Modern foreign languages - British Dyslexia Association (2024)

Dyslexia specialists generally agree that dyslexic children should be given the opportunity to learn a foreign language. Many dyslexic children will enjoy the multi-sensory methods of language teaching which involve role play, games, singing and other group activities. Learning a foreign language broadens pupils’ horizons as their awareness of other cultures develops.

It may take longer for dyslexic learners to learn a foreign language and they may experience similar difficulties as they did when learning to read and write in English. They may also experience difficulties in areas such as speed of information processing, word retrieval and short term memory.

Choosing a language

Some languages may be more problematic for dyslexic learners. Languages such as French and English are less transparent than other languages. This means that the sounds of the language don’t match clearly to letter combinations and there are more irregularities in pronunciation and spelling.

Spanish, Italian and German, on the other hand, are much more transparent languages with clear letter-sound correspondence. This makes reading and spelling easier. German has the additional advantage of having a sound system that is very close to English and the two languages share a large number of words. However, dyslexic learners may struggle with other aspects of German such as cases, gender of nouns, multiple consonant combinations, long multisyllabic words and unfamiliar word order.

Does a dyslexic child have to learn a foreign language?

Even though learning a foreign language is part of the National Curriculum, it is possible to ‘disapply’ where a pupil has significant dyslexic difficulties and is struggling with their own language. This means that the student does not have to take classes or exams in that subject.

Strategies to help learning a foreign language

The following strategies may help with learning a foreign language:

  • Get to know the sounds of the language – download some recordings from Forvo.com (a free audio database of language). Listen to the sounds and practise saying them. Practice listening to and saying pairs of words where only one sound is different.
  • Use flash cards to help memorise vocabulary. Add pictures, colour and draw shapes around words to associate a word with a visual image or colour.
  • Use colour to code grammar, e.g. different colours to distinguish between masculine and feminine nouns or to represent different parts of speech.
  • To help with remembering word order, put the words onto card, cut up the card into separate phrases, mix them up and practise putting them back together again.
  • Use multi-sensory learning in order to remember vocabulary: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  • Use Quizlet to memorise words and phrases.
  • To improve pronunciation record sentences. You can edit it and re-record as many times as you like.
  • Make videos or create animations in the foreign language.
Modern foreign languages - British Dyslexia Association (2024)

FAQs

What foreign language is easiest for dyslexic students? ›

Some languages like French, Danish, and English can be hard for students with dyslexia, while others like Spanish, Latin, German, and Italian may be easier.

Which language is hardest for dyslexia? ›

Some languages may be more problematic for dyslexic learners. Languages such as French and English are less transparent than other languages. This means that the sounds of the language don't match clearly to letter combinations and there are more irregularities in pronunciation and spelling.

Is Duolingo good for dyslexics? ›

Duolingo works beautifully to maintain attention when learning, with its short, colourful lessons and all sort of encouragements and rewards for small steps to success. Great for students with processing difficulties who need lots of repetition and something very engaging to help them learn.

What is the best language arts homeschool curriculum for dyslexia? ›

The best choice when homeschooling with dyslexia is to use an Orton-Gillingham reading curriculum. Orton-Gillingham is a structured, step-by-step, repetitive, and multisensory approach. This approach is specifically designed to help struggling readers learn the connections between letters and sounds.

Is Chinese easier for dyslexics? ›

This process of breaking down and blending can take a long time for someone with dyslexia. But if you're dyslexic in English, you might not have that trouble in Chinese. That's because while English is an alphabetic language, using letters as the building blocks of words, Chinese is a logographic language.

Can a dyslexic person get into Harvard? ›

Harvard has become more open to admitting students who, despite their demonstrated thirst for knowledge, struggle to learn. “Fifty years ago, students who were dyslexic were just considered stupid, and they could rarely have the opportunity to benefit from higher learning,” writes Howard E.

What program is best for dyslexia? ›

The Orton-Gillingham approach has been a trusted resource for teaching students with dyslexia since the 1930s. Using structured lessons that engage multiple senses at once, the OG approach makes it easier for students to retain information as they learn to read.

Should a dyslexic child be homeschooled? ›

Homeschooling may also be an option for a child with dyslexia. A student with dyslexia requires direct, systematic, and individual instruction in reading and spelling, and traditional schools do not always provide adequate levels of service.

Which curriculum is best for dyslexia? ›

Orton-Gillingham was the first teaching approach that was designed to specifically help struggling readers learn the connections between letters and sounds. Its multisensory approach has proven to be highly effective for dyslexic students.

What is the best online school for dyslexic students? ›

The Academy Virtual is a specialized Accredited Global Online School for Children with Dyslexia, ADHD, and Non-Traditional Learners.

Is it hard for dyslexics to learn Spanish? ›

Spanish can be a good choice for kids with dyslexia. It's more predictable than many languages — it has fewer rules and exceptions. It shares many of the same root word as English. And it has only five vowel sounds to learn.

Is Latin hard for dyslexics? ›

All of these can take a toll on our reading comprehension and spelling. This does not mean a foreign language will be too difficult to learn. Because of the way it's discussed, Latin isn't presented as a learning-disability-friendly subject. Few classes send dyslexics running for the hills like Latin.

Can dyslexic people be bilingual? ›

Dyslexia is a common learning difference. It exists all over the world, in all languages. But even though the difficulties are largely the same in each language, kids who are bilingual and have dyslexia face a special set of challenges.

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