Disentangling dyslexia from typical L2-learning in emergent literacy
Turid Helland1, Frøydis Morken1, Wenche A Helland1,2
1Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Dyslexia (Chichester, England)
|September 28, 2023
Summary
Identifying dyslexia in second language (L2) learners requires careful assessment beyond language scores. Cognitive assessments are crucial, as low linguistic skills do not automatically indicate dyslexia in L2 children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Dyslexia identification in native speakers (L1) is established.
- Assessing dyslexia in second language (L2) learners presents unique challenges.
- Some L2 learners exhibit slow literacy progress without formal diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate methods for identifying dyslexia in L2 learners.
- To compare L2 learners with native L1 speakers (control and dyslexia groups).
- To analyze L2 individual profiles and explore potential subgroupings.
Main Methods:
- Individual testing of 2nd and 3rd graders (L1-Control, L1-Dyslexia, L2).
- Assessment across symptomatic and cognitive domains.
- Two-step analysis: group comparisons and L2 individual profiling.
Main Results:
- L2 learners showed varied language and cognitive scores, deviating from typical L1 dyslexia profiles.
- Three L2 subgroups emerged: similar to L1-Control, L1-Dyslexia, and intermediate.
- Low linguistic scores in L2 learners were not definitive markers of dyslexia.
Conclusions:
- Dyslexia identification in L2 learners necessitates a nuanced approach.
- Cognitive assessments are more indicative of dyslexia in L2 children than language scores alone.
- High cognitive scores may act as compensatory mechanisms for L2 learners with dyslexia.
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