Investigating models for second language spelling

Abstract

In spelling research, data is easily quantifiable and offers a possible glimpse into the mind’s cognitive mechanisms. Previous research has focused on two cognitive routes assumed to be used for spelling in differing situations: one route enabling spelling of words from our lexical memory, and another route facilitating sublexically constructed spellings based on a writer’s rules for how phonemes map to graphemes. As the dual-route model emerged from first language alphabetic spelling data, there is a lack of research which synthesizes second language research with first language spelling models. This paper’s analysis of second language spellings suggests that the traditional dual-route model of spelling may not be universally applicable to second language spellers. Instead, the data suggests that consideration of the differences between L1 and L2 writing systems may help identify directions towards developing a comprehensive model of second language spelling.