The English spelling abilities of 22 adolescent English second language learners were
related to their input processing skills. Strong correlations were found between
their spelling of words containing first language (L1) and second language (L2)
vowels and their auditory discrimination and phonological representation of these
words. An increased length of exposure to English first language models was found to
have a positive effect on their spelling and processing skills. Semantics was found
to play a key role in the processing of words containing L1 and L2 vowels. Practical
implications for educators and speech and language therapists working within
multilingual classrooms are discussed.
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