2009-2010

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(1)People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Mentouri University Constantine Faculty of Letters and Languages Department of Foreign Languages. The Case of Third Year L.M.D. Students at Mentouri University Constantine. Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master degree in Applied Language Studies. Board of Examiners Dr. BEGHOUL Youcef. Mentouri University Constantine. Dr. LAKEHAL AYAT Karima. Candidate:. Mentouri University Constantine. Supervisor:. BENZITOUNI Amina Ouafa. Dr. LAKEHAL AYAT Karima. 2009-2010.

(2) Dedication To my parents,. To my brothers and sister,. To all those who contributed to the elaboration of this modest work.. I.

(3) Acknowledgements The debts owed for help in producing this work are more than I can pay. The greatest debt is for my supervisor Dr. Lakehal-Ayat Karima, who directed me in the world of research with generosity and. patience. Gratitude is also due to a succession of teachers at Mentouri University Constantine, in particular Pr. Harouni Zahri and Dr. Beghoul Youcef. Likewise gratitude is due to the chief of the department. of foreign languages Dr. Laraba Samir. I am also grateful for all my friends who supported and encouraged me during the preparation of this work.. II.

(4) Abstract The present research is intended to investigate the reasons that lie behind the problem of confusion in the English spelling. It takes the specific case of third year L.M.D. students at Mentouri University Constantine. To achieve the aforementioned aim a test, where twenty students participated, was carried out. The hypothesis we tested came to be validated for our analysis of students' erroneous spellings revealed that the confusion students face while spelling in English is due to many causes. The major causes are students' lack of knowledge of the spelling rules and strategies in addition to their unawareness of words origins. The current study has also demonstrated that spelling is an important skill to be taught since spelling mistakes can have serious consequences that affect communication and intelligibility. That is why, teachers need consider the teaching of the spelling rules and strategies with great care.. III.

(5) List of Abbreviations S.S.S.: The Simplified Spelling Society I.T.A.: Initial Teaching Alphabet T.O.: Traditional Orthography S.L.V.: The Short and Long Vowel Rule. IV.

(6) List of Tables Table 01: The Spelling Choices in Sentence One……………………………………29 Table 02: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Two…………………………………...30 Table 03: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Three………………………………… 31 Table 04: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Four………………………………….. 32 Table 05: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Five ……………………………….......33 Table 06: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Six ………………………………...…34 Table 07: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Seven………………………………… 35 Table 08: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Eight ……………………………….…36 Table 09: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Nine……………………………..…… 37 Table 10: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Ten ……………………………………38 Table 11: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Eleven……………………………...… 39 Table 12: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Twelve …………………………..……40 Table 13: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Thirteen……………………………… 41 Table 14: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Fourteen……………………………… 42 Table 15: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Fifteen………………………….……. 43 Table 16: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Sixteen…………………………..…… 44 Table 17: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Seventeen………………………….… 45 Table 18: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Eighteen…………………………...… 46 Table 19: The Spelling Choices in Sentence the Nineteen ……………………….…47 Table20: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Twenty…………………………...…… 48. V.

(7) List of Figures Figure 01: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence One…………………………….29 Figure 02: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Two…………………………….30 Figure 03: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Three…………………………...31 Figure 04: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Four……………………………32 Figure 05: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Five…………………………….33 Figure 06: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Six…………………..………….34 Figure 07: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Seven……………………..……35 Figure 08: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Eight………………………...…36 Figure 09: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Nine……………………………37 Figure 10: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Ten……………………….…….38 Figure 11: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Eleven………………………… 39 Figure 12: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Twelve…………………………40 Figure 13: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Thirteen………………………..41 Figure 15: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Fourteen………………………..42 Figure 15: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Fifteen…………………………43 Figure 16: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Sixteen…………………………44 Figure 17: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Seventeen………...……………45 Figure 18: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Eighteen………………………..46 Figure 19: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Nineteen……………………….47 Figure 20: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Twenty…………………………48. VI.

(8) Contents Introduction. 1. Aims of the Study.....................................................................................................01. 2. Statement of the Problem.........................................................................................01. 3. Research Questions..................................................................................................03. 4. Research Hypothesis................................................................................................03. 5. Means of Research...................................................................................................03. 6. Structure of the Study………………………………………………………...……04. Chapter One: The English Spelling. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………06. 1. The English Spelling………………………………………………………………07. 2. The Emergence of Spelling Errors in the English Language……………………...08. 3. The Problem of Confusion in the English Spelling………………………………..10. 4. The Main Areas of Confusion in the English Spelling……………………………13. 4. 1. Confusion with Words………………………………………………………….13. 4. 1. 1. Close, Open, or Hyphenated…………………………………………………14. 4. 1. 2. Homophones………………………………………………………………….16 VII.

(9) 4. 2. Confusion with Letters………………………………………………………….17. 4. 2. 1. Silent Letters…………………………………………………………………17. 4. 2. 2. The Choice between Single and Double Consonants………………………...18. 4. 2. 3. Word Endings………………………………………………………………...20. 4. 3.Confusion with Numbers, and Symbols…………………………………………21. 4. 3.1.Numbers……………………………………………………………………….21. 4. 3.2.Apostrophes……………………………………………………………………22. 4. 3.3.Accents and Diacritics…………………………………………………………22. 4.3.4. Other Symbols…………………………………………………………………23. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………23. Chapter Two: The causes of Confusion in the English Spelling. Introduction………………………………………………………………………26 1. Population and Sampling………………………………………………………...26 2. Description of the test……………………………………………………………27 3. Design and Implementation……………………………………………………...27 4. Results and Analysis……………………………………………………………..28 5. Discussion of the results………………………………………………………….49 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..52 General Conclusion………………………………………………………….….53 Bibliography………………………………………………………………….....58 VIII.

(10) Introduction 1. Aims of the Study Among all the necessary skills in learning English as a foreign language, the writing skill is considered to be the most important one. In the case of the Algerian educational system, it is the skill mostly used to examine students' performances. Despite the considerable time learners take to write and revise their texts before they put them in the final form, students writings come to be full of mistakes, particularly those concerning spelling. The main concern of this research is to know as much as possible about learners' competence in the most problematic areas in English spelling and gain understanding of the chief reasons underling this problem. It also aims to tackle the basic questions about spelling and shed light on the importance of spelling as one of the most significant skills in writing. If our hypothesis is substantiated, the current study would provide suggestions and find teaching procedures that would cure this problematic situation and achieve a correct and self-assured spelling.. 2. Statement of the Problem Undeniably, the way we talk and write largely determines our success in life. A successful student always presents grammatically correct, well punctuated, well spelt, and well organized pieces of writing. But in this era of online dictionaries and other ultra-modern writing aids, most students do not concern themselves with the detail of spelling. For some, the advantage of the word processor has downgraded the typewriter practically to the status of the pen, and the very bad speller can look good simply by running a spell-check on the final production before printing. However, this is not always the case. The significance of electronic dictionaries is indisputable but a. 1.

