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- abstract below
- presentation text below
- a PowerPoint presentation is available on the
conference CD.
For details of how to obtain the CD, please
contact the BDA.
Neil MacKay and Gyorgyi Gabor
Action Dyslexia, Holywell, Flintshire info@actiondyslexia.co.uk
Abstract
Strategies employed with dyslexic learners from the international community in Budapest have proved to be equally successful with their non-dyslexic peers in a mixed group which included dyslexic and non-dyslexic children from Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Japan and the UK. The main issues were found to be a combination of information processing to organise writing and recall of learning for assessments and exams. Dyslexia friendly strategies were found to be effective regardless of specific learning difficulty or competence in English. Dyslexia will be presented as a different learning ability, one for which transcends language issues. Generic strategies more usually associated with the management of dyslexia will be discussed and modelled and links made between issues for dyslexic learners and those for whom English is a second/additional language. Strategies which have been successful in a multi-lingual and multi-need environment will be discussed and a particular emphasis will be placed on techniques to develop confidence and self-esteem In particular recommendations will be made for a multi-sensory approach to information processing, writing at length and revision which has proved to be effective for dyslexics and non-dyslexics alike regardless of first language.
Strategies employed with dyslexic learners from the international community in Budapest were found to be equally successful with their non-dyslexic peers in a mixed group which contained dyslexic and non-dyslexic learners from Belgium, Hungary, Japan, Spain and the UK. The initial difficulties of ESL students with learning English were found to be similar in many ways to those with specific learning difficulties/dyslexia. The main issues were a combination of phonological awareness, information processing to organise writing, and recall of learning for assessments and exams. Dyslexia friendly strategies proved to be equally effective, regardless of the root cause of any learning difficulty.
During a series of Study Skills courses there were visible and almost immediate improvements in academic performance and self-confidence, improvements which were sustained when the students returned to school. They continue to do extremely well (most of them are on the Honor Roll of the American International School of Budapest) which is a considerable academic achievement in a second language in a school with high standards. The one student with severe dyslexia is also coping well with the increasing requirements of the Middle School (for 12-14 year-old students), although his progress is slower. The common thread between the students is the clear degree of co morbidity between dyslexia and EAL/ESL together with the effectiveness of generic "dyslexia friendly" good practice as the guiding principle behind the planning and delivery of a teaching programme. In particular, acknowledging dyslexia and EAL/ESL as specific learning differences rather than difficulties permits a response based on learning preferences with all teaching and learning strategies underpinned by the principles of accelerated learning.
The ESL programme at AISB is designed for students who need additional support with specific language instruction and study skills in order to help them fully integrate into the social and academic routines of the school. Programmes of instruction are devised to meet the students' needs. This instruction is based upon the key content and skill areas of the mainstream curriculum. It emphasizes the competent and confident use of the four language skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Students' needs in an ESL context
There are two main areas of need to be considered when examining needs in an EAL/ESL context, regardless of the presence of any additional learning need. The first area is the students' present needs, the second being their future needs. Among the students' present needs the most important ones are their cognitive academic needs, their affective needs, and their cultural needs.
Figure 1: Relation of the examined learners' needs in an ESL context
PRESENT NEEDS
Cognitive academic needs
In international schools the students come from varied cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. These students, whose first language is not English, usually have very different expectations about learning based on their native educational traditions. In order to understand the cognitive academic needs of ESL students, teachers need to be aware of the conditions of second language learning. One of the most noticeable attributes of an ESL group is that, while students' spoken English is fluent and often sounding as if they were native speakers, their academic written work shows gaps in several fields of the language. This finding mirrors the performance of dyslexic learners who experience unexpected difficulties in providing evidence of their learning through traditional, script based means. Both groups of learners are, therefore, vulnerable if/when their linguistic competence leads a teacher to over estimate the operational level of basic skills. One noticeable difference occurred in terms of reading competence: dyslexic students often displayed poor decoding but good comprehension in L1, whereas EAL/ESL students were very competent in L1, but tended towards hyperlexia in L2 - their decoding was often good but usually at the expense of comprehension.
