Language Learning Difficulties Research Articles

Low-Level Auditory Processing Correlates With Language Abilities: An ERP Study Investigating Sequence Learning and Auditory Processing in School-Aged Children.

Auditory processing and procedural learning deficits have been associated with language learning difficulties. We investigated the relationship of these skills and school-age language abilities in children with and without a history of late talking using auditory event related potentials (ERPs). Late talking (i.e., slow early language development) increases the risk of persistent language difficulties, but its causes remain unknown. Participants in this study were children with varying language abilities (n = 60). Half of the participants (n = 30) had a history of late talking. We measured procedural learning by manipulating the predictability of sine tone stimuli in a passive auditory ERP paradigm. Auditory processing was tested by examining how the presence of noise (increasing perceptual demands) affected the ERPs. Contrary to our hypotheses on auditory processing and language development, the effect of noise on ERPs did not correlate with school-age language abilities in children with or without a history of late talking. Our paradigm failed to reveal interpretable effects of predictability leaving us unable to assess the effects of procedural learning. However, better language abilities were related to weaker responses in a 75-175 ms time window, and stronger responses in a 150-250 ms time window. We suggest that the weak early responses in children with better language ability reflect efficient processing of low-level auditory information, allowing deeper processing of later, high-level auditory information. We assume that these differences reflect variation in brain maturation between individuals with varying language abilities.

Beliefs about Difficulties in Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language in a Public Sector University

Chinese language teaching in universities was introduced as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative (CPEC) signed in 2013 for economic, entrepreneurial, and social reasons. Over a decade of introducing Chinese as a foreign language, Pakistani language learners invested in Chinese language for scholarships, higher education, jobs, and business purposes. However, many CFL learners were unable to acquire Chinese language and had low proficiency in the language. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the beliefs about difficulties that foreign language learners face about learning Chinese as a foreign language in a public sector university. For this purpose, quantitative research using BALLI questionnaire was conducted within a public sector university. The beliefs about language learning inventory (BALLI) questionnaire inquired about the general and specific language learning difficulties that students face while learning CFL. Data was collected using stratified sampling from two hundred undergraduate students who have completed CFL-I and CFL-II language courses at the university. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics through SPSS. The findings of the study showed that learners considered Chinese as a difficult language to learn as compared to other foreign languages. Also, when inquired about the success of their spoken Chinese language in future, few of the participants believed that they would be able to succeed with Chinese language. Similarly, learners reported about the four language skills in Chinese and considered listening as easier than speaking. Additionally, the learners reported that reading and writing are equally difficult in acquiring Chinese.

The Relationship Between Learner Beliefs and Foreign Language Anxiety of Chinese EFL International Students

The research purpose of this study is to measure Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) international students’ learner beliefs and foreign language anxiety and explore the underlying relationship between their beliefs and foreign language anxiety. The study found that learners’ beliefs about the difficulty of language learning are positively related to confidence about their English proficiency, and the more learners pay attention to linguistic accuracy, the higher their foreign language anxiety. When learners believe they can learn English well, their anxiety level could be low, and if they are anxious about English learning, they will adopt practicing methods to deal with their anxiety.

A cross-cultural study of differential item functioning analysis of beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI)

This research examines students' beliefs about language learning by evaluating the measurement equivalence of the beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI). The graded response model (GRM) was used to examine differential item functioning (DIF) in the BALLI across four different countries, namely: Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. The sample was drawn from 1613, including 500 males and 1113 females who completed the online version of the BALLI, comprising five subscales of beliefs about foreign language aptitude, the difficulty of language learning, the nature of language learning, learning and communication strategies, and motivations and expectations. Most BALLI items showed non-uniform DIF. This finding implies that students in different countries had different perceptions of the BALLI items. Therefore, researchers should be very cautious about using the BALLI in different countries. This cross-cultural comparison may generate new insights into revising the BALLI items or developing another scale to compare students' beliefs about language learning in different countries.