(11) much dependence on them is risky since the English language just has too many twists. For instance, most spell check programs lack the ability to detect the misuse of homophones. In addition, the spell-checker is not accessible all time. In examinations, for instance, countless students find themselves in a difficult situation; they get confused with many words' spellings. Confusion does not occur only at words and letters level but also at other significant spelling characters and leads to many mistakes that can have serious consequences.. At the word level, among the spelling errors many students make is to write what should be a single word as two separate words (e.g. every body, any thing and all mighty), or write what should be two words as a single or a hyphenated word. (e.g. percent, awhile and note-pad). Students also get confused with homophones; words that are pronounced the same way but spelt differently and mean different things (e.g. brake and break, affect and effect, or see and sea). At letters level, the choice between single or double consonants and the spelling of words endings or words with silent letters seem perplexing for most learners (e.g. funy or funny and permanent or permanant). For many students, however, it is not merely words and letters that cause problems and confusion but also other marks that are so important in spelling as numbers and symbols. Although these marks are employed much less frequently, students almost always get confused about how, where and when to use them, and see them as the blemish to be avoided whenever possible without considering that anyone who wants to spell correctly must understand the rules governing the various uses of these symbols.Seen in this light, the following questions arise.. 2.

(12) 3. Research Questions This research is concerned with the investigation of the main areas of confusion in the English spelling and the reasons that lie behind this problem. Hence our study raises three questions: •. Why do students get confused as to which way some words and symbols are spelt in English?. •. Is the English spelling unsystematic and unpredictable, or is it students' ignorance of the spelling rules and strategies that leads to confusion?. •. How can this confusion in the English spelling be overcome?. 4. Research Hypothesis Our research is directed by one main hypothesis.. If students were aware of the spellings rules, strategies, and words origins, they would not get confused.. 5. Means of Research To gather data about learner's proficiency in the most bewildering spellings in the English language and the causes of this problem, a test was carried out. The test consists of twenty simple sentences where students have to decide on the right spelling between two spelling propositions. It was administered to a random sample of twenty students of third year L.M.D. students of English as a foreign language at Mentouri University Constantine after they were asked whether they would agree to participate to our study and were given instructions on how to answer.. 3.

(13) 6. Structure of the Study The dissertation is divided into two chapters. The first chapter deals with a synthesized historical background of the English spelling and the emergence of the idea of misspelling. We also reviewed researchers' views about the problem of confusion and the most mystifying areas in the English spelling. Chapter two involves the field investigation. It opens on a brief account of the motives behind the selection of the population of our study. Then follows the description of our test and the analysis of its results. The dissertation ends with some pedagogical implications that provide some easy ways to drive out this big blunder from students writings, so that they will quickly improve their spelling and be able to point out the mistakes in difficult words.. 4.

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(15) Introduction If there is a topic of really universal concern and significance, it is the ability to write and speak one's own language effectively. It is not only the basis of cultures and civilisations but also and substantially the basis of modern life. Recent studies into the nature of teaching and writing in an E.F.L. context stress the fact that teaching writing is a knotty job. The difficulty essentially stems from the teacher being in charge of dealing with countless problems students of English as a foreign language come across and which are more noticeable in their writing productions than oral ones as spelling mistakes that are considered among the commonest writing problems. In dealing with such writing problems, a good number of researchers emphasized on the need for ensuring a firm and correct spelling. They alleged that for language to be effective, one must look upon the bad spelling nuisance exactly as we look upon the smoke nuisance, the sewer-gas nuisance, the stock-yards' smell nuisance since purity is something more than an aesthetic fashion but a necessity to our health and comfort, and for that reason, it becomes a issue of common public concern, in language as well as in air. This chapter covers the basic broad lines of the English spelling as well as it looks in more details at the problem of confusion and the most confusing areas of the English spelling. In addition, it provides some useful principles that build a good knowledge about the English spelling. For a more comprehensible and clear understanding of the English spelling traps and snares, the most problematic areas were divided into three parts, each of which deals with the spelling problems at one level (words ,letters, then symbols).. 6.

(16) 1. The English Spelling The origin of the word spelling is not well established. It can come from Old French ‘espeller’ ,modern ‘épeler’ , or from Germanic ‘spellôn’, and probably from the Old English ‘spel’, meaning a magical incantation which reflects the origin of the word ‘gospel’. The term spelling was used to denote reading books and casting spells in earlier times, before it bears its current significance meaning to name or write the letters in a particular order (Mc Arthur, 1992).. The terms spelling and its synonym orthography generally entail that the letters are used in accordance with conventional principles. Alphabetic writing is principally phonetic, but no alphabet has constantly perfectly represented a language and the relationship between sounds and alphabetic writing is often indirect and far from ideal as the case of the English spelling (Microsoft Encarta, 2009).. The course of modern English started 1500 years ago with Old English which had a sound system of about 40 different speech sounds, but an alphabet of 27 letters only. The Old English spelling was a quite precise representation of pronunciation. Things did not change to a great extent as the Vikings set up their split province, the “Dane-law” in the North and East of England since the language of the Vikings, Old Norse, was strictly related to Old English. Then, with the arrival of Norman French, which was very different from Old English in vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling, to Britain after the Norman Conquest the spelling problems really began. Many new words of French origin had been introduced into English, and even many AngloSaxon words had been replaced by French words, or had been respelled according to the French spelling rules. The development of printing in the 15th and 16th centuries added further complications for many printers were foreign, mainly Dutch, and made 7.

(17) a lot of mistakes since they depended on their native spelling when printing English. In addition to these foreign historical causes, there were other purely English ones. For instance, the language variety of London had a strong influence on the development of English which gave rise to some mismatches between pronunciation and spelling. Another factor is the fact that the English writing system has not changed to keep pace with the enormous changes in pronunciation. Moreover, in the 16th century, some scholars argued that the spelling of Latin and Greek words should reflect their origins; to achieve this, many silent letters were added to English words (Davidson, 2005).. 2. The Emergence of Spelling Errors in the English Language Mc Arthur (1992) claimed that the idea of bad spelling in English is rather a new one that has appeared with the idea of reforming the English spelling. He affirmed that there were no spelling rules at all in Shakespeare's time, a situation that disturbed some reformers. The wish of these early reformers was to establish a more phonetic system of spelling to remove or reduce elements taken to be sources of confusion and difficulty in learning and save time and effort when learning to write. Bullokar, who was a teacher, is considered the first to complain that it was tough to teach learners to read with that time method of spelling. The reform started with the Simplified Spelling Society ‘S.S.S.’, an organization founded in Britain in1908 for the sake of setting off a reform of the English spelling in the profit of the easiness of learning spelling and issued very successful reading books in a phonetic orthography for learners in schools such as ‘Nerseri Rymz and Simpel Poëmz: A Ferst Reederin Simplifyd Speling ’. Then, after the refuse of many reform proposals as ‘New Spelling’ and ‘Initial Teaching Alphabet’(I.T.A.), the S.S.S. started to adopt the ideas 8.

