L2 (second language) Spelling |
| Categories of mistake | |
| Insertion | whewre (ns), vocabularly (ns) |
| Omission | final <e> mad (ar), morphem (g), softwar (gk) |
| Substitution <a> <e> <i> |
catagories (bm), penecillin (ns), privite (gk) |
| Grapheme substitution |
thort (ns) |
| Transposition | percieved (ns), foerigners (ch), assinged (u) |
Comparison of spelling mistakes by L1 children (NFER), L2 users (EFLtest) and L1 users (Wing & Baddely), based on Cook 97 |
||||
| L1 children | L2 adults | L1 adults | ||
| N | 1492 | 375 | 40 | |
| Insertion | 17.0% | 22.3% | 21.8% | whewre ns, vocabularly, ns |
| Omission | 36.0% | 31.5% | 42.8% | mad ar, morphem g, softwar gk |
| Substitution | 19.0% | 31.7% | 27.9% | categories bm, penecillin ns,privite Gk |
| Transposition | 5.0% | 3.2% | 0.9% | percieved ns, ch, assinged u |
| Phonological | 19.0% | 3.7% | 3.5% | thort |
| Other | 3.0% | 7.6% | 3.2% | |
References
Chikamatsu, N. (1996), ‘The effects of L1 orthography on L2 word recognition’, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 18, 403-432
Cook, V.J. (1997), ‘L2 users and English spelling’, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development,18, 6, 474-488
Koda, K. (1996), ‘L2 word recognition research: a critical review’, Modern Language Journal, 80,iv,450-460
Koda, K. (1996), ‘L2 word recognition research: a critical review’, Modern Language Journal,80,iv,450-460
Words commonly misspelled by L2 users
accommodating, because, beginning, business, career, choice, definite, develop, different, describe, government, interest(ing), integrate, kindergarten, knowledge, life, necessary, particular, professional, professor, really, study/student, their/there, which, would
Some common L2 users' mistakes
because: beause, beaucause, becase, becaus, becouse, becuase,beacause, begause, becuas
address: adres, adress, adresse
business: busines, bussines, buisness, bussiness
grammar (etc): gramma, grammatikal, grammer
professional: profesional,professinal,proffession
sincerely: sinarely, sincerelly, sincerley, sincersly
student etc: studet, stuienet, studing, studyed