Student's Belief Of Reading Material Used In Vocational High School Textbook

Reading text is one of the learning materials in English subjects providing information that supports the achievement of learning goals. This study aims to find out students’ beliefs about reading material in a vocational high school textbook. the participants were gained randomly from the fourteen students of a vocational high school in Lampung province. To collect the students’ beliefs, the researcher used a questionnaire adopted from Horwitz (1989) . The results of the questionnaire show that the highest score of student’s belief was “Language Learning and Motivation” (96%), followed by “Language Learning and Communication Strategy” (85%), “Belief of Language Aptitude” (73%), “Belief of Nature Language Learning” (70%), and “Difficulty of Language Learning” (69%).

DIFFERENTIATING E-LEARNING CONTENT IN ESL COURSES TO MEET SPECIAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

Dyslexia is a special need more than a reading difficulty considered along with the notion of language aptitude regarded as a cluster of cognitive factors related to language learning. This paper reports on a study that focused on special learning needs of students with reading and writing difficulties or dyslexia who take English as a compulsory course at the institutions of tertiary education in Russia. The study was guided by understanding that differentiating the content, the process, the product, and the learning environment can be effective for achieving the educational goals of students struggling with foreign language learning. It involved 320 tertiary education students who took an online self-study English language course with differentiated content, to identify their special learning needs and difficulties in English language learning. The Learning Management System analytics was conducted, and the results of engagement and success rates of the students completing the tasks with or without differentiated content were compared. The findings of the study demonstrate students’ higher engagement and success rates when working with differentiated content since it provides options for completion, choosing one’s way to present the results, and to complete the course assignments.

RAGAM STRATEGI AL’AB LUGHAWIYAH PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA ARAB DI SDIT AL-FITYAH KOTA SOLOK

This research was motivated by difficulties in understanding Arabic language learning by class III students at SDIT Al-Fityah, Solok City, which was caused by students' interest and motivation towards learning Arabic so that student learning outcomes were far from what was expected. Therefore, a teacher must correctly choose and determine Arabic language learning strategies. When teachers do not correctly determine learning strategies, this will of course make it difficult for the learning process and the achievement of learning objectives. Various al'ab allughawiyah strategies used in the learning process will be reviewed. Apart from that, it will be adapted to learning practices, so that we can see what the results are when Al’ab lughawiyah is applied to the learning process in class III of SDIT Al-Fityah, Solok City. The process of data collection and data analysis in this research was carried out in a qualitative descriptive manner. The results of this research show that students in class III SDIT Al-Fityah, Solok City show better learning outcomes and the grades obtained by students increase.

Second Language Learning Difficulty of Chinese Grammar: A Rasch Analysis of Teachers’ Perceptions

Abstract This study examined second language (L2) learning difficulty of 13 Chinese grammatical constructions on the basis of teachers’ perceptions and associated the L2 learning difficulty of Chinese grammatical constructions with teacher-perceived learner grammatical competence and with the instructional levels. A total of 77 experienced teachers were invited to rate the learning difficulty of 13 Chinese grammatical constructions with reference to L2 learners at four instructional levels at college. Utilizing the Rasch rating scale model, this study established an L2 Chinese grammar learning difficulty hierarchy and revealed that the learning difficulty hierarchy mostly overlapped with the acquisitional order of Chinese grammar found in L2 Chinese research and with the instructional order in a widely used Chinese textbook. This study enriches our understanding of the multifaceted nature of L2 learning difficulty and the idiosyncratic learning difficulty and pattern associated with each Chinese grammatical construction in L2 development. Implications for Chinese instruction, material development, and assessment are provided.

A maturational frequency discrimination deficit may explain developmental language disorder.