(18) of Harry Lindgren in Australia and regarded limited or staged reforms of (T.O.) as more useful. Three types of staged reform were estimated like the regularization of the spelling of single phonemes and graphemes besides the removal of “redundant letters” but without success.. Lovinger (2002) stated that the idea of reforming the English spelling to ensure a regular spelling system and get rid of spelling problems was impossible and unsuccessful for changing a whole spelling system exclusively might swiftly render centuries of literature and considerable knowledge. Besides, homophones would be more confusing. And if speech determined spelling, speakers of English from different places would find it hard to read each other’s writings. He avowed that the rules of spelling and their exceptions are far-reaching, but there is no way but to be learned and this is what Brown's quotation illustrates.. Had we a perfect alphabet, consisting of one symbol, and only one, for each elementary sound; and precisely adjusted to the most correct pronunciation of words; the process of learning to read would doubtless be greatly facilitated. We must therefore content ourselves to learn languages as they are, and to make the best use we can of our present imperfect system of alphabetic characters; and we may be the better satisfied to do this, because the deficiencies and redundancies of this alphabet are not yet so well ascertained, as to make it certain what a perfect one would be. (Brown, 2004:155) Alternatively, Webster (1993) stated that printers and dictionaries were two powerful factors in the coming out of the idea of spelling errors. He claimed that it is till the advent of printing in the 15c, that people became aware, concerned and interested in spelling. The idea of 'correct writing' became known mainly due to printers' desire to regularity and consistency since European spelling conventions were not firm and reflected writers' accents and preferences (they varied the spelling of words even to justify their lines). So, they followed an inclination toward a regular 9.

(19) spelling based on King James Bible. When dictionaries became available, the tendency toward regularity and interest in word forms increased which led individuals ‘to strive’ to identify the conventions of spelling.. 3. The Problem of Confusion in the English Spelling At the present time, it does not appear out of the ordinary to speak about someone's misspellings. Errors come out in books, periodicals, newspapers, and students essays. Mistakes vary from the bad joining of words and confusion with homophones, to the substitution, omission, addition, and transposition of letters and symbols.. According to Wilson (1990), spelling is mostly a neuromuscular skill in the development of which certain innate equipment is the main requirement. In this respect, spelling is merely considered as an aptitude that one has to make his ability to improve especially practice. He added that most misspellings in English are only a matter of lack of practice and in spelling as in many other skills practice makes it perfect.. However, writings about this problem represented two conflicting views on the English spelling system as being the main source of confusion. The first view suggests that there is undeniably a highly conventional spelling system, with just a few irregular structures causing some troubles (Order theorists). In opposition, the second view suggests that most English misspellings are due to the unpredictability and irregularity of the English spelling rules and principles (Chaos theorists).. Baugh (1993) declared that learner's confusion with the English spelling is due to learner's belief that the English language is ‘riddled’ with exceptions to the spelling 10.

(20) rules despite the fact that most words are conventional to precise rules and still the exceptions might be categorized ‘for easy reference’. This was supported by Crystal (1989), who stated that there is not a straightforward way to fix on when the regularity of the rule starts, but it has been anticipated that only about three per cent of the mostly used English words are ‘so irregular’, and about 80 per cent are spelled in accordance with regular prototypes.. But, Crystal (op.cit.) turned to ask if the spelling system contains such regularity, why is there a problem. Crystal avowed that the answer is intricate and complicated and considered the fact that learners are seldom taught to spell but made to learn spellings by rote, then meticulously tested on them without the explanation of what they have learned, and why spellings are as they are. Crystal also emphasized that learning the predictable and probable relations between spelling and pronunciation is the way out for understanding the English spelling system as the quotation explains:. An integrated approach can then act as a frame work for the task of mastering the exceptions that history has imposed on the language –but this task seems less formidable once it is accompanied by understanding .If there is a daily battle being fought over spelling in our classrooms, as some suggest, it will be won only if children learn (as wartime generals did) to know their enemy. (Crystal,1989:272) Among the Chaos theorists, Cody (2006) maintained that the problem of confusion with the English spelling is due to the nature of the English spelling that is considered as irregular for many learners and looks totally confused, if compared with the Spanish spelling which has approximately a regular phonetic spelling with one primary sound for each letter, that a Dutch observer of English, Dr. Gerard Nolst Trenité (1870-1946), wrote a poem on English spelling, entitled ‘The Chaos’. He. 11.

(21) stated that the English language is replete with one to three thousand words which are spelled in irregular ways, organized in lists of exceptions that are often ‘so formidable’ that the learner get discouraged, neglect the other rules and principles and exclaim: If nine tenths of the words I use every day are exceptions to the rules, what is the use of the rules anyway!. Crystal ( 1989 ) alleged that the truth is somewhere in between and it cannot be expected to come to an exact figure for the amount of regularity in the English spelling since this varies from one area to the other. He illustrated this by the fact that the English spelling looks very regular if we see it from its technical terms, whereas, it looks ‘dramatically’ irregular, if one takes into account foreign loan words.. Other researcher claimed that being regular or not is not the only reason of perplexity. Devine (2002) argued that learners often neglect the employment of many helpful, easy and effortless strategies that can be extremely sufficient to ensure a confident and accurate spelling and surmount the quandary of misspelling as making use of mnemonics that can be oral as breaking words into their components, make use of rhymes or humorous and odd sayings that stick in the mind (e.g. learners can remind themselves that there are two Rs in ‘embarrass’ if they remember that they get really red with embarrassment), or visual as pictures(e.g. learners can remember that ‘aggressive’ is written with two Gs if they could have a picture of two gorillas fighting.). Likewise, Davidson (2005) found that learners do not take advantage of word families that are very beneficial as a spelling strategy in particular with words with silent letters and words' endings. For instance, the silent ’n’ in government and the ‘ant’ ending in ‘vigilant’ would make no problem if learners use the verb ‘govern’ and the noun ‘vigilance’ as a reminder.. 12.

