• Lancaster University

Dyslexia and Foreign Language Teaching

Learn more about dyslexia, and gain practical teaching tools and insights to help dyslexic students learn foreign languages.

86,465 enrolled on this course

A dyslexic student struggles to read a book
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

Discover teaching strategies to help dyslexic students learn a foreign language

Dyslexia affects 10-15% of the population. Dyslexic students are often either exempted from the study of additional languages or they underperform in foreign language classes.

On this course, you’ll discover the most up-to-date dyslexia definition, and how it affects a student’s ability to learn languages. You’ll explore the latest strategies for teaching dyslexic students and have access to a host of dyslexia teaching resources.

The materials and tasks in the course are designed to also be applicable to a variety of language learning contexts, including teaching English as a foreign language.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 11 seconds Most of us learned how to read easily and without needing any explicit teaching. But why is it that only a much smaller proportion of people become experts in reading even after several years of instruction? One of the reasons for difficulties in learning how to read is an underlying difference called dyslexia. Although dyslexia by definition means reading difficulty, it doesn’t only affect reading but also other areas of academic performance. One of these areas is the learning of additional languages. Finally, the Wargal turned away. Does it happen that dyslexic difficulties are masked or compensated for in one’s first language literacy skills?

Skip to 1 minute and 7 seconds Yes, and this is why the responsibility of foreign language teachers is high, because the real nature of this learning difference might only become apparent when one is trying to learn another language. Approximately 10% of people have dyslexic type learning differences, which means that in a class of 10 students we are likely to have at least one student who is dyslexic. Yet teacher education in general and language teacher education in particular rarely prepares educators for working with dyslexic students. This course aims to fill this gap and will equip language teachers with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical tools to meet the needs of dyslexic language learners in foreign language classrooms.

Skip to 2 minutes and 0 seconds The course might also be useful to dyslexic language learners and their parents with some background in linguistics and education to help them understand the learning processes and the ways in which they can become successful learners. In this course, we are trying to find the answers to the question, what is dyslexia? How does it affect the learning of additional languages? How can we fully include dyslexic students in a foreign language classroom? And what tasks and techniques are useful to facilitate their learning? The materials and tasks in the course are designed to be applicable for various age groups of dyslexic students and for a variety of language teaching contexts and are based on the award-winning materials of the DysTEFL Project.

Skip to 2 minutes and 54 seconds Please join us for this four-week course so that you can help dyslexic students to become successful users of another language.

What topics will you cover?

  • The nature of dyslexia and associated learning difficulties
  • The effect of dyslexia and learning difficulties on the learning of additional languages
  • Inclusion in the language classroom
  • Using technology to assist dyslexic language learners
  • Specific tasks and techniques in teaching languages to students with dyslexia

When would you like to start?

  • Date to be announced

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Demonstrate an understanding of dyslexia and other learning difficulties and their effects on learning additional languages
  • Assess the needs of students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties when learning another language
  • Evaluate resources used in teaching languages to students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties
  • Design language teaching tasks for students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties
  • Apply inclusive language teaching practices in their contexts

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for professional language teachers, secondary school teachers, undergraduates, postgraduates and anyone with an interest in dyslexia and language learning.

It offers you practical tools, as well as theoretical insights, to best accommodate and meet the needs of students with dyslexia.

Who will you learn with?

has been working as an English language teacher, teacher trainer and researcher to promote the full inclusion of dyslexic students in foreign and second language classrooms.

Who developed the course?

Lancaster University

Lancaster University is a collegiate university, with a global reputation as a centre for research, scholarship and teaching with an emphasis on employability.

Learning on FutureLearn

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  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
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  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
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  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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