Foreign Language Annals

This study investigated common spelling errors among first language English speakers who study Arabic at the college level. A sample of 63 students (45 males and 18 females) was asked to write texts about a variety of topics and then to answer survey questions regarding their perceptions and strategies. Their writing produced 457 spelling errors, which were examined and classified. The results demonstrate that the spelling skill is developmental and that it offers a necessary structure for students to master key elements of Arabic. The wide variety of spelling errors made by participants points to their unsatisfactory awareness of the language's phonology, morphology, and orthography aspects. Participants perceived an important connection between the spelling skill and such other skills as reading, writing, and pronunciation, but they perceived its development as challenging, due to insufficient practice. Their strategies for memorizing words included using textbooks and online dictionaries, repetition and practice, and simply sounding out the words. The results indicated potential implications that current and future Arabic instructors can use to help students develop the spelling skill.