The Effect of the Word Study Approach on English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Spelling Skills

Developing English spelling skills can be difficult, even for native speakers, and is particularly challenging for English as a foreign language learners (EFL). The Word Study approach has been proposed to help students develop their spelling skills; however, research regarding its effectiveness in Latin American contexts is under-researched. Therefore, this study explored the effects of the word study on the spelling skills of EFL learners. It followed a quasi-experimental design in which 64 EFL students participated (n=32 in the experimental group and n=32 in the comparison group). A pre-and post-test was applied to both groups, using the Words Their Way spelling inventory test. Likewise, a 14-week word study approach intervention was given to the experimental group. The findings showed that the experimental group had a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group after the intervention. The data from this study was analyze through a t-test and ANCOVA analysis.