Affective needs
Even though students of an international school are culturally and linguistically diverse, they have needs similar to any other child, in particular the need to feel successful and independent both socially and academically. The students should achieve these goals to become confident individuals with positive self-esteem, and possess appropriate learning skills. For international school students there can be many reasons for lack of confidence. Usually, the two main problems are adjustment to a completely new environment and the age of the student. Transition does not happen quickly and automatically. Not only does the new environment hold out promises of new experiences and new friends but also stores difficulties. In order to provide a positive and supporting learning environment it is important that teachers reduce the factors that may cause stress. Once again, clear parallels can be seen between the needs of international students and those with dyslexia, especially in terms of transfer between schools. The stress of transition can be managed by equipping the student with effective coping strategies and ensuring that the receiving school has the information and resources to construct and implement and effective programme from initial contact - any delay in implementing intervention will have serious effects on confidence, self esteem and present/future learning.
FUTURE NEEDS
When considering the students' future needs we need to differentiate between their personal, academic, and social needs. One of the most important personal need of international students is being prepared for moving on to another international school or back home to their home system. It is equally difficult to adjust to a new environment, or to re-adjust to the home system. In order to assist the students' future adjustment they need to be given plenty of opportunities to try and test out new behaviours through peer- and group interactions. It is also important to have successful experiences with challenging situations, and to talk about the future situation allowing them to form a picture in their mind of what to expect. Providing, safe, error free learning situations is recognized as being essential for dyslexic students, as is the opportunity to share their hopes and fears with a sympathetic and empowering listener. Both sets of learners thrive in a learning environment that is not a place where their weaknesses are revealed, but a place where they can grow.
DYSLEXIA OR EAL - Identification and Response
The teaching programme was based on the principle that students with dyslexia and/or EAL were experiencing:
"A specific learning difference which may cause unexpected difficulties in the acquisition of certain skills at an ability appropriate level."
It is no coincidence that this definition is the basis for the Dyslexia Friendly Schools Initiative which is developing in Education Authorities across the UK - one of the authors is responsible for the development and promotion of the concept which is now being coordinated by the British Dyslexia Association.
The following strategies were found to be effective in a group with very mixed needs in terms of confidence/self esteem, L2 competence/experience and, in some cases, varying degrees of dyslexia:
Strategy 1. Metacognition - "Learning how to learn"
Regardless of linguistic or educational need, the starting point was an assessment of learning styles and preferences. This was found to be a much more effective "way in" than more conventional tests of reading and spelling, which have the potential to destroy confidence and self-belief since they require the student to fail, and to continue to fail for a significant period before testing is completed. To remove any issues of reading comprehension etc the questions were read to the students and they completed their proformas accordingly. Analysis of the proformas suggested that, in common with most students everywhere, predominant learning preferences included kinaesthetic and visual, with strong interpersonal preferences. Auditory/linguistic channels were significantly less popular, establishing a clear imperative for the style of any group instruction and activities.
However it is the view of the authors that, while learning preferences are ways of working which enable the learner to be comfortable, safe and effective, all students need to learn how to operate outside of their comfort zones when the effective performance of a task require a different style of operation. Therefore time was spent supporting students to develop a repertoire of strategies which could be utilized when required. Not only was this was seen to be a key issue in terms of empowerment and developing independent learning skills, it was also recognized as being equally effective in L1 as well as L2.
Strategy 2. Phonological Awareness
Because most students in the group were effective kinaesthetic learners, phonological awareness strategies needed to reflect this preference. Whenever a student asked for a spelling the "Make and Break" method (MacKay 2004) was used. The student was given the correct plastic or magnetic letters to make the word and then asked to:
Stage 1
then
Stage 2
This process was found be much more effective than LCWC because it was fully multi-sensory and, in consequence, supported students to secure the word firmly in the long term memory. Group activities requiring students to cut printed polysyllabic words into syllables was also extremely effective, especially with jargon words - recall was found to be enhanced, even when students were "in the flow" of writing.
Strategy 3 Transformation
The students were taught how to process text in a variety of ways which, wherever possible, utilized both sides of the brain. These techniques were also applied to various learning challenges, each designed to achieve immediate success and to emphasise the effectiveness of the metacognitive strategies being presented. The following techniques were found to be particularly effective:
The strategies discussed have been found to be of value in a multi- lingual and multi- need environment, especially as all activities and strategies were carefully chosen to develop self esteem and confidence. In particular the authors would recommend the multi sensory approach to reading, spelling, information and revision outlined above, which has proved to be effective for dyslexics and non dyslexics alike, regardless of first language.
Disclaimer: all the abstracts presented here have satisfied the academic committee as appropriate for presentation at an international conference. However, the material reflects the views of the authors, not necessarily those of the academic committee or the BDA. No endorsement of any approach, product or service is intended or implied.
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