REMEDIAL STARTEGIES FOR SPELLINGS IN ENGLISH: A TEACHERS PERSPECTIVE

ABSTRACT

This project was aimed at examining the remedial Strategies for spellings in English: A teacher’s perspective. The purpose was to bring out the remedial Strategies that lecturers used in teaching spelling. In other to achieve this, data was collected from three (3) lecturers of the University of Buea. The findings reveals that out of three (3) lecturers, only two (2) were able to grade the students spelling abilities above 50%.Consequently the spelling abilities of students is high but students should be encouraged both at home and in school so as to continue    improving on their spellings.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction

The English language plays an essential role as an international language of communication and education to an extent where it is now used worldwide as an academic language. So it is important to be able to express oneself properly and to communicate fluently with others in English Language since it is a global language used in communication. It is essential to be able to write and speak correctly. One aspect to take into consideration when discussing writing is spelling. When writing, one misspelled letter word can change a whole word and alter the whole meaning of a text. Spelling is a composed written number of language abilities including phonological, morphological, usually skills semantics relationship as well as adequate knowledge of spelling rules (Staden, 2010). Also, spelling can be defined as an essential ability to master language because it allows the clear expression of thoughts in any written text. This study seeks to investigate and bring out The Remedial Strategies of Spellings in English Language from a Teacher’s Perspective.

1.2 Background Study

      Contextually, in the University of Buea, students have been performing poorly in the course the use of English 101 and 102 which is still keeping them in the University because it is a required course they must pass. Students have also been performing poorly in the English Language as a subject in the General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Ordinary Level examination in Cameroon where English is learned and spoken by Anglophone Cameroonians as a second language. While previous research has generally attributed the problem of student’s failure to the failing standard of English in Cameroon, no one has seriously taken up the question of the mastery of English spelling by second language learners of English and as such, this has pushed teachers to go an extreme mile to look for possible solutions and remedies.

1.3 Statement of Problems

        Spelling errors noticed in people’s language skills be it in writing essay, casual letters or exams. l have been in the position of coming across a script by an exam candidate and the spellings penalized either work . Subsequently, the students failed the language subject. This is a devastating consequence on self-esteem, social development and opportunities for advanced education. Most problems students face in spelling correctly are;

1. Their inability to read correctly.

2. Inability to pronounce words correctly

 1.4 General objective of the study

     This research is set to carry out the possible remedies or solutions put in place by university lecturers for spelling errors in English Language

1.5 Specific objective

Remedial Strategies on spelling errors by the lecturers of the University of Buea

1.6 General question of study

1. What are common spelling errors made by students?.
2. What are remedies put in place by teacher’s to reduce the rate of wrong spelling in students writing?.
3. How has the possible solutions or strategies put in place by teachers been able to improve the spelling errors of students?