Unit 1: Guide to the Spellzone Course

Spellzone is an interactive course designed to help with English spelling.

The program doesn't just test you to see which words you already know - it actually teaches you - not just by giving you lists of words, but by teaching you how to learn them.

Look out for this sign:
Where a spelling rule exists, Spellzone teaches it. Where there are no rules to help, there are tips on how to remember tricky words - especially those words a computer spell-checker can't spot: the words which sound the same but have different spellings for different meanings, for example:

dew / due   brake / break    stationery / stationary

These words are called homophones from the Greek words: homo: the same phonos: sound

  You will meet many more of them in the Spellzone course.
Spellzone is aimed at older students and adults - so YOU, the user, have full control over your path through the program:
  • You work at your own pace

  • You choose whether to start from scratch or ........

  • ....whether to skip the basic work and go straight to the more advanced levels.

  • The computer marks your work instantly. You can then choose whether to go back and repeat that topic or go on to the next level. All pages are quick to download.


Who will benefit from using Spellzone?

Spellzone will be useful to:

English speakers who have problems with spelling - perhaps adults who had difficulty at school but did not get the help they needed. This includes those affected by dyslexia.
People learning English as a second or foreign language - either those living in an English-speaking country or studying English in their own country.

The program can be used by students working at home or in school or college. It will also be useful to teachers, especially those running courses for students or adults with spelling difficulties and those working in language schools.


Go to the next page: An outline of the program content

Find out how to get the full Spellzone course - around 450 web pages of teaching tips and practice exercises.
Unit 1 page 1 of 4
                                 © 2001 Shireen Shuster All Rights Reserved