Auditory perceptual deficits are widely observed among children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Yet, the nature of these deficits and the extent to which they explain speech and language problems remain controversial. In this study, we hypothesize that disruption to the maturation of the basilar membrane may impede the optimization of the auditory pathway from brainstem to cortex, curtailing high-resolution frequency sensitivity and the efficient spectral decomposition and encoding of natural speech. A series of computational simulations involving deep convolutional neural networks that were trained to encode, recognize, and retrieve naturalistic speech are presented to demonstrate the strength of this account. These neural networks were built on top of biologically truthful inner ear models developed to model human cochlea function, which-in the key innovation of the present study-were scheduled to mature at different rates over time. Delaying cochlea maturation qualitatively replicated the linguistic behavior and neurophysiology of individuals with language learning difficulties in a number of ways, resulting in (a) delayed language acquisition profiles, (b) lower spoken word recognition accuracy, (c) word finding and retrieval difficulties, (d) "fuzzy" and intersecting speech encodings and signatures of immature neural optimization, and (e) emergent working memory and attentional deficits. These simulations illustrate many negative cascading effects that a primary maturational frequency discrimination deficit may have on early language development and generate precise and testable hypotheses for future research into the nature and cost of auditory processing deficits in children with language learning difficulties. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Differences in Cortical Surface Area in Developmental Language Disorder.

Approximately 7% of children have developmental language disorder (DLD), a neurodevelopmental condition associated with persistent language learning difficulties without a known cause. Our understanding of the neurobiological basis of DLD is limited. Here, we used FreeSurfer to investigate cortical surface area and thickness in a large cohort of 156 children and adolescents aged 10-16 years with a range of language abilities, including 54 with DLD, 28 with a history of speech-language difficulties who did not meet criteria for DLD, and 74 age-matched controls with typical language development (TD). We also examined cortical asymmetries in DLD using an automated surface-based technique. Relative to the TD group, those with DLD showed smaller surface area bilaterally in the inferior frontal gyrus extending to the anterior insula, in the posterior temporal and ventral occipito-temporal cortex, and in portions of the anterior cingulate and superior frontal cortex. Analysis of the whole cohort using a language proficiency factor revealed that language ability correlated positively with surface area in similar regions. There were no differences in cortical thickness, nor in asymmetry of these cortical metrics between TD and DLD. This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between surface area and cortical thickness in investigating the brain basis of neurodevelopmental disorders and suggests the development of cortical surface area to be of importance to DLD. Future longitudinal studies are required to understand the developmental trajectory of these cortical differences in DLD and how they relate to language maturation.

EFL Learners’ Strategies of Coping with Online Language Learning Difficulties During COVID-19

Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic early in 2020, English language learners could no longer learn from faceto-face interactions and had to adapt to online lessons. This paper reports a study that investigated their learning strategies during their online sessions. To achieve the objective, a survey was conducted with 257 university students who were taking an English course as a compulsory subject. Several questions in a questionnaire were designed to elicit their cognitive, affective, sociocultural, and interactive strategies. The findings showed that taking notes, attending recorded lectures, quietly observing online interactions, doing the assignments, chatting with their classmates, and utilizing internet-based lessons were the most prominent strategies. Their seemingly passive attitude seems to stem from the Asian culture in which they were raised. A reliable internet connection was seen as vital for their learning, playing games, and watching movies, which were the ways to relieve stress and boredom while studying at home. Chatting with classmates could give them a sense of community which probably helped them relieve stress and boredom. Overall, the paper offers insights into how EFL learners coped with difficult learning circumstances. Some suggestions for English teachers that are related to the enhancement of online teaching are then proposed based on these findings.

Multicultural and Intercultural Education in Hong Kong: Insights from a Minority-Majority Secondary School

Abstract This case study explored how the principles of multicultural and intercultural education are reflected in a minority-majority Hong Kong secondary school (that is, a school where most students are ethnic minorities). The findings suggest that the school illustrates several aspects of multicultural and intercultural education, especially content integration, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and democratic deliberation, particularly in relation to school-based material, teacher sensitivity, and dialogical reasoning. The main hurdles discovered are language learning difficulties and an unsupportive social environment. This study contributes to literature on the development of multicultural and intercultural education in Hong Kong and offers directions for generalizable future research.

