Learning a foreign language, such as English, can be demanding for everyone and especially for children. Learning a foreign language can provide access to different cultures, allow interaction with a wider range of people globally and foster children’s self-esteem. Children with learning difficulties face significant challenges in learning a foreign language. Despite the challenges they face, students with learning difficulties can succeed in learning a foreign language.
According to Lenhard & Lenhard (2013), learning difficulties is an umbrella term for academic problems of different origin. Students with learning difficulties face difficulty with reading and writing, attention and focus issues, memory and retention problems, auditory processing issues. In most countries, the term is applied to students who are not making adequate progress within the school curriculum, particularly in basic skill areas covering language, literacy and numeracy (Westwood, 2004).
There are differences between the different languages. There are differences in phonological level. In each language the way words and sounds are formed varies. While some elements are common, other aspects differ. Linguistic units (phonemes, morphemes, words, phrases, sentences) differ, but they maintain an interdependence between them in the phonological processing, encoding, and representation of words, whether spoken or written. Each language maintains its own distinct phoneme system and its differentiating features, and the rules for combining consonants are unique to each language.
Differences in graphophonological transparency are encountered. In languages that use alphabetic (or phonemic) writing systems, the spellings differ in their transparency or ‘depth’. This refers to how closely the letters of a word correspond to its sounds (graphs to phonemes). The overall transparency of the language affects the ease of word recognition.
Finally, there are differences in the typology of each language, i.e. the structure and category on the basis of which words are formed, as well as its specific characteristics.
There are certain teaching principles or strategies by which the teacher can create the right conditions to facilitate students’ acquisition of a foreign language:
- A systematic approach, based on structured or sequential (step-by-step) teaching
- Providing a supportive, consistent and friendly educational environment
- Providing motivation to encourage students
- For young students with learning difficulties, it’s important to use interventions such as accommodation and modification.
- Clear instructions, ideally presented both verbally and visually.
- Review and consistent repetition, helping children to acquire what they have learnt.
- Time supply, meaning the teacher provides the students with sufficient time to complete a task.
There are also several efficient teaching strategies that can be applied to help students find a way to manage to accommodate the language.
- Presentation techniques, with various objects (tools) in the classroom to link “abstract” vocabulary with tangible items, in order to support learners in building background knowledge through sensory experiences related to the subject.
- Total Physical Response, the teacher provides clear verbal instructions, and students respond through physical actions, allowing students to acquire language by engaging in actions rather than repetitive exercises.
- Discovery techniques, students have to independently determine rules and meanings, enabling them to engage their prior knowledge and share what they understand.
- Multi-sensory techniques, which emphasize teaching students through all sensory channels (auditory, visual and tactile/kinaesthetic). This method enables learners to enhance their weaker channels by leveraging their stronger ones, making them effective for teaching pronunciation, spelling, reading and other skills.
- Metacognition, instructional approaches which involve systematic rehearsal of steps or conscious selection of strategies for a task completion, and thus students are aware of learning as a process and understand the factors that promote effective learning.
In conclusion, it is particularly important to foster a positive and encouraging atmosphere, which will boost students’ self-confidence and motivation. Equally important is an understanding of their unique needs and an individualised approach. Mental health care for students with Learning Difficulties is also very important. They often face significant difficulties that can affect their emotional state. Therefore, mental health support for these individuals is valuable. Learning a foreign language can be an empowering and enriching experience for children with learning difficulties.
References:
Lenhard, W., & Lenhard, A. (2013). Learning difficulties. In L. Meyer (Ed.), Oxford bibliographies in education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0115
Westwood, P. (2004). Learning and Learning Difficulties: Approaches to teaching and assessment (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203823767
Anna Iliadi, Psychologist, Ethos-Hub.
