Dyslexia in English as a second language.

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• English as a second language (L2) acquisition is a key part of Norwegian education.
• Dyslexia can impact L2 learning, but research on specific L2 challenges in dyslexic children is ongoing.
• Understanding L2 performance in dyslexic learners is crucial for effective educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the English as L2 performance of Norwegian dyslexic children compared to a control group.
• To examine the heterogeneity within the dyslexic group based on comprehension skills.
• To identify specific areas of difficulty in L2 acquisition for dyslexic learners.

Main Methods:

• A test battery assessed verbal (comprehension, morphology, syntax, semantics) and written (spelling, translation, reading) L2 skills.
• Participants included 12-year-old Norwegian children with dyslexia and an age/gender-matched control group.
• The dyslexic group was subgrouped based on L2 comprehension abilities.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were found between the dyslexic and control groups across most L2 tasks.
• Subgrouping revealed that dyslexic children with poor comprehension showed greater L2 deficits compared to those with good comprehension.
• Morphology and spelling were particularly challenging areas for the dyslexic group.

Conclusions:

• Dyslexia significantly impacts English as L2 acquisition in Norwegian children.
• L2 comprehension skills are a critical factor influencing L2 performance in dyslexic learners.
• Further research into L2 acquisition models for dyslexia is warranted to inform educational practices.