Teachers’ perspectives on inclusive language teaching in higher education

Principles of inclusive education have recently started to enter the agenda of universities, which have been dedicating a growing attention to the students’ needs and to the creation of inclusive learning environments. This study provides an outline of the current state of inclusion in university language courses in Italy, as viewed from the perspectives of language teachers. To this aim, we developed and administered an online questionnaire investigating teachers’ perceptions on the most common language learning difficulties displayed by students with SEN and on what might work best to support their learning process. Moreover, we explored the effects of socio-demographic and background-related variables (age, gender, previous teaching experience and preparation to teach students with SEN) in determining teachers’ practices, self-efficacy beliefs and disposition towards inclusive education. Results show that gender and specific training on inclusive education influence teaching choices. Self efficacy and attitudes towards inclusion are found to be positively related to each other but are not affected by socio-demographic and background-related variables.

Language Learning Difficulties of Students With Dyslexia: A Case Study at a Primary School

Dyslexic learners have trouble learning English as a foreign language because of their difficulties in reading, focus, and sensory motor skills. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability derived from neurological deficits. This research aims at investigating the Language Learning Difficulties of learners with Dyslexia: A Case Study at a Primary School, Chennai District. This study is a descriptive research design. The subjects of the research are 19 teachers of dyslexic students at primary school, Chennai, District. The data were collected using a questionnaire and it was analyzed through the descriptive statistics technique. The result of the data analysis shows that students with dyslexia have challenges with reading, spelling, identifying sounds and letters, and decoding and recognizing words (vocabularies). In addition, the finding explored that teachers implement learners-center teaching methods and collaboratively work to enhance their students’ reading skills. Furthermore, the result showed that the use of assistive technology, multi-sensory instruction, and individualized support are effective interventions for enhancing the reading ability of dyslexic students. This study helps future researchers as a benchmark for further exploration.

The Impact Of Action- Oriented Approach On Teaching English To Students With Mild Specific Language Learning Difficulties

Students with mild specific language learning difficulties encounter numerous challenges when acquiring the English language, and require a significantly longer period of time to attain independent language proficiency compared to their non-disabled counterparts. The objective of this investigation is to analyze the impacts of implementing An Action-Oriented Approach in the instruction of English language to secondary school students who exhibit Mild Specific Language Learning Difficulties. In order to accomplish this objective, a training program utilizing the Action Oriented Approach was administered to a cohort of 15 students who exhibit Mild Specific Language Learning Difficulties, as developed by a team of experts. The study employed quantitative data collection instruments, namely Unit-based Achievement Tests for four units and Classroom Observation Forms administered to students with Mild Specific Language Learning Difficulties both prior to and following the training programme. The quantitative data were subjected to analysis using the SPSS 21 statistical software and R Program version 3.2.5. The findings of the study suggest that individuals with mild speech and language learning difficulties exhibit a delay in their learning progress. Nevertheless, employing suitable pedagogical approaches and methodologies can enable students with mild speech and language learning difficulties to achieve a level of learning commensurate with that of their peers. The results of Unit-based Achievement Tests indicate that students with Multiple Severe Learning and Language Disabilities (MSLLD) may exhibit greater progress in their academic development compared to their typically developing peers. Finally, the research findings suggest that the Action Oriented Approach is advantageous in instructing English language skills to students who experience minor challenges in learning the language.

Web app for the stimulation of auditory skills in children

The existing literature identifies various situations related to hearing problems in children, such as difficulties in understanding oral language, delayed speech development, or auditory discrimination problems. In this work, we present a technological tool designed to stimulate listening skills in children from 5 to 7 years old, following the principles of Condemarin. This tool offers stimulation activities and provides immediate feedback to improve the ability to recognize, discriminate, and interpret auditory stimuli, which contributes to the development of communication skills in children. The tool we developed is a web application that is easy for therapists to install, learn, and configure. For its creation, we follow the prototype methodology, which includes the requirements, assembly, evaluation, corrections, documentation, and testing stages. We collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of experts in information technology, linguistic rehabilitation, education, and graphic design. Throughout the six phases of our process, we kept user needs in mind, resulting in a system evaluation that demonstrated high user satisfaction and good performance both in technical and interface terms. In addition, this application benefits children with language disorders and learning difficulties and children from 5 to 7 years old since it encourages the development of their communication skills.

