1. UKM Learning and Research Repository
2. PHD Thesis / Tesis PHD
3. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan

Title:	Evaluating English spelling difficulties among Iranian EFL students in Malaysia
Authors:	Alipour Maryam (P69717)
Supervisor:	Khazriyati Salehuddin, Assoc. Prof. Dr.
Keywords:	English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign learners English language -- Rhetoric -- Study and teaching English teachers -- Training of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia -- Dissertations Dissertations, Academic -- Malaysia
Issue Date:	2-Jan-2021
Description:	Spelling is one of the most difficult aspects of English language learning commonly faced by Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, particularly because of the different writing systems that both the English and the Persian languages use. Learners' inability to spell English words often obstructs the flow of ideas in their writing, which in turn, results in their inability to write well in the English language. Hence, this study was aimed at evaluating the English spelling difficulties faced by Iranian EFL students, whose mother tongue is Persian. The correlation between English spelling difficulties faced by Iranian EFL students in Malaysia, linguistic awareness, and time of memorization were examined in terms of phonological difficulties, morphological difficulties and orthographical difficulties. Moreover, the Tabrizi methods were examined to investigate the effectiveness of the methods on good and poor spellers' eye movements. Forty-one students (20 male and 21 female) were selected from the only public Iranian secondary school in Malaysia to participate in an experiment using a pre-test post-test design. Based on the spelling errors they committed in the pre-test, the types of spelling difficulties were identified. Following this, students received 54 lessons on how to spell English words using the Tabrizi methods. After that, a post-test was conducted and the quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS software. Results showed a significant relationship between pre-test and post-test (r=0.8). To further investigate what actually happened in their cognition as they spelled English words, nine students were selected to participate in an eye tracking experiment. EyeNTNU-120 eye tracking machine was used to examine the participants' eye movement as they read to memorize the spelling of selected English words. Results show that good spellers used Tabrizi's spelling methods whereas poor spellers did not. This study proposes the use of Tabrizi's methods in mastering the spelling Persian words in Iranian schools in the teaching of English spelling so as to mitigate the spelling difficulties faced by Persian EFL learners in spelling English words. It was found that linguistic awareness contributed to learning spelling by young learners, which is crucial for learners in dealing with spelling difficulties. This could imply that equipping learners with grammar knowledge as well as the organization of the letters in spelling may be useful in teaching spelling. There are theoretical and practical implications for students who learn English as a second or foreign language, especially Iranian EFL students. The findings may contribute to identification, classification, and treatment of spelling, and reducing spelling difficulties among EFL learners.,Ph.D
Pages:	255
Call Number:	PE1128.A2A435 2021 tesis
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan

Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.