(22) Then again, Webster (1993) acknowledged that these difficulties learners come upon today are the result of the major linguistic and social events which took place in the earlier periods. The starting point of the problem lounged with the attempt of Christian missionaries to make use of their 23-letter alphabet for more than 35 phonemes of Old English. The Norman Conquest, the introduction of printing the instability of pronunciation, and loan words added further complications to the spelling situation as quoted from P 865. Our present-day spelling, then, is a mishmash of archaism, reform, error, and accident, and it is unsurprising that not everyone who is heir to the tradition can handle it perfectly. Even so, with all the aids available to poor spellers, including electronic spelling-checkers, you; might think there would be very few misspellings found in print. That is why Davidson (2005) emphasized on the necessity of having some knowledge about the history and development of the English spelling and claimed that learners ignorance and disregard of the origins and etymologies of words in dictionaries while checking their spelling is a significant cause of many spelling mistakes since these origins often make it clear why they are spelt the way they are.. 4. The Main Areas of Confusion in the English Spelling 4. 1. Confusion with Words During the natural learning process, the principal features of the English writing system become familiar and readily identifiable in a way that the fundamentals of the sound system are by no means expected to be. When they start learning English, many foreign learners begin to receive some instructions in letter shapes and sounds. Letters create a center of attention in the early educational weeks.. 13.

(23) By time, learners begin to notice that it is far more to the spelling system than learning to recognize individual letter shapes and their associated sounds and start to recognize that spelling in English is difficult and that spelling errors can also be due to bad joining of words and confusion with homophones.. 4. 1. 1. Close, Open, or Hyphenated …I wrote that I took her hand and found it "stone cold." Shawn and I were going over the proof. The time was around 10 P.M. He became agitated." 'Stone cold, ' "he said, "requires a hyphen."I became agitated. "Put a hyphen there and you spoil the ending" I said. "That hyphen would be ruinous." …From time to time, he would stick his head out and say, "Have you changed your mind?" "No hyphen" I replied. "Absolutely no hyphen." I was quite worked up over the hyphen. Sometime around two-thirty in the morning, Shawn said, wearily, "All right. No hyphen. But you are wrong. "We remained dear friends, hyphen or no hyphen, to the end.(Hamburger in Stilman,1997:23 ) According to Stilman (1997), spelling a word correctly involves more than just getting the right letters in the right order and place. Often, a word that is thought to be written in two words is written as one, or that is to be written as one, is written as two. A word is also considered to be misspelled if it has to contain a hyphen and doesn't, or if it has not to contain one and does. Stilman (1997) found that confusion at that level occurs particularly when linking words that make up a compound, when linking a prefix or suffix to the main word, and when linking words that make up a number.. Compounds, two or more successive words, denoting a single referent rather than a subclass of a larger class of referents, and fused by a very cohesive semantic relation (Rozakis, 2003) are considered one of the repeatedly misspelled words in the English language. Learners get confused with the spelling all the types of compounds and mistakes principally vary from mistakenly omitting, misplacing, and inserting 14.

(24) hyphens. Stilman (1997) argued that this is mainly due to the fact that compounds are found in three different spelling forms. Some compounds, called open compounds, are written as two separate words with a space between them (e.g. Tennis club), some run the words together and are called closed compounds (e.g. Notebook), and others are hyphenated that is linked by a hyphen (e.g. One-half). McCaskill (1998) provided another classification and argued that it is often contemporary compounds that result in spelling mistakes, whereas permanent compound words, those determined by practice or usage and found in dictionaries, make a few problems.. Linking a prefix or a suffix to the main word is also one of the most problematic areas in the English spelling. Sometimes they are fused with the main word, and sometimes a hyphen is added. Learners are often inconsistent, and randomly use hyphens with some prefixes and suffixes and not with some others.. The majority of cases fall into the first class, that is the prefix or suffix, is linked to the word it modifies (e.g. unclear, illegal, pleasing, worked or countable). The hyphen may sometimes be optional in some cases where both versions are accurate. It is also worth noting that in the modern scientific, technical, medical and government publications, hyphens are omitted (Stillman, 1997). Stilman stated that these facts make most learners pass over the use of hyphens where they are necessary. Serious mistakes, for example, include the omission of a hyphen that results in a different meaning ( e.g. ‘co-’in correspondent ‘someone who writes letters’ or corespondent ‘cited in divorce proceedings’, and the confusion between ‘-ful’ in ‘spoonful of sugar’, indicating the amount held, and ‘full’ in ‘cups full of coffee’, referring to the container rather than the quantity.. 15.

(25) It is also found that spelling numbers is a further confusing area. Deciding whether to spell compound numbers fused, separated, or hyphenated is very confusing for many learners. For the most part, errors appear mostly when neglecting the use of hyphens while spelling out any two-word number ( that is, from twenty-one to ninetynine ) ,or fraction ( e.g. twenty-two ,one hundred fifty-three ,one-fifth ,five and sixquarters ) ( Stilman , 1997 ).. 4. 1. 2. Homophones According to Algeo (1985) homophones, from Greek-derived homo-same and phone-sound are considered the primary source of puns. English is replete with tricky homophones that result in a lot of spelling errors though a great number of these pairs vary just in the vowel or vowel combination. This is true particularly, if learners rely on a spell-checker to correct their errors since it will not alert the misuse of homophones because both words are spelled correctly (e.g. too & two).. Cody (2006) stated that the majority of homophones are seen as baffling for learners. He stated that main cause is that one of the homophones is less common than the other, and without realizing it has a different meaning from the word that s/he intended, the learner puts down quickly the more familiar spelling. He also assumed that the tendency for writers to place the two forms side by side in bold or italic type, so that the learner may always see the two forms together before his eyes whenever s/he has the occasion to use one of them is another reason of this confusion.. Galko (2006) argued that spelling homophones appropriately is crucial since people will have a difficult moment understanding what one is trying to communicate to them. He announced that there are no regulations for spelling these words and that 16.

