Reflecting on students’ vocabulary and grammar learning difficulties

Below you will find quotes from dyslexic students about what they find easy or difficult in learning vocabulary and grammar in another language.

Read these quotes and decide whether they refer to the area of grammar or vocabulary.

Can you add other items to the list based on your previous readings in the course and your teaching experience?

1. I hate exercises involving rules. When you have only one good answer and the main point is that you have to write down that good answer. (Barbara, 17)
2. I made some mistakes when I entered the new words in my vocabulary notebook and I memorised the misspelled form. So I could not get good marks when we were tested. It was like a vicious circle. (Gordon, 13)
3. I am good at understanding the concepts and rules, so in theory I am very good, but when I have to apply them, I am really insecure about it. (Ingrid, 16)
4. I’m good at grammar, I understand it in a second. (Joe, 14)
5. I often confuse similar words and what I say do not make any sense, sometimes I confuse words visually, so I read something different, and the whole text means something else. (Bob, 17)
6. I have never been successful in studying words, and I could never memorise them in an effective way. (Joe, 14).
7. Everything related to grammar is difficult for me: tenses, rules, where to put which word. I have problems with understanding and memorising grammar. (Gabe, 17)
8. As the pronunciation is very different from spelling, you have to memorise both of them and it is very difficult. (Carla, 17.)