Just one problem - I haven't finished writing the book! But I'm getting there.
Questions I'd like you to ask me...
So what's the book about?
Well, how to teach spelling to people who are learning English. Although it's primarily aimed at teachers of adults and teens, all the principles and most of the activities can be used with, or adapted for, children too. It starts with an examination of English spelling, how 'regular ' and learnable it really is and why some people struggle with it. Then we take a quick look at some research I've done about learners, teachers and materials. All of this helps to inform my approach to teaching spelling. The rest of the book describes this - the methodology and specifically how we can teach spelling strategies and some spelling patterns - particularly those that seem to bug our learners most.
What makes it different from the other spelling books? What spelling books? There aren't many, not for ELT. But mine moves away from a phonics approach - because
a) so much of English isn't phonetically spelt and
b) many English language learners have problems with pronunciation too.
So I deal with multi-sensory and cognitive approaches to spelling. We all learn different things in different ways, so there are loads of very different types of activities for you to use or adapt. The other difference is the focus on strategies. We can't make anyone learn to spell (just as we can't make them learn anything else) but we can show them some ways how.
Why are you writing it?
Guilt! I remember hearing myself tutting over student work and saying"You really must do something about your spelling". They would nod sadly and ask,"How?" and I had no answer. I knew just "read a lot" wasn't very helpful. So I started looking into ways to help them. Then came an MA dissertation. Then getting big and enthusiastic audiences at my presentations about spelling and requests to read the dissertation. So I decided to build on it and include lots of activities and ... here we are - well, nearly.
When will it be out?
Ah, good question! Hopefully, by the end of this year. In time for your Christmas stocking, chilly evenings or lying on the beach (depending which part of the world you are in).
What can we do to help you out?
Well, since you ask, encourage me! Tell me that this is the book you've been waiting for and that I should hurry up and get it finished and you know X number of people who want to buy it. Oh, and get someone to invite me to talk about how to teach spelling. And spread the word. And keep coming back to the blog to see how it's coming along. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
It's my pleasure!
And by the way, do you like the cover? Please leave comments.
I hope there will be some discussion of American English as well. The problem of illiteracy among native speakers in the U.S. is a very important one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, John. Yes, I want to write a short piece about American English and possibly about other varieties of English too where the spelling is different. And in the main body of the book, there will probably be a wide margin for various notes about the text and one of the things I want to put here is where American English differs from British English on a particular point.
ReplyDeleteOr the other idea I had was also to do an American version which would be almost identical but with US spelling throughout.
As for illiteracy among native-speakers in the USA, why do you think that is? That they haven't attended school, that school has 'failed' them or some other reason?
Although my book is primarily aimed at teachers of English as a second (or foreign) language, there is no reason why it could not be used with native speakers.
I'll be blogging soon about American and British English.
Great cover :-) Good luck with finishing the book now!
ReplyDeleteI was just going to ask whether you thought it would also be useful for native speakers, but noticed just in time that you have answered that above. Sounds great!
Thanks Carol. I appreciate the encouragement - it's like fuel - gets me writing. In fact I've written more today than in the last week I think ... and it's only lunchtime! Can't stop, must get on...
ReplyDeleteExcellent! An all-U.S. edition would of course be excellent. The other Englishes tend to stay close to BrE in orthography, except that Canadian English is a hybrid (British "tyre, centre"; American "tire, center"; Canadian "tire, centre", e.g.)
ReplyDeleteMy wife teaches in an adult literacy program through the Centers for Reading and Writing of the New York City Public Library. Not all her students are native speakers, but they all have a good command of English (there are also English as a Second Language classes).
The reasons are very various: people who had to leave school to go to work at an early age, or somehow never "got it" but were passed through school anyhow, or have undiagnosed learning disabilities or psychological problems such as attention-deficit disorder, or didn't grow up speaking English, have learned it as adults, but can't read or write.
So Exciting Johanna,
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm buying copies - keep writing, both the book and this blog, it's needed, necessary and a smashing idea!
xx
Karnne
It's a mitey fine kuvver.
ReplyDeleteThanks, gize!
ReplyDeleteThat is a FANTASTIC cover.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joolz! Wait till you see what's inside ;-)
ReplyDeleteJust going to procrastinate a bit and look at your blog on Digital Literacies @ http://digital-literacies.blogspot.com/ Looks my sort of thing...