(26) learners have to go far beyond the mere automatic organization of letters and try to memorize them even there are huge troublesome word pairs. Galko added that the context is probably the best way to differentiate between homophones since the meanings of these homophones are different. Sometimes, it helps to learn each word in terms of its function in a sentence as noticed in the quoted examples below. •. In the middle Ages, many people used to shear (verb) sheep for a living.. •. Since my curtains are sheer (adjective), I get a lot of light in the morning.. •. We had to alter (verb) our plans because of the bad weather. •. The couple stood at the altar (noun) while they said their vows.. •. I had to use coarse (adjective) sandpaper to strip the paint off of the wooden desk.. •. When I was in college, drama was my favorite course (noun).. 4. 2. Confusion with Letters To spell letters correctly and appropriately is not an easy task for many learners. The frequency of silent letters, the choice between single and double consonants, and the spelling of word endings make things very confusing.. 4. 2. 1. Silent Letters One of the most problematic issues in the English spelling is the fact that there is a big disguise between the sound and its spelling. And since pronunciation is often the reliable guide to spelling, the learner usually gets confused, and makes many spelling errors. Many English words include silent letters, letters that are written but not pronounced (Roach, 1997). Stilman (1997) found that a letter whose omission would not alter a word's pronunciation is often wrongly left out by many learners.. 17.

(27) Likewise, Galko (2006) stated that perplexity over silent letters can be due to the negligence of memory tricks as sound or sight cues, depending on which works better, by most learner. For example, the learner may pronounce the silent consonants in his/her mind as s/he writes them, or may write the words and highlight the missing consonant sounds. He also found that learners' unawareness of word families is another reason behind this confusion. For instance, the silent ‘g’ of ‘sign’ is predictable, if the student remembers that it is related to ‘signature‘ in which the ‘g’ is pronounced.. According to Devine (2002), the English language is also full with silent vowels which cause various problems for learners. This holds true mainly when spelling words with a two-vowel combination (e.g. abstain, niece, foe, and median). In such words, it is only the first vowel that is pronounced, whereas the second one is silent. For example, in the word ‘cheap’, we hear only the long /e/ but not the /a/ and similarly in all the other words and that is why it is said when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. The final ‘e’ is also silent in almost all words and for this reason; it is consistently left by many learners (e.g. breez instead breeze).. 4. 2. 2. The Choice between Single and Double Consonants As said by Stilman (1997), words with double consonants tend to be troublesome for learners. Errors take in doubling the wrong letter, faultily doubling more than one and doubling only one instead of two. The common areas of uncertainty with double consonants arise mainly in words with added prefixes, suffixes, or words from Greek and Latin origins.. 18.

(28) Davidson (2005) found that most learners get confused whether to spell a word with a single or double consonant, when the process of adding a prefix results in the juxtaposition of two identical letters. He argued that quite a few learners spell the words dissimilar, dissatisfied, or illegal as disimilar, disatisfied, and ilegal. Davidson maintained that students make such errors because they disregard the meaning of the word without its prefix and that is why they find it difficult to decide whether to double the consonant or not. For example, if the prefix ‘dis-’ is taken from the word dissimilar, it becomes meaningless unless the omitted letter is added.. The spelling of a word also changes to some extent when a suffix is added. The last consonant in a word may be doubled, if a suffix beginning with a vowel is added to the word (e.g. stop- stopped- stopping). In other words, the final consonant is not doubled (e.g. clean-.cleaned-cleaning). Parrot (2000) noticed that the process of doubling consonants in these words causes various problems for many learners, though it is governed by fair rules. Moreover, Leech (2006) found that the problem of doubling consonants in words with added suffixes is mainly due to the mix up with “e” dropping (e.g. hop- hopped- hopping vs. hope- hoped- hoping).. According to Davidson (2005), words from Greek and Latin origins also cause several problems concerning single and double consonants. Unlike many English words which have a predictable structure and meaning , words from Greek and Latin origins have less obvious word-formations and meaning unless one knows their origins. For example, if the learner knows that the root of the adjective immense is from the Latin word mense meaning ‘to measure’, there would be no difficulty in guessing its meaning as immeasurable. He avowed that misspelling these words is. 19.

(29) mainly owing to the unawareness of the spelling rules that help the learner overcome this problem.. The 1-2/2-1 rule implies that when the vowel sound is written in one letter, the consonant is doubled; whereas when it is written in two letters, the consonant is not doubled ( e.g. battle Vs beetle ).This rule applies even in short words as ( pull, pool, and fill, fool ) .. The short and long vowel rule (SLV rule) implies that the consonant is doubled if preceded by a short vowel, and not if preceded by a long one (e.g. ruffle and rifle).. Another rule is the three-syllable from-the-end rule which implies that the consonant cannot be doubled when the third from the end syllable is stressed, and contains a short vowel (e.g. moderate and definite).. 4. 2. 3. Word Endings Cody (2006) stated that spelling word' endings is often mystifying. Choosing between ABLE or IBLE, ENCE or ANCE, ANT or ENT, ER, AR, or OR, CE or SE, CH or TCH, SION, or TION and EOUS or IOUS is baffling for most learners. Cody argued that this hesitancy in choosing between these pairs is due to the lack of learners' knowledge of the clues that can help make the right decision besides their unawareness of word families.. 20.

(30) 4. 3.Confusion with Numbers, and Symbols It is not only words and letters that cause problems and confusion but also other marks that are so important in spelling as numbers and symbols. Although numbers and symbols are less frequently employed, they are seen as problematic by many learners. Numbers, apostrophes, accents, diacritics, and symbols are almost always randomly used, or avoided, as George Bernard Shaw said There is not the faintest reason for persisting in the ugly and silly trick of peppering pages with these uncouth bacilli.. 4. 3.1.Numbers The difficulty with numbers arises mainly when learners get baffled whether to write numbers in letters or figures, or when one find himself unable to choose one of the many alternatives for writing the same number.. Davidson (2005) found that beginning sentences with numbers spelled in figures, spelling small numbers and fractions in figures, or larger numbers, from twenty upwards, in words are considered some of the repeatedly misspelled words and confusing situations. Baugh (1993) argued that such spelling errors arise principally because of learner's negligence to the size of the figure and the type of texts in which it occurs.. Eastwood (2002) added that facing many alternatives of spelling the same numbers can also cause confusion for many learners. For instance, taking into account the correctness of the three spellings of thousand which might be written 1,000, 1 000, or 1000, some learners see it correct to spell it 1.000* too.. 21.

(31) 4. 3.2.Apostrophes The apostrophe is considered by some authorities as punctuation mark, but a part of the inherent spelling of a word by many others. Apostrophes are often misused and knowing when and when not to use them can be confusing. Peoples' misunderstanding of their function differ from skipping them when they are required, to inserting them in the inexact place, to adding them where they do not fit in (Galko, 2001).. According to Burt (2002), using the apostrophe to show possession is considered one of the most difficult areas for most learners. Burt claimed that though there are only few simple rules to follow, learners usually misspell words with apostrophes.. Devine (2002) acknowledged that the apostrophe can also be used in contractions that may derive from two words that are combined into one, from single words or from numerical dates. When two words are run together and one or more letters get dropped in the process, the apostrophe replaces the missing letters as a "stand-in" for missing letters, signaling that something has been cut out. Devine argued that apostrophes are consistently placed inaccurately in that process (e.g. could' nt instead couldn't). He added that another main problem at that level is the confusion with some contractions and their homophones (e.g. it's and its).. 4. 3.3.Accents and Diacritics Because they make an impact that an English word simply cannot make, foreign words have found their way into English. Devine (2002) stated that many. 22.

