Teaching Foreign Language with Learning Disabilities

Teaching Help for Learning Disabilities

Here are some resources to help you teach students with learning disabilities. Take a look at our other pages on different teaching topics as you continue your research and studies.

Today’s teacher must be prepared to teach students with learning disabilities.  According to Education Week*, a leading periodical on the topic of education, recent statistics** by the U. S. Department of Education indicate that at least 2.6 million Americans between the ages of 3 and 21 have a documented learning disability.  The National Center for Learning Disabilities puts the total number of Americans (children and adults) with a learning disability at 15 million.  Because students with a documented learning disability represent a significant percentage of the population, all teachers will encounter them.  Fortunately, educators have been continually developing strategies to more successfully teach these students.  Teachers of foreign languages, in particular, face specific challenges.  The following resources may serve as a general base of information on the challenges of teaching to those with learning disabilities with a particular emphasis on the teaching of foreign languages.

*Education Week

** Recent Statistics by the U. S. Department of Education

General Resources (Full Websites)

• LD.org – The National Center for Learning Disabilities (LD) has offered a wealth of research and practice on all aspects of LD since 1977.
• LD Online – Established in 1996, LD Online calls itself “the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD.”  The site also includes its own list of resources here: http://www.ldonline.org/ldresources.
• LdPride.net – Run by The Vancouver Island Invisible Disability Association out of British Columbia, this site covers all aspects of LD with an emphasis on “invisible disability” and learning styles.
• Disability Studies for Teachers – Hosted by the Center on Human Policy, this site includes a number of articles on “Differentiated Instruction” methods.
• The Federal Resources for Educational Excellence – offers a searchable listing of resources specifically dedicated to teaching methods and teaching to those with a disability.
• The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services – indexes a huge number of government-sponsored articles on LD.
• disABILITY – is a thorough and often linked site offering links to a variety of information and services relating to those with disabilities.
• ERIC—Education Resources Information Center – The “world’s largest digital library of education literature” hosts the most extensive collection of peer-reviewed research articles on educational topics, including all forms of LD.  Many of the resources listed further down this page are direct links to articles in the ERIC database, but searching this database can also be very helpful.

Resources Specifically Related to Disability and the Teaching of Foreign Language

• Learning Disabilities and Foreign Language Learning – An article by Robin L. Schwartz, M.Sp.Ed. hosted at LDOnline.org
• Foreign Language Learning and Learning Disabilities – Another article hosted at LDOnline.org and written by Sally S. Scott, PhD. and Elaine Manglitz of the University of Georgia Learning Disabilities Center.
• Curricula for Learners with Disabilities: Two Case Studies – This is a .PDF article by Zsuzsanna Abrams of University of Texas and originally published in The Modern Language Journal 92 2008.
• Foreign Language Requirements and Students With Learning Disabilities – This is a referenced article highlighting foreign language program policies in dealing with learning disabilities.  It is hosted at the website of The Center For Applied Linguistics.
• Foreign Language Learning and Students with Disabilities – A thorough and practical list of “tips” and resources collected by Mobility International MIUSA.
• Foreign Language Requirement? Why Not American Sign Language? – A .PDF article authored by Sherman Wilcox, PhD. arguing that American Sign Language should be promoted as a viable Foreign Language option for students who are required to take foreign languages in their course of studies.  Wilcox also offers a .PDF list of Universities That Accept ASL In Fulfillment Of Foreign Language Requirements.
• The Role of Styles and Strategies in Second Language Learning – An article focusing on differing learning styles and strategies from the U. S. Department of Education that is also hosted at Education.com.
• Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Accommodating the Learning Disabled Student in the Foreign Language Curriculum  – is a peer-reviewed and referenced academic article on the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the teaching of Foreign Languages.
• Functional Language Instruction for Linguistically Different Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities  – is an ERIC Digest academic article by Elva Duran, originally published in the Journal of Reading Improvement.
• The Role of Styles and Strategies in Second Language Learning – is an ERIC Digest article by Rebecca Oxford emphasizing the need for recognizing different learning styles in the teaching of foreign languages.
• Foreign Language Instruction and Students with Learning Disabilities – is a .PDF bibliography of research articles on this specific topic.
• Objective Criteria for Classification of Postsecondary Students as Learning Disabled: Effects on Prevalence Rates and Group Characteristics  – is a .PDF article originally published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities in 2009.
• Is There a “Disability” for Learning a Foreign Language?  – is an article originally published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities and hosted online by the Educational Research Newsletter.
• Teaching Foreign Language to At-Risk Learners: A Challenge for the New Millennium  – is an academic article written by Margarita E. Hodge, originally published in the journal Inquiry, Spring 1998.
• Diversity and Inclusion in Modern Foreign Languages – is a webpage hosted by SpecialEducationalNeeds.com and includes a downloadable “bibliography of modern foreign languages and special educational needs” here.
• Literature review of ESOL for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities  – is a comprehensive academic review .PDF article by the National Research and Development Center for Adult Literacy and Numeracy  at the University of London, England
• Foreign Language and Disability Teletraining: A Select Bibliography  – is a significant listing of both print and electronic resources on the topic.  It is hosted by Mobility International MIUSA.
• Assisting Students with Foreign Language Learning Difficulties in School – is an academic article written by Leonore Ganschow and Elke Schneider and hosted at LDOnline.org.
• References on Foreign Language Learning At-Risk Students and Students with Learning Disabilities  – An enormous listing of academic publications that mention learning disabilities in relation to learning a foreign language.  Although the citations listed are not linked electronically, the list is thorough enough to be vital for anyone researching this topic.
• Teaching foreign languages to the elderly and those with learning disabilities – is an informative article by Rachelle de Bretagne hosted at Helium.com
• Meeting the Needs of Students with Special Educational Needs in Mixed Classrooms – is a .PDF of an academic thesis written by Hana Dopitova of Masaryk University, Czech Republic.  It gives an international perspective to this particular pedagogical issue.

