Language Learners with Special Needs

An International Perspective

Edited by Judit Kormos, Dr. Edit H. Kontra

Publication date:

18 July 2008

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

234x156mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781847690906

In this age of globalisation, people who do not speak a foreign language are at a serious disadvantage in the job market. It is therefore of great relevance that learners with learning disabilities are also provided with equal and appropriate opportunities to acquire a second or foreign language. The aim of the book is to give readers an insight into the language learning process of learners with disabilities. The articles discuss the learning process and the teaching of dyslexic as well as hearing impaired learners in various parts of the world, from the USA and Canada to England, Norway, Poland and Hungary. The intended audience of the book is language teachers, MA and MEd students, and researchers in the field of SLA, applied linguistics, or special education.

Introduction - Judit Kormos and Edit H. Kontra

1. L1 and L2 Literacy, Aptitude, and Affective Variables as Discriminators among High- and Low-achieving L2 Learners with Special Needs - Richard L. Sparks, Leonore Ganschow and Jon Patton

2. Writing Abilities in First and Second Language Learners with and without Reading Disabilities - Katherine Ndlovu and Esther Geva

3. Second Language Assessment in Dyslexia: Principles and Practice - Turid Helland

4. Input, Processing and Output Anxiety in Students with Symptoms of Developmental Dyslexia - Ewa Piechurska-Kuciel

5. Vocabulary Learning in Dyslexia – The Case of a Hungarian Learner - Ágnes Sarkadi

6. An Experiment with Direct Multisensory Instruction in Teaching Word Reading and Spelling to Polish Dyslexic Learners of English - Joanna Nijakowska

7. Deaf EFL Learners Outside the School System - Ágnes Bajkó and Edit H. Kontra

8. Hungarian Teachers’ Perceptions of Dyslexic Language Learners - Judit Kormos and Edit H. Kontra

9. Teachers’ and Trainers’ Perceptions of Inclusive Education within TEFL Certificate Courses in Britain - Anne Margaret Smith

This book provides new and important insights into the subject of language learners with special needs from a number of perspectives, especially on topics related to learners' personal experiences of language learning. People with special needs are given a 'voice' which is imperative and very worthwhile, reflecting current approaches to understanding so-called "impairment" or "difference" in many other fields of study.