(32) learners may recoil from using these words in their writing because they fear spelling them incorrectly especially those containing accents and diacritics. Accents and diacritics are seen by most learners as the blemish to be avoided though these symbols are necessarily used when a foreign word is used in English writings, except the foreign words that are now established as English and need no accents and diacritics (e.g. naive or naïve), since their absence result in inaccurate pronunciation of words (e.g. bête, mädchen, and façade) (Davidson, 2005).. 4. 3.4.Other Symbols Davidson (2005) claimed that the confusion over the use of some symbols as &, %, #, and @ arises mainly due to the unawareness of learners of the various uses of these symbols and the context in which they are used. For example, the hash mark is used usually to mean number, but only in informal writing. It is also rarely used in British English, but found frequently in American English. The “at” is habitually used in E-mail addresses and can also be used to give prices but only in informal writing.. Conclusion Through this chapter, we have reviewed the central broad lines of the English spelling and the way spelling problems and errors emerged. In addition, we looked in more details at the problem of confusion and the most confusing areas in the English spelling. Mistakes vary from the bad joining of words and confusion with homophones, to the substitution, omission, addition, and transposition of letters and symbols. Spelling a word correctly is not only a matter of putting the letters in their appropriate places, but also a requirement of a precise linking and hyphenation of words. Furthermore, homophones are very confusing for most learners. Their 23.

(33) misspelling can result in serious mistakes as the grammatical distortion of the massage and the misunderstanding of writers' intentions. Still, the frequency of silent letters, the dilemma of doubling consonants or not, the spelling of word endings, and the mismatch between pronunciation and spelling result in various spelling mistakes and make the English spelling very hard and problematic. To ensure a correct spelling, learners must also take a particular care of the spelling of numbers and symbols and make sure they are in the correct position, context, and have the correct shape.. 24.

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(35) Introduction The present study is designed to investigate the main reasons that lie behind the problem of confusion in the English spelling. This chapter is devoted to the practical part of our dissertation. It aims at testing our hypothesis stating that the problem of confusion in the English spelling in third year L.M.D. students of English as a foreign language at Mentouri University Constantine would be due to several reasons such as the unawareness of the spelling rules and strategies in addition to the lack of knowledge of words origins. This will be achieved through a test. The section begins by the description of our population and sample and the explanation of the design and implementation of our test, and then the presentation of our results in the form of frequencies of errors and their discussion. In addition, it attempts to attract the teachers' attention to the importance of the spelling skill in improving the students writing and to make them aware of this hindering situation by giving suggestions that can bring better results.. 1. Population and Sampling The entire population of the study consists of third year L.M.D. students of English as a foreign language at Mentouri University Constantine, during the academic year 2009-2010.The choice of this population is due to several reasons. First, these students have normally enough experience with English as a foreign language in terms of language abilities and skills to practice writing in and outside the classroom. Second, these students have taken a course in writing skills for three years. In the first and second year, the course is scheduled for three hours per week whereas in the third year the time allocated for this course is four hours and half. This opportunity to practice writing for three years have normally helped these learners. 26.

(36) attain a certain level of expertise in the English language, and acquire all the skills needed to write competently and proficiently. The number of students who participated in this investigation was twenty students coming from different geographical areas in Algeria, and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. These test–takers were randomly selected by Doctor LakehalAyat Karima (our supervisor and the socio-linguistics lecturer of the participants) from a list of students at the beginning of the course. The number of male students was three, while the number of female students was seventeen. Sex variable is not considered in our study because the overwhelming majority consists of girls.. 2. Description of the Test To collect data about learner's competency in the most bewildering spellings in English language and the causes that bring about this intricacy, a test was used as an instrument to collect the data. The test had a multi choice format and was composed of twenty sentences where students had to select between two spelling options.. 3. Design and Implementation Our investigation consists of a test including twenty sentences (Appendix). These sentences are formulated in the form of simple sentences in which students have to choose the correct spelling from two different spelling propositions in an attempt to know as much as possible about students' focal spelling setbacks. The sentences can be divided into six categories. The first category (from one to five) concerns the appropriate way of spelling compounds, of linking a prefix or suffix to the main word, and of linking words that make up a number (closed, open, or hyphenated). The second category concerns the proper way of spelling homophones and deals with sentences from six to nine. Sentences from ten to fifteen deal with the 27.

(37) problem of silent letters, double consonants, and word endings. The last category consists of five sentences that concern the correct position, context, and shape of some important symbols in the English spelling. The participants had been asked first if they were willing to take part in the study and assured of the confidentiality of the answers, as no name or distinctive number or code were required, before handing out the test. The contributors were informed about the proper way of replying our test and notified that they can ask any question at whatever time in case any problem of comprehension arises. Test-takers were also notified that the papers will not be marked and that we want them to work seriously on the questions as if they were sitting for an exam. It was also emphasized that the students should answer all the questions and can take as much time as necessary to answer the test. Though they were not subject to time limits, most students finished the test in a short time. It all took place in a vivid and friendly atmosphere with the researcher's main focus on drawing the student's attention to the fact of answering objectively and honestly. Students showed a good comprehension and co-operation to the point that we really sensed the efforts they have strived to avoid biased results. In view of this fact, many of them insisted many times on having more explanation.. 4 .Results and Analysis After administering the test and having the latter answered by the participants, the researcher gathered data for analysis and discussion. The analysis of the test was carried out in the form of frequencies of spelling errors in student's answers. We also considered the correct and wrong spelling choices in the twenty sentences. In addition, we provided explanations as to why these errors occurred.. 28.

(38) 1. I liked the old Indian teapot /tea-pot we saw in the museum too much. teapot. tea-pot. No answer. Total. Number. 05. 15. -. 20. Percentage. 25٪. 75٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 01: The Spelling Choices in Sentence One. Correct Spelling %25 Wrong Spelling %75. Figure 01: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence One. The first sentence requires the choice of the proposition teapot in view of the fact that the two nouns that build the compound are short, which necessitates joining them together as one word. Nevertheless, only 5 students opted for the right spelling. The erroneous spelling was selected by 15 students. Thus, this seems to be problematic for students who appear to lack knowledge of the appropriate use of the hyphens. It also appears that the fact that the way in which compound words are spelled in English do not seem to be built according to any neat system and that students would have encountered different words which are made up of the same type of parts as teapot written with a hyphen (e.g. bus-stop) and generalized from them without taking into consideration the stress pattern in the compound, the number of. 29.

