Cambridge Scholars Publishing L2 Writing Assessment: The Neglected Skill of Spelling

When severe reading and spelling problems are not detected at an early stage in the school context, students may not be able to overcome them even in adulthood. Such problems in the worst cases may lead to developmental dyslexia or developmental dysorthographia, which are severe learning disabilities. Early intervention, though, can prevent these problems. Consequently, involving students in an active writing programme and providing them with ample opportunities to use spelling words in frequent writing can be the answer to such an inquiry. Meaningful writing can further facilitate spelling acquisition since in this manner, they can gain control over their work and learn to focus on the writing process and not exclusively on the final product. The book addresses these issues in order to help educators and clinicians identify such problems early, while it also acts as a practical guide to instruction and assessment. About the Author Elena Kkese, PhD, works at both public and private universities in Cyprus, teaching applied linguistic and courses in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She received her BA in English Language and Literature, MA in Applied Linguistics, and PhD in Linguistics from the University of Cyprus. Her research interests include the difficulties of Cypriot Greek users concerning the L2 acquisition of English with special emphasis on phonology, spelling, and writing. She is the author of Identifying Plosives in L2 English: the case of L1 Cypriot Greek speakers, and has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on the areas of L2 phonology, spelling, and writing.