Abstract
The purpose of this study is to (a) compare performances on recall and recognition tasks in English spelling tests, and (b) consider difficulty levels of spelling tests for Japanese EFL learners using implicational scaling (Hatch & Lazaraton, 1991). As Nation (1990, 2001) described, vocabulary knowledge has three major aspects: form, meaning, and use. Furthermore, each aspect has three subdivisions and additional two subdivisions for knowledge types (i.e., receptive and productive knowledge). Combining Nation’s definition of vocabulary knowledge and the three language codes (i.e., sound, letter, and meaning), this research conducted 12 tests. The learners’ performances on the recall tests were inferior to the recognition tests, as was expected. Most had difficulty writing correct spellings or producing correct pronunciation. Added to this, the learners had difficulty recognizing (or choosing) the correct spellings. Producing or recognizing English spellings, more specifically alphabet letter strings, was a considerably more challenging task for the Japanese EFL learners, even though the tested words were already learned. EFL learners’ lack of spelling knowledge is considered a problem that requires a solution.