(39) syllables in each element, and the nature of the letters at the boundaries between elements which is the main reason of hyphenation in our example “bus-stop”.. 2. Everyone/ Every one of his records has been successful. Everyone Number. 15. Every one 05. Percentage. 75٪. 25٪. No answer -. Total. 00٪. 100٪. 20. Table 02: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Two. Correct Spelling 25% Wrong Spelling 75%. Figure 02: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Two. One fourth of the answers was correct, while three fourths were wrong answers. Almost all students went for the proposition everyone representing the closed compound spelling without taking into account the context in which the word occurs. This high percentage of the use of Everyone would be for the reason that students seem to over use the spelling Everyone when it is appropriate as well as when it is every one which is presumed to be used, i.e., there is a confusion between the use of both spelling choices when it comes to such a case where the meaning is not the same as everyone that is spelt closed and used only for people to refer to “all”. 30.

(40) the members of a group at the same time (e.g. Everyone believed I was joking.), and every one that is spelt open and generally followed by the preposition of to mean each thing, (e.g. Every one of the cups broke when she fell.). 3. I simply asked a passer by/ passer-by to guide me. passer by passer-by No answer. Total. Number. 17. 03. -. 20. Percentage. 85٪. 15٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 03: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Three Correct Spelling 7%. Wrong Spelling 93%. Figure 03: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Three. Three students out of 20 answered correctly i.e., picked the spelling passer-by. A considerable proportion of 85٪ choose the wrong spelling passer by. This huge percentage of false answers is due to students' reliance on the spelling of the phrasal verb pass by from which the noun is derived and which can never be hyphenated. The fact that most learners erroneously left out the hyphen while spelling this type of compound nouns can also be due to student's unawareness or inattention of the existence of the word ending ‘er’ that is added to the verb part and necessitates the insertion of the hyphen. Another explanation would be that students have not taken 31.

(41) the word as denoting one single referent and creating one idea but as a noun and a preposition independently.. 4. He pulled a lorry that weighed more than twentyone/twenty-one tons. twentyone Number. 14. twentyone 06. Percentage. 70٪. 30٪. No answer -. Total. 00٪. 100٪. 20. Table 04: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Four. Correct Spelling 30% Wrong Spelling 70%. Figure 04: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Four. The correct spelling choices in the fourth sentence did not go beyond 30٪, whereas, more than half (70٪) of the answers were wrong. The percentage of wrong answers is higher than the one of right ones because of learners' lack of knowledge of the rules of spelling compound numbers, that is, from twenty-one to ninety-nine which are supposed to be hyphenated. This big proportion of wrong answers may also be due to uncommonness and rarity of using numbers in student's daily writing which can result in student's negligence of the rules governing the spelling of this type of numbers.. 32.

(42) 5. She is threatening to resign/re-sign if she does not get a pay increase. resign. re-sign. No answer. Total. Number. 11. 09. -. 20. Percentage. 55٪. 45٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 05: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Five. Wrong Spelling 45% Correct Spelling 55%. Figure 05: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Five. Correct answers in this sentence exceeded half (55٪), while the wrong answers represent 45٪ only. It would appear that the context in which the word appears helped most students arrive to this decision that is resigned denoting ‘to leave a job or a position’ instead of re-signed, denoting ‘to write your name on a document to show that you agree with what it says for a more additional time’, whose selection would result in a paradox and ironic sentence. This percentage can also be due to the fact that students have mistakenly taken into account the detail that in the majority of cases, the prefix is linked to the word it modifies and over generalized this without being attentive that in this case the ‘re’ in the first proposition in inherited in the root of the verb and not an added prefix.. 33.

(43) 6. The council/ counsel for the defendant insists that his client is not guilty. council. counsel. No answer. Total. Number. 15. 05. -. 20. Percentage. 75٪. 25٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 06: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Six. Correct Spelling 25% Wrong Spelling 75%. Figure 06: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Six. Only few students (five) got the right answer that is the proposition counsel, while the majority fail to find the correct one. A considerable number of instruction books warn that council and counsel are never interchangeable even if their meanings are somehow related and warn against the confusion of these homophones which were utterly cluttered in medieval times; and it is only till the sixteenth century that the present division began to establish itself (Webster, 1993). It appears then that students have difficulties in the distinction between council that generally stands for some sort of deliberative or administrative body and counsel that is used to mean a lawyer or group of lawyers giving legal advice and especially conducting a case in court which is the appropriate choice in our context. This is a good proof that the scarcity of the use of dictionaries by students can also be a key source of some spelling mistakes. 34.

(44) Our evidence also shows that this encountered confusion is for the most part due to the substitution of council, the more common and widespread word for the foremost use of counsel.. 7. The new curtains complimented/ complemented the furnishings very well. Complimented Complemented Number. 08. 12. No answer -. Percentage. 40٪. 60٪. 00٪. Total. 100٪. 20. Table 07: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Seven. Wrong Spelling 40% Correct Spelling 60%. Figure 07: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Seven. The correct answer should be complemented i.e. go well with, set off to advantage, and enhance to have a full complement of cutlery. The word complement derives from complete, and it appears that a good number of students took into advantage the use of mnemonics; that is they remembered the connection between the words ‘complete and complement’ with the help of the linguistic context in which the word appeared to arrive to that decision. This is reflected in their answers since 60٪ (12 students) chose the appropriate spelling complemented while only 08 students. 35.

(45) opted for the wrong spelling complimented meaning to say a courteous, admiring or flattering comment that is illogical in this context.. 8. The last part of a book to be written is the forward/foreword. Forward foreword Number. 19. 01. No answer -. Percentage. 95٪. 05٪. 00٪. Total. 100٪. 20. Table 08: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Eight Correct Spelling 5%. Wrong Spelling 95%. Figure 08: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Eight. Out of 20 students, only one chose the correct spelling foreword. The other 19 students went for the wrong proposition forward with a percentage of 95 ٪. It is foreword which should be selected referring to the preface or introductory note that appears at the front of a book particularly by a person other than the author, and nothing to do with the direction of movement or with being uppity. In addition to the context which has not been taken into account at this instance, it is worth noting that students also had not paid attention to the function of the word in the sentence where it is a noun functioning as an object which has to complete the sentence, and it is odd. 36.

