Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Crossing Language Barriers. Dyslexia in Foreign and Second Language Learning
For dyslexic students, learning a new language can feel doubly hard, because dyslexia affects exactly the skills every language is built on. This lesson looks at both sides: English speakers learning Spanish, French, or German, and immigrant children for whom English itself is the foreign language. Multisensory teaching, oral-first approaches, and careful error analysis are the keys to progress in both situations.
What this lesson is about
Language learning is always a demanding process, but for students with dyslexia it can feel doubly challenging. Dyslexia primarily affects reading, spelling, and language processing, skills at the core of learning any new language. For English-speaking students, adding Spanish, French, or German to the mix can heighten existing difficulties. For immigrant children in the United States, English itself becomes the “foreign” language, and the road to literacy is full of hurdles.
The good news is that success is possible. Dyslexic students can learn foreign languages and thrive in English as a second language when teaching strategies are adapted to their needs. This lesson explores both sides of the equation: English speakers learning another language, and non-English speakers with dyslexia learning English. In both cases, multisensory teaching, oral-first approaches, and careful error analysis are the keys to progress.
For students with dyslexia, the idea of learning a foreign language, most often Spanish, French, or German, can feel daunting. If reading and writing are already difficult in English, adding a new set of vocabulary, spelling rules, and sounds may seem overwhelming.
What you will learn in Lesson 19
- Why language learning is doubly hard with dyslexia
- English speakers learning Spanish, French, or German
- Dyslexic English learners: literacy in a second language
- Multisensory, oral-first strategies that work in both directions
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
