Second Language Learning and Language Teaching

1 How much attention should writing system topics receive in language 
teaching?
2 To what extent are people’s problems with English spelling because of English
or because of their first language?
3 Are spelling problems in English worse or better than those in another lan-
guage you know?
4 How much do you care about proper spelling rather than proper pronuncia-
tion?
5 How should examinations and tests accommodate mistakes with the writing
system?
6 Do you prefer a British or American style of spelling? Why?
Further reading
The background on writing systems can be found in books like Coulmas (1996)
The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Writing Systems; an overview of English is in Cook
(2004) The English Writing System, on which the current chapter draws, particu-
larly for punctuation. There is a separate set of pages on the writing system on my
website (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/index.htm). The details of
English spelling can be found in Carney (1994) A Survey of English Spelling, and
Venezky (1999) The American Way of Spelling. L2 writing systems are described in
Cook and Bassetti (2005) Second Language Writing Systems.
Answer to Box 5.1
The Pickwick Papers, extract without the ‘e’s (see page 89)
ThX first ray of light which illuminXs thX gloom, and convXrts into a daz-
zling brilliancy that obscurity in which thX XarliXr history of thX public
carXXr of thX immortal Pickwick would appXar to bX involvXd, is dXrivXd
from thX pXrusal of thX following Xntry in thX Transactions of thX
Pickwick Club, which thX Xditor of thXsX papXrs fXXls thX highXst
plXasurX in laying bXforX his rXadXrs, as a proof of thX carXful attXntion,
indXfatigablX assiduity, and nicX discrimination, with which his sXarch
among thX multifarious documXnts confidXd to him has bXXn conductXd.
Total: 50 
es, 13 thes