Technology and Disability

• Equal Access to Software and Information EASI – This e-journal presents a collection of academic studies on “Accessible Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities.”
• Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities – is an ERIC Digest academic article describing various uses of technology to enhance education for those with learning disabilities.
• Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 as amended in 1994  – This is the full text of the first “assistive technology” law passed by congress.  The original document is also available as a .PDF
• DisabilityResources.org – offers a list of links to technological aids that are being developed by corporations such as Apple and Microsoft as well as shareware applications and UNIX-based software.
• Introduction to AT – is an informational site at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions which introduces Assistive Technology AT, its use, and related issues
• Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology  – An introductory page outlining numerous areas of technology affecting those with disabilities.  It is written by Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler of the University of Washington.

School and Government Policy Resources

• Raising Achievement: Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities – A statement by the U. S. Department of Education regarding the modification of the standards of assessing academic achievement in order to fairly accommodate students with disabilities.
• Access to Higher Education for Students with Disabilities: What is Reasonable? What is Fundamental? & Who is Qualified?  – This article by Scott Lissner gives a rigorous review of federal policy regarding access to higher education by students with disabilities.
• College Planning for Students with Learning Disabilities – A well-referenced article hosted by LDOnline.org covering college policies on disability as a factor in choosing the right institution.
• Policy-related Publications – A resource of links related to education and disability policies hosted by the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
• Accommodating Students with Disabilities: A Handbook for University of Virginia Faculty and Staff  – This .PDF document offers a current example of a thorough 24 page university policy concerning disabilities.

Information Regarding Specific Disabilities:

Visual Impairment

• Teacher Resources for Teaching Blind and Visually Impaired Students – A .PDF article hosted as parted of the Adapted Curriculum Enhancement ACE program at NASA.
• Strategies for Teaching Students with Visual Impairments – A thorough list of methods and information collected by West Virginia University and sponsored in part by the West Virginia Department of Education.
• Online Resources for Teaching Blind Students – A well-compiled list of method and technological resources by Dr. Linda L. Walsh at the University of Northern Iowa.
• Resources on Visual Impairment – A concise list of links to major organizations and resources for the blind, hosted by the Office of Special Education at the University of Virginia.
• Accessing Foreign Language Materials as a Blind or Low Vision Student  – is a multi-chapter, online book available in several formats, including as audio files and in refreshable braille display .brf format.

Hearing Impairment

• Deaf Linx – An informational website devoted to informing teachers about teaching the deaf and the hard of hearing.
• Strategies for Teaching Students with Hearing Impairments – A list of methods and information related to teaching the hearing impaired collected by West Virginia University and sponsored in part by the West Virginia Department of Education.
• Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc. – This is a commercial site devoted to a number of products specifically designed to be inclusive in teaching hearing impaired children.
• DeafEd.net – The Deaf Education website offers a variety of materials for both educators and students dealing with education and hearing impairment.  An email address is required for the free registration to access this database.
• Foreign Language Instruction: Tips for Accommodating Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf Students  – is an online presentation using frames that gives a number of practical methods for accommodating hearing-impaired students learning a foreign language.

ADD/ADHD

• Attention Deficit Disorder Association ADDA – maintains a comprehensive site of information and resources concerning ADD.  It is a good starting point for information on the topic.
• Attention Deficit Disorder: What Teachers Should Know – is an informational page from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services U.S. Department of Education.
• Attention Deficits ADD : Tips Teachers Should Know  – offers “over 100 suggestions on teaching children with attention deficit problems ADD.”  The tips are practical and are also broken down by academic subject.
• ADD / ADHD and School: Helping Children with ADHD Succeed at School  – is a lengthy information page and extensive link list of resources.  It is sponsored by the non-profit organization HelpGuide.org.
• ADHD in College Students – is an academic article originally published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and highlighting both the psychological and academic performance of ADHD students in the college classroom.

Dyslexia/Hyperlexia

• Hyperlexia.net – This is an informative page of definitions, facts, and links regarding the condition.
• Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Sorting It Out  – is a .PDF article identifying hyperlexia as an autistic spectrum disorder ASD and describing its characteristics and relation to other ASDs.  The article was written by Dr. Martin L. Kutscher, MD of the New York Medical College.
• Academic Interventions for Children with Dyslexia – An ERIC Digest academic article on the subject, including references.
• Language-Based Learning Disabilities – is an informational page by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ASLH.  The page also includes links to the Learning Disabilities Association, the Dyslexia Awareness and Resource Center, and others useful resources.
• Education.com – hosts numerous reprinted articles on identifying, understanding, and working with students who have dyslexia.