(46) and ungrammatical to add an adverb or adjective in that context. Moreover, it may be the tiny relation in the meaning of the two words denoting the idea of being ahead or in advance that result in this huge percentage of wrong answers.. 9. Betty's diamond weighed a full sixtieth of a caret/carat. Caret. Carat. No answer. Total. Number. 16. 04. -. 20. Percentage. 80٪. 20٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 09: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Nine. Correct Spelling 20%. Wrong Spelling 80%. Figure 09: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Nine. The correct choice of suggestions in the ninth sentence did not go beyond 20٪, more than the half (80٪) of the answers were wrong. Despite the fact that the word carat referring to a unit of weight for precious stones and jewels is the familiar and commonly used homophone, a sizable number of 16 students out of twenty opted for caret meaning a small wedge-shaped proofreading symbol used by editors to indicate where something should be inserted in a line of printed or written matter. This would be justified either by the students ignorance of the context, or students daily life in the. 37.

(47) university dealing with research and methodology where the word caret can be used constantly and recurrently.. It is worth noting at this point that a further reason of this confusion is the tendency of writers to place the two forms of a homophone side by side in bold or italic type, so that the learner may always see the two forms together in front of his eyes whenever s/he has the occasion to use one of them.. 10. Flocks / Floks of tourists visit London every year. Flocks. Floks. No answer. Total. Number. 07. 13. -. 20. Percentage. 35٪. 65٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 10: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Ten. Correct Spelling 35%. Wrong Spelling 65%. Figure 10: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Ten The tenth sentence requires the choice of the suggestion flocks to mean a large number of people. Nevertheless, only 07 students selected the right proposition. The other proposition, which does not exist and has no meaning, was opted by 65 ٪ of students. This seems to be chiefly due the fact that the omission of the letter ‘c’ in this word would not change its pronunciation for it is a silent letter. Another explanation 38.

(48) of this error can be hanged on the different ways in which the sound/k/ is spelt in modern English (e.g. Comb, make, sack, box, ache, squeeze., architect, saccharine, accident, oblique, mosquito, alcohol and so many other examples.) which give a good indication of the complexity of spelling this sound. A further account of this type of mistakes can give good evidence for student's non-use of spelling strategies as sight and sound strategies (e.g. spelling pronunciation which is a way of pronouncing a word relying on its spelling) that can be very beneficial in such cases. 11. I perceived/ percieved his comments as a criticism. perceived percieved Number. 10. 10. No answer -. Percentage. 50٪. 50. 00٪. Total. 100٪. 20. Table 11: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Eleven. Wrong Spelling 50% Correct Spelling 50%. Figure 11: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Eleven. What characterizes the results of the eleventh sentence is the equality in the number of students in both cases. This seems to be one of the trickiest spelling areas for students who appear to lack awareness of the spelling rules in such error instances.. 39.

(49) It seems that, I before E except after C, the rule that applies to words that are pronounced /ee/ after any consonant except C where the spelling is EI, is not known for most students. Crystal (1989) stated that this rule is famous for its exceptions for it is far outnumbered by words where ‘c’ is followed by ‘ie’, and words where a letter other than ‘c’ is followed by ‘ei‘(over 100 exceptions) and that is why most students recoil from taking advantage of it. It also comes into view that even those who choose the correct answer have not made use of the spelling rule, but answered either following the word's pronunciation, or haphazardly and randomly.. 12. I do not believe that you still misspell/ mispell your name. misspell. mispell. No answer. Total. Number. 09. 11. -. 20. Percentage. 45٪. 55٪. 00٪. 100٪. Table 12: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Twelve. Wrong Spelling 55%. Correct Spelling 45%. Figure 12: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Twelve. The spelling choices in the twelfth sentence were as follows: only 09 students. (45٪) opted the correct proposition misspell whereas a proportion of 11 students representing a percentage of (55٪) selected the wrong spelling. It appears that coming 40.

(50) about two identical letters ‘s’, put side by side when the prefix was added made many students get mystified to which way the word is spelled. It also comes into view that students came across such errors for they did not pay attention to the formation of the word and considered its meaning without the linked prefix which is of much assistance in deciding easily whether they double the consonant or not. Another account for such error can be students fall back on the common rapid speech' pronunciation where the verb is uttered as /mΙspel/.. 13. London has a high imigrant/ immigrant population. imigrant immigrant Number. 12. 08. No answer -. Percentage. 60٪. 40٪. 00٪. Total. 100٪. 20. Table 13: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Thirteen. Correct Spelling 40%. Wrong Spelling 60%. Figure 13: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Thirteen. Out of 20 answers in the thirteenth sentence 12 answers (60 %) picked the inappropriate spelling imigrant and 08 other students (40%) opted for the exact the proposition immigrant. Here, it seems that uncertainty does not exist at the level of. 41.

(51) doubling the consonant because of their inattention to the way the word is formed merely, but it seems that students tend to get perplexed between emigrant and immigrant as well. This leads us to say that student's lack of knowledge of the origin of the word is the key point in this example. In Latin, ’e‘ means ‘out of, away from‘. So just as an immigrant is an in –migrant (a prefix + a root), and became immigrant due to assimilation, whereas an emigrant is an e-migrant, someone who migrates ‘out of ’his country; and that is why there are two m's in immigrant but only one ‘m’ in emigrant.. 14. If you are agreeable/ agreable I would like to visit your office this week. agreeable agreable Number. 04. 16. No answer -. Percentage. 20٪. 80٪. 00٪. Total. 100٪. 20. Table 14: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Fourteen. Correct Spelling 20%. Wrong Spelling 80%. Figure 14: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Fourteen Except for 04 students who represent a ratio of 20٪ got the right spelling proposition agreeable. The great majority of answers 16 (80٪) were incorrect. A good. 42.

(52) reason for these results would be students' belief that spelling a word with three succeeding vowels is peculiar. In addition, it would seem that the spelling agreable looked more ordinary and regular for most of them, taking into consideration the frequency of omitting the ‘e’ in the process of adding a suffix starting with a vowel (overgeneralization) and thus students guess wrong as to which way it should go since it is assumed that nouns and verbs ending in ‘ee’ ‘oe’ or ‘ye’ generally keep the final ‘e’ before any letter except ‘e’. A further explanation for this error may be transfer from the French word ‘agréable’ meaning ‘pleasant’.. 15. The industry is heavily dependent/ dependant on government funding. dependent dependant Number. 09. 11. No answer -. Percentage. 45٪. 55٪. 00٪. Total. 100٪. 20. Table 15: The Spelling Choices in Sentence Fifteen. Wrong Spelling 55%. Correct Spelling 45%. Figure 15: Correct vs. Wrong Spelling in Sentence Fifteen. 43.