develop learner spelling. Include: • Exploration of spelling issue from words in the text • Opportunities for learners to suggest strategies for difficult words • Practice activities for spellings • A writing task that draws on the themes of the text and uses a selection of the words

12. References: • ABELL, S. (1997) Helping Adults to Spell: Basic Skills Agency • CRYSTAL, D. (2003) The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language (2nd edition) Cambridge: CUP • FROMKIN, V. (2003) An Introduction to Language (7th edition) Boston: Thomson • HUGHES, N. & SCHWAB, I. (2010) Teaching Adult Literacy: Principles and Practice Maidenhead, Berks. Open University Press • MILLAR, R. and KLEIN, C.(1990) Unscrambling Spelling: Hodder, • www.spellingsociety.org • homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c