Articles for Teachers
My friend came to Canada from Malta in 1989.
She had no formal ESL instruction, just listening & speaking. Her spoken English is now quite strong, albeit accented & with occasional grammatical slipups--e.g., on irregular verbs ("My watch broked yesterday"). But she easily understands & makes herself understood in virtually any circumstance.
Until recently, she had no need to *write* English. (She cleans houses for a living, & I've helped her with official letters, etc.) Now, though, she's communicating via MSN, Facebook, & email not just with friends & family in Malta, but also with English-speaking pals.
Her English spelling is still very weak, & she finds that frustrating. She asked me to help her figure out the best way to improve it. She's very bright & motivated, but has limited time & energy for attending classes. Are there any good online or print resources for helping adults learn English spelling? The ESL sites I've found seem to treat grammar only.