Foreign Language Learning Difficulties Research Articles

Ośrodkowe zaburzenia przetwarzania słuchowego w świetle specjal- nych potrzeb edukacyjnych – luka w systemie orzeczniczym

This paper aims to present a niche in issuing certificates of special education for children with central auditory processing disorders. Central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) – one type of neurodi- versity – are more commonly diagnosed among school-aged children, but they are also present in adults. Auditory processing disorders cause many learning difficulties in children, including those in understanding questions and instructions, reading and writing, remembering new information, foreign language learning difficulties, and more. Recommendations and guidelines for the whole diagnostic process, therapy, and reha- bilitation, as well as supporting children with central auditory processing disorders need to be introduced as up to now children with CAPD are not guaranteed any help by the system.

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.

Relationships Between First and Second Language Phonological Awareness and Rapid Automatized Naming in Chinese Children with Dyslexia

Relationships Between First and Second Language Phonological Awareness and Rapid Automatized Naming in Chinese Children with Dyslexia

Non-game like training benefits spoken foreign-language processing in children with dyslexia.

Children with dyslexia often face difficulties in learning foreign languages, which is reflected as weaker neural activation. However, digital language-learning applications could support learning-induced plastic changes in the brain. Here we aimed to investigate whether plastic changes occur in children with dyslexia more readily after targeted training with a digital language-learning game or similar training without game-like elements. We used auditory event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically, the mismatch negativity (MMN), to study learning-induced changes in the brain responses. Participants were 24 school-aged Finnish-speaking children with dyslexia and 24 age-matched typically reading control children. They trained English speech sounds and words with "Say it again, kid!" (SIAK) language-learning game for 5 weeks between ERP measurements. During the game, the players explored game boards and produced English words aloud to score stars as feedback from an automatic speech recognizer. To compare the effectiveness of the training type (game vs. non-game), we embedded in the game some non-game levels stripped of all game-like elements. In the dyslexia group, the non-game training increased the MMN amplitude more than the game training, whereas in the control group the game training increased the MMN response more than the non-game training. In the dyslexia group, the MMN increase with the non-game training correlated with phonological awareness: the children with poorer phonological awareness showed a larger increase in the MMN response. Improved neural processing of foreign speech sounds as indicated by the MMN increase suggests that targeted training with a simple application could alleviate some spoken foreign-language learning difficulties that are related to phonological processing in children with dyslexia.

Ośrodkowe zaburzenia przetwarzania słuchowego u dzieci w wieku szkolnym w świetle uczenia (się) języka angielskiego

Central auditory processing disorders are defined as deficits in the neural processing of auditory information in the central auditory nervous system with simultaneous normal hearing. Due to the inappropriate reception of speech sounds and difficulties in their understanding and reproduction, pupils may have difficulties in learning language, e.g