Page 17 - ELG1810 Oct Issue 461

CLIL SPECIAL

Helping dyslexics do well with Clil.

All too often, dyslexic children are excluded from bilingual programmes.
But, as Judit Kormos explains, with the right teaching approach they can be highly successful.

lil and bilingual education programmes are for everyone, colours. Some struggle with
including children with dyslexia. differentiating sounds.
Parents of children with specific learning difficulties If a teacher recognises possible
C(SpLDs), however, are often advised not to enroll their child signs of SpLDs, they should refer
in them. Schools say that children with SpLDs, such as dyslexia, will the child to specialists for an
not be able to cope with the fast pace of language learning, or that expert evaluation.
bilingual teaching will be detrimental to the development of children’s But even if a specific diagnosis
first language literacy skills. is not available, adjustments to
These arguments, however, are not based on any empirical evidence the teaching process can be made.
– and they create deeply unfair practices in language education. In inclusive classrooms, the curriculum can be flexibly adapted and
In fact, children with SpLDs can be highly successful in these teachers are free to vary their teaching methods to meet the needs of
programmes as long as the school applies inclusive language all students. Inclusive teaching promotes active student participation
teaching methods. and collaboration. It uses differentiation techniques such as adapting
So, how do we create an inclusive teaching environment? tasks, offering choices and giving extra support.
A first step is to pay close attention to the strengths and weaknesses Helpful adjustments include providing outlines of lessons,
of every child. Learning an additional language can pose challenges classroom notes, glossaries and word lists. Teachers can also help by
for children whose learning difficulties have remained undetected in breaking down instructions and giving more explicit explanations.
L1 because they have learned to apply effective compensatory and Remember, inclusion is a process and not an end state. For it
coping strategies. to work successfully in the long term, there is a strong need for
Language teachers can play a key role in noticing if a child might close co-operation among teachers, parents, students and the
have a previously unidentified learning difficulty. local community.
For example, they can observe how fast and accurately children
read and write in L1 and L2. Slow and inaccurate reading and writing ■ Dr Judit Kormos is a professor of applied linguistics at Lancaster
might be signs of dyslexia. University. Her current area of interest is dyslexia in second language
Some dyslexic children may only remember shorter lists of items learning. For more on her research on diagnosing L2 dyslexia turn
and instructions, and they might be slower to name objects and to page 11

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