How to improve spelling

Do you have difficulties when you have to write in your target language because you are not sure about the spelling of almost any of the words?

If your answer is yes, I have 3 questions and 10 exercises that help you improve your spelling.

Do you have good spelling in your native language?

Before we even get into it further, we have to address the harsh truth that we usually tend to excell at and struggle with the same skills in both our mother tongue and in our second language. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work on your spelling in your target language of course. On the contrary, you should practice it even more.

Do You practice all 4 areas?

The most common reason for this problem is the lack of writing practice. No matter how often we practice if we don’t work on all 4 areas (listening, speaking, writing, reading) we can stay behind in some skills.

Do you have spell check on your phone and laptop?

The other common reason is relying on spellcheck apps too much. You might have thought, reading the previous question, Hey, but I text all the time! The honest answer here, unfortunately, is that most likely you have a spellcheck app that helps you with spelling, therefore you never have to actually write words down letter by letter.

Games you can play with your tandem partner or somebody who speaks the language to improve spelling:

• Spelling bee
• Hanged man
• Scrabble (If you can’t find a partner to practice with I’ve made a solo version for scrabble. You can use any longer word even from this very post.)

• Read and write more. As simple and obvious this advice may sound, as effective it is. Sometimes you simply just need to practice more.
• Copy texts by hand. It reinforces the correct spelling of words.

I’ve collected 10 exercises to help you improve your spelling. If you got super motivated but don’t know what to write about, here are some topics.

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