Adapting Technology to Meet 21st-Century Language Learning Difficulties

The use of technology tools in education is one of the modern educational methods that have proven themselves in a short period and have become an important reference for the parties to the educational process. This study aims to study the importance of adapting technology to meet 21st -century language learning difficulties. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, English has gradually replaced regional dialects in schools. The English language today occupied a prominent place among the languages of the whole world, and it has become the language of science and technology and the language most learned and used as a second or foreign language (FL). In the other hand, many previous studies showed that students face difficulties when learning the English language. Although these English learning difficulties in the classrooms, several researchers indicated that utilizing technologies in language learning processes is a useful instrument that could improve students’ performance. The results indicated that technologies are considered as a vital part in the recent learning process, and it could enhance learners motivations and develop their spelling, vocabulary and sentence structure skills. This study results also showed that the main difficulties that could face English teachers especially when adapting technologies in the teaching process are, technical difficulties, poor management abilities of teachers and Bad technological learning infrastructure. The study recommended preparing a technology assisted environment to cover 21st English learning abilities.

Translation and Transcription Processes in the Writing Skills of Children With Developmental Language Disorder

Children with difficulties in language learning experience considerable problems in writing and spelling. This systematic review explores the research literature that has been conducted with children who have language learning difficulties (developmental language disorder) through the lens of Chenoweth and Hayes' (2003) model of writing. The model proposes that, when writing, ideas are translated into language, are processed through an evaluator/reviser, and then undergo transcription. The results of the systematic review indicate a pattern of delay in the development of translation and transcription processes relative to chronologically age-matched peers. Findings are considered with reference to future directions in research and clinical and educational implications.

German Language Teachers and Dyslexic Students

Dyslexia is a common disorder experienced by many students in Europe and worldwide. It is a specific learning disability, which also generates difficulties in foreign language acquisition. Publications presenting the etiology, pathomechanism, symptoms and types of dyslexia can be found in literature. There are also guidelines for parents and teachers of dyslexic children. This paper attempts to fill a gap in literature addressing teachers of specific school subjects, more specifically German language teachers, who have dyslexic children in their classes. The article points out the difficulties faced by both the teacher and the students. We present a synthetic review of the literature on dyslexia and the current research on the subject, followed by the key laws and regulations in the Polish legal system that relate to the situation of a dyslexic child at school, with particular emphasis on modern language (German) classes. The Polish legal system and the knowledge contained in the most recent literature set the framework for the conduct of educational institutions and indicate the principles of action of professionals, including Germanists, involved in the education of dyslexic students. Symptoms of specific foreign language learning difficulties include, for example, poor development of linguistic functions, difficulties in differentiating sounds and finding sounds in words, problems with dividing words into syllables or distinguishing similar-sounding words, difficulties in assimilating grammatical and spelling rules. Compilation of practical tips with guidelines for the assessment of dyslexic pupils, e.g., the use of descriptive assessment for written work, possible use a computer for written work, providing oral answers to questions from the bench rather than the middle of the classroom, asking simply formulated questions, is most essential for German language teachers. These teachers, as well as teachers of any modern language, should bear in mind the need to use pedagogical, legal and practical knowledge in their work with dyslexic students.

Identifying Developmental Language Disorder in Deaf Children with Cochlear Implants: A Case Study of Three Children.

(1) Background: While spoken language learning delays are assumed for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children after cochlear implant (CI), many catch up with their hearing peers. Some DHH children with CIs, however, show persistent delays in language, despite protective factors being in place. This suggests a developmental language disorder (DLD). However, at present there is little consensus on how to diagnose DLD in DHH children. (2) Methods: Given the lack of consensus in this area, a set of case studies provides an appropriate first step. The goal of this paper is to show the plausibility of a DLD diagnosis, following careful analysis of protective and risk factors. A retrospective case study review was conducted for three children. Their long-term language outcomes up to four years after CI were considered in the context of access to sound, speech sound discrimination, social skills and non-verbal cognition. (3) Results: It was possible to posit DLD in one child who had experienced good access to sound, alongside good speech discrimination abilities and social development, and normal non-verbal cognition, but who presented with severe language learning difficulties. (4) Conclusions: Finding markers for DLD in DHH children is important for diagnosis and intervention. The implications for clinical practice are discussed.