After a general overview on Dyslexia, defining it as an impairment of the ability to recognize and comprehend written language, accompanied by difficulties in writing and spelling as well as slow reading and reduced reading comprehension, general facts about the deficit are presented, such as its prevalence and its official definition in the international ICD-10 catalogue.
With regard to the effects of Dyslexia on foreign language learning the topic of orthographies is discussed and various examples for transparent and less transparent orthographies are provided, as several studies have suggested that the transparency of an orthography determines the ease and speed of reading and writing in a language. The orthography of the German and English language are discussed and differences in transparency are pointed out. German, having a rather transparent orthography, i.e. clear-cut grapheme-phoneme correspondences, is easier to adapt to than English, which has a deep orthography with irregular grapheme-phoneme correspondences.
The fact that English is an obligatory subject in most curricula makes it essential to find ways to deal with its inconsistency and to design helpful material for both, normally developing and dyslexic students. Several findings about the effects of Dyslexia on foreign language learning are relevant for the foreingn language classroom. Implications for teaching techniques, material and lesson planning are discussed in this paper.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Dyslexia
2.1. What is Dyslexia?
2.2. Characteristics of Dyslexia
2.3. Types of Dyslexia
2.3.1. Acquired Dyslexia
2.3.2. Developmental Dyslexia
2.4. Prerequisites for the acquisition of literacy and deficits caused by dyslexia
3. The Effects of Dyslexia on Foreign Language Learning
3.1. Dyslexia in different orthographies
3.1.1. Orthographic transparency
3.1.2. Phonological and orthographic differences between German and English
3.1.3. Dyslexia in different orthographies: studies and hypotheses
3.1.3.1. The phonological deficit hypothesis
3.1.3.2. Differences in reading strategies and differences in the speed of literacy acquisition
3.1.3.3. The developmental model
3.2. Dyslexia and Foreign Language Learning
3.2.1. Types of Errors in the learning process of a Foreign Language
3.2.2. Difficulties of dyslexics in Foreign Language Learning
3.2.3. Suggestions for dyslexia friendly language lessons
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines the impact of dyslexia on foreign language learning, specifically focusing on English as a foreign language within the Austrian educational system. It aims to identify the specific difficulties dyslexic learners face, analyze the role of orthographic transparency, and provide evidence-based teaching strategies to support these students in a communicative classroom environment.
- The impact of dyslexia on second language acquisition.
- The influence of orthographic transparency on reading and spelling performance.
- Comparative analysis of German and English orthographies.
- Strategies for supporting dyslexic learners in modern language teaching.
- The efficacy of the communicative approach for dyslexic students.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2. Phonological and orthographic differences between German and English
As German and English have many communalities, such as being alphabetic languages, the same alphabet (with a few exceptions) and common origins, their orthography and phonology is similar in many ways (Ziegler et al. 2002: 103; as cited in Fallent 2011: 32). The most important difference between the two languages, however, is the fact that German has a shallow orthography with a high regularity between letters and sounds, while English has a deep orthography with irregularities and inconsistencies between spelling and sounds (Sprenger-Charolles et al. 2006: 23; as cited in Fallent 2011: 32). In English, we find numerous words that seem to rhyme when looking at their surface structure as their spelling corresponds perfectly (sight rhymes), but are pronounced in totally different ways (e.g. rose – lose, fear – bear, go – do). At the same time, many English words feature identical sounds (real rhymes), while their spelling does not correspond (e.g. word – bird, dry – hi, sail – ale) (cf. Fallent 2011: 33).
German, on the other hand, has a quite regular and thus simple grapheme-phoneme correspondence, which Landerl and Thaler (2006: 121; as cited in Fallent 2011: 33) refer to as high ‘feed-forward consistency’. German features only a few inconsistencies where rules cannot be applied systematically, such as the pronunciation of the letter v, which is at times pronounced as [f] (e.g. Vorsicht) and at times as [v] (e.g. Verb), the voiced plosives b, d and g that are pronounced as voiceless [p], [t] and [k] at the end of words (e.g. Stab, Grund, Krug), changes in pronunciation that depend on the context i.e. context sensitivity rules, such as s, which is normally pronounced as [s] but in combinations with consonants as in sp and st or together with ch as in sch is proncounced as [ʃ] (e.g. Spinne, Stoß, Schie) and the letter h, which is articulated at times (e.g. Herz) and at times silent (e.g. Sahne) (Fallent 2011: 34).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical perspective on dyslexia, defines the scope of the study, and establishes the importance of investigating dyslexia within the context of learning English as a foreign language.
2. Dyslexia: This section provides a comprehensive overview of dyslexia, including its definitions, diagnostic criteria, prevalence, and its categorization as a developmental impairment affecting literacy acquisition.
3. The Effects of Dyslexia on Foreign Language Learning: This central chapter explores how orthographic differences between languages affect dyslexic learners and evaluates the challenges and potential teaching strategies within the communicative foreign language classroom.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes the key findings regarding orthographic transparency and provides practical recommendations for educators to better support dyslexic students through structured instruction and multisensory approaches.
5. Bibliography: This section lists all academic sources and references cited throughout the seminar paper.
Keywords
Dyslexia, Foreign Language Learning, Orthographic Transparency, English, German, Phonological Deficit Hypothesis, Literacy Acquisition, Communicative Approach, Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Developmental Dyslexia, Teaching Strategies, Orthography, Auditory Processing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper focuses on the effects of dyslexia on the acquisition of a foreign language, specifically examining the difficulties students encounter when learning English within the Austrian school system.
What are the central themes of the research?
The core themes include the definition and manifestation of dyslexia, the impact of orthographic depth (deep vs. shallow) on learning, and the pedagogical strategies used in the foreign language classroom.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to understand why dyslexic students struggle with foreign language learning and to determine effective methods for supporting them given the inherent inconsistencies of the English language.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The work is a literature-based seminar paper that synthesizes existing research, studies, and hypotheses from linguistic and educational experts to analyze the challenges of dyslexic learners.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers general definitions of dyslexia, the importance of linguistic prerequisites, the comparative analysis of German and English orthographies, and specific classroom interventions.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include dyslexia, orthographic transparency, phonological deficit hypothesis, and communicative approach.
How does orthographic transparency influence dyslexia?
The paper explains that languages with shallow orthographies (like German) allow for more consistent grapheme-phoneme mapping, which can act as a "protective factor," whereas deep orthographies (like English) present more obstacles due to their high irregularity.
What is the Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis (LCDH)?
The LCDH claims that the deficits causing reading and writing difficulties in a student's mother tongue (L1) are the same factors that impede the successful acquisition of a foreign language (FL).
Why might the communicative approach be problematic for some dyslexic students?
While the communicative approach is modern and meaningful, its focus on holistic communication rather than rigid rules may lack the structured, step-by-step instruction that dyslexic students often require to succeed.
- Quote paper
- Hannah Maria Depaoli (Author), 2015, The Effects of Dyslexia on Second Language Learning, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/322469
