Country Studied: Greece
Area of Focus: Dyslexia
Type of learning difficulty the Case Study is supporting:
- Neurodevelopmental difficulties
Aims and objectives of Case Study
A number of researchers have argued that both the way in which the learning of foreign language plays a role in the involvement of the hemispheres in its processing.
In particular, they argue that the role of the right hemisphere is very important when foreign language learning is done in an informal/ natural way, e.g. at home by parents or on the street in daily contact with native speakers, while the left hemisphere is more involved when foreign language learning is done in a formal/ systematic way.
way, such as at school, since the learning of grammar, spelling rules and the formation of irregular verbs lead to its activation. ( Albert & Obler, 1978; Gordon, 1980).In support of their views, the researchers put forward the argument that the formal way of learning a language requires analytical processing of verbal stimuli, a process that lies in the capacities of the left hemisphere.
In contrast, the informal way of learning is based more on the holistic way approach to language from the right hemisphere.
Short description of Case Study
Dyslexia is a continuum of special educational needs (Pumfrey and Reason, 1991), and occurs in all languages. Thus, many children have difficulty in learning a foreign language. These children may or may not have dyslexia, but they all seem to encounter the same problems in learning a foreign language and often the solutions are common. For this reason it is important that the teaching of modern foreign
languages should be attractive and adapted to the needs of all children, whether they have dyslexia or not. Establishing appropriate teaching is therefore vital, to achieve maximum learning for all and especially for dyslexics who find language learning more difficult.
According to research over the last 20 years, there has been a decline in the number of children who are learning a foreign language beyond the compulsory stage. This SCRE survey found a 56% drop in the number of children learning French at a high level (i.e. beyond the compulsory level) compulsory stage).
There are several problems associated with dyslexia which appear to have an impact on language learning. These include:
- Weakness in phonological processing
- Poor functional memory
- Poor auditory discrimination
- Confusion in syntax
- Defective auditory sequencing
- Low self-esteem
- Difficulties with automatic and mechanistic skills
- Poor organizational skills,
- Low speed of information processing
- Difficulties in naming objects
3 Key learning Principles that were used in this Case Study to support learners with LD
As John Everatt explains, bilingualism in a dyslexic child is not a barrier, just as much as that promotes the effective acquisition of reading and writing. The tactic learning of spelling can encourage faster acquisition of phonological and phonological awareness. awareness and support writing than less regular spelling (Everatt et al., 2010). Young bilingual beginners readily acquire skills such as phonological awareness and word decoding skills (Ziegler et al, 2005) and at the same time bilinguals may be able to differentiate between two different sound systems (Bialystok1991).
Strategies used as part of Case Study
- Adapting instruction to various learning styles.
- Individualized Learning Plans.
- Guidance on creating and implementing individualized learning plans.
- Collaboration with support services and professionals.
- Strategies for modifying or creating teaching materials to suit different abilities.
- Creating a positive and supportive classroom environment.
Results and impact
Adopting a metacognitive approach, to crown and understand the linguistic structure. Students need to understand how they learn.
The concept of onset and rhyme can be done in several languages; however, it is clearly not appropriate for all languages. Grouping into word families helps as it minimizes the need for relearning. (e.g. “next”, “working”, “content”, “protected”, “phenomenon” in Greek, or bright, sight, might, light in English or plage, nage, fromage in French
Modelling, where someone, usually the teacher, acts as model while the student follows and imitates the teacher. Reading along with the The teacher helps the student to gain confidence.
Why can this Case Study be useful for the project research?
Learning difficulties are real difficulties and not under construction, however qualitatively defined as a social construct. They are a lifelong condition, i.e. permanent and present in the life of the child and the adult. However, some individuals do not discover that their learning difficulties are responsible for their lifelong difficulties in areas such as reading, mathematics, written expression and comprehension. Others do not recognise that they have a learning difficulty until they reach adulthood. For many individuals, learning difficulties also affect their personal and emotional well-being, as they may have low self-esteem, set low goals for themselves, experience underachievement and underemployment, have few friends and more often than their peers without learning difficulties, may end up presenting themselves as being in more trouble with the law.
Transferability
The methods can be successfully applied by experts in all institutions.
Resources used as part of Case Study
The problem of dyslexia is not a problem that has appeared now, but has its roots much further back. Today, however, scholars are trying to define it better as its investigation is the subject of interdisciplinary study. In this section, the path through which the term dyslexia emerged and became established will be exposed. The concept of dyslexia emerged, through the relationship between reading and brain injuries. It had been observed that reading ability or the acquisition of this ability was negatively affected by brain disease or trauma.
Critical issues
Many children with dyslexia struggle with self-esteem issues. They may compare themselves to other children, and find it frustrating and humiliating that they can’t keep up with their peers. If you are just learning that you have dyslexia as an adult, you may feel many emotions at first, including guilt or shame.
Any additional learning that we can take from this Case Study, example:
Training in auditory discrimination heard a sound in a word – at what point in the word did the student hear the specific sounds.
Using a series of pictures or picture cards – sorting into columns hear a specific sound in the word
Memory practice using the specific mnemonic techniques.
Overlearning, as nowadays the use of computers, CD ,DVDs, video etc has entered our daily life, computer based learning is important as students can download the material from the internet to use, manage and work on it anytime they want.
Use flashcardsGames. Audio equipment — learning style taking how a pupil or student learns best( e.g. in group, individually, sensitivity, motivational factors, etc.)
Any Additional Information or Resources
Dyslexia can occur in individuals of any IQ and is not a sign of low intelligence; indeed, many individuals with high IQs live with dyslexia. Because reading well is often considered fundamental to academic success, however, many people with dyslexia may mistakenly believe that they are unintelligent.
