Learning English is already a difficult task, and the spelling of words also adds to the hassle. The favorite rule "as it is heard, so it is written" does not make much sense in English. This is because it is difficult to call this language phonetic. Even Native Americans and British people make spelling mistakes, so don't be discouraged if you or your child can't spell familiar words correctly.
Of course, many combinations of sounds can be explained by the rules of reading, but, as you know, memorizing theory is not the most fun thing to do.
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Thanks to gadgets and T9, we don’t worry about our knowledge, but we don’t feel confident either. At any moment, a situation may arise in which we will have to rely on our own intelligence. School and international exams, even filling out a visa application form, all require an excellent understanding of spelling. To quickly and easily memorize the spelling of English words, constant practice is needed. But believe me, if there are more effective and interesting ways than rewriting words 10 times until they are remembered.
Spelling games
Learning should be interesting and exciting. It is important to find fun and easy online tasks that the child will be happy to complete. As a rule, spelling exercises are included in every English word learning app. And you can easily organize them yourself, anytime, anywhere.
Spelling
Similar competitions are held annually in many states of America. The point is to pick up a word with some trick and voice it to the player. The participant, in turn, must present all the letters that make up this word, and name them in the correct order and number. You can use small words at first to make it easier for the child to remember the letters, and then gradually complicate them. The advantage of such activity is that it does not require any preparation, and you can play even on the way to school.
Word Search
This game has long been used to review vocabulary. However, it is the best way to practice writing. The task is to pick up words on the topic covered and arrange all the letters in one of the directions: horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The difficulty is that all the words are so close to each other that it is not clear where one ends and another begins. In appearance, it looks like one large square of letters, but it perfectly develops attention and memory.
Simple but effective advice
Now that you know what you need to do so that you or your child quickly and easily memorize how to spell English words, it's time to share simple secrets that will save you a lot of time. These small discoveries will bring big results to your efforts.
Self test
Nobody likes to make mistakes, but it is important to do it right. Mistakes are given to us in order to work on them. Therefore, if you see that you spelled a word incorrectly, do not rush to turn on the auto editor in Word, look in the dictionary and rewrite this word several times from memory.
Children also need the opportunity to check their answer with the correct one, because, among other things, it also teaches them to take responsibility for their own result. Do not rush to tell the child the correct answer, give him the opportunity to check everything on his own.
Printed letters are better than capital letters
During experiments with memory, it was found that it is much easier for people to remember information that is easy to read. Capitalization is a necessity of school education, while as an adult it is best to type text than to write it down in a notebook.
This does not mean that you need to forever abandon the idea of keeping your favorite notebook, just that it is better to perceive and consume new phrases in a form that is understandable and easy for the eyes.
Reading
There are legends about the benefits of reading in a foreign language, but in fact, this method really has many advantages. It is important to understand that it has a cumulative effect. That is, the more you read, meet familiar words in context, the more likely you are to reproduce them later without tedious cramming. Plus, at first you will inevitably have to use a dictionary while reading, which significantly increases the ability to quickly memorize a new phrase.
How to remember 2 times more?
How often does this happen? We know the word, but in no way can we not only write it, but also pronounce it. By virtue of the ability to communicate, we somehow get out of an uncomfortable position and look for other ways of explaining. As a rule, these paths are synonyms or antonyms.
For our memory, this is a convenient and proven mechanism that evokes associations in us and sends the necessary signals to the brain. But the most pleasant thing is that we don’t spend more time memorizing, because we know the principle for sure.
Next time, use a similar quiz to see how quickly your child engages in play. Give him the word hot, and ask him to find an antonym in the suggested options.
Conclusion
In order to teach an adult or child the correct spelling in English, you need to try several different memorization options. In learning a foreign language, all methods are good as long as they work for you. Using bright pictures, pronouncing syllables in speech, and even watching movies with subtitles all help us remember spelling in one way or another.
In order to rely on your own knowledge, and not on programs and translations, it is necessary to work systematically and in an organized manner with authentic material. Teachers with experience know perfectly well what exercise to give in the lesson so that the student wants to learn irregular verbs. It is important to spark interest in the eyes of students.
Teachers study teaching adults and children in TEFL/TESOL. In online mode, the teacher will learn the principles of working with different age groups and the use of additional materials in the classroom. Even if you have not had such experience before, on the course you will receive all the necessary theory and practice. You will become a professional and be able to teach more confidently. Now buy a TEFL / TESOL course with a big and pleasant discount.
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We hope that this article will be your guide to the world of English spelling. We will be glad to know your methods of remembering the spelling of English words in the comments.