Jo
Dear Jo, Just had a quick look at the cover and really liked the design. Wish you all the best to get the book out as soon as you can and I'm sure the book will be welcome by native and non-native speaker teachers alike. A silly thought, though: from a marketing (noticeability point of view and remembering our daughter's spelling troubles, I'm wondering if something like 'TAECHING SPELING' would make a bit more of a splash and a point. Anyhow, perhaps we can have you over in Hungary for our IATEFL-H conference next year! Uwe
ReplyDeleteHi Uwe, Thanks for your comments. I had thought of making a deliberate mistake with the spelling of the title, but decided against it in the end. I do a presentation called "Waht can teatchers do to halp boor spillers" which certainly gets attention (as long as nobody lets their spell-checker correct it!) but I don't want people to keep looking at a misspelling on something as permanent as a book cover as it would be awful if they then got confused with the real spelling. In fact I never use exercises where learners have to correct wrongly spelt words as it can plant a seed of doubt in even good spellers. The other reason was that if people searched for 'teaching' or 'spelling' they wouldn't find my book.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to come to Hungary next year. It's one of the few countries in Eastern and Central Europe that I haven't been too.
Warmest wishes, Jo
Dennisjoe, thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteTeaching English spelling to learners of English as a foreign or second language can certainly benefit from looking at how native speakers are taught but we must look at these materials CRITICALLY. It cannot be assumed that because a method or technique helps native speakers it necessarily helps non-native speakers. Take phonics for example. A presumption behind phonics is that the speller can pronounce the words accurately and those of us who teach people to speak English know that often that is not the case.
Johanna
Good luck with the book. Let me know as soon as I can buy it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Richard - I had to stop writing over the summer as I was flat out with teaching and teacher training. But now it's full steam ahead. I'll certainly let you know when it's published.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I think your Spelltube site is great - I blogged about it ages ago. (Anyone else, just click on Richard's name above to go there.)
Fabulous!This is something long awaited.Being a Teacher Trainer (ELT),spelling problem is indeed injurious for all learners.The need & guidance in spellings is required as a Primary necessity for English teaching & learners.Oops!Not to forget the creative cover page,its a good imagination.Best wishes for the completion of your 'blasting volcano'of spell work & methodology. Meenakshi Vijh. India.
ReplyDeleteNow Meenakshi, that's what I call encouragement!! You've just catapulted me back into my office to get writing! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteJust found out about your blog and your book - very intriguing. I was wondering if your book is published and whether it is available in any U.S. bookstores.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Heather
School Psychologist in Iowa
Glad you found me, Heather! Actually I've got a bit behind with the book and hope to have it out in a few months. It will be available through Amazon and Lulu.com. I'll certainly be making a lot of noise about it on the blog when it's ready, so I hope you'll keep coming back to check (easiest way is to become a Follower.)
ReplyDeleteYou are a superwoman!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read your book..
Keep your good work..
Eman..
Ha ha, Eman! If I was superwoman I would have finished the book by now! I'm really hoping to get it out by the summer (2010).
ReplyDeleteluf dhuh bukk eyedear un luf dhuh blogg!! lukk fourwerd tuh seaing ewe inn Harowegeight!!!
ReplyDeleteFangs, Anthony!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDear speak_english,
ReplyDeleteI agree that can be ONE of the causes of weak spelling. But as teachers we need to teach learners to use spell-checkers well. I wrote a blogpost on this some time ago. And it includes an activity. http://thespellingblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/spell-checkers-how-useful-are-they.html
Hope it's useful.
Jo
As a mother of 3 children with different dysfunctions of cognitive/behavior development, I was always looking for information and techniques to supplement their lessons with home-tutoring materials. After creating wRiteBlocks.com to address the learning difficulties with my own children and the kids that I tutored, I wondered if others would catch on to the cognitive relationship to learning. Please finish the book! – I want a copy! Now that my own kids are grown and (almost) out on their own - I am moving into the career field of teaching disabled students and I want to see how to expand my language system to include your teaching methods... and please provide me with your critique on my materials. Thanks – and the cover is beautiful- it grabbed the attention of my grandson (who just started kindergarten)... he wanted me to get him lots of letter-blocks so he could learn to spell “gigantus” words, just like grandma does.
ReplyDeleteAs a mother of 3 children with different dysfunctions of cognitive/behavior development, I was always looking for information and techniques to supplement their lessons with home-tutoring materials. After creating wRiteBlocks.com to address the learning difficulties with my own children and the kids that I tutored, I wondered if others would catch on to the cognitive relationship to learning. Please finish the book! – I want a copy! Now that my own kids are grown and (almost) out on their own - I am moving into the career field of teaching disabled students and I want to see how to expand my language system to include your teaching methods... and please provide me with your critique on my materials. Thanks – and the cover is beautiful- it grabbed the attention of my grandson (who just started kindergarten)... he wanted me to get him lots of letter-blocks so he could learn to spell “gigantus” words, just like grandma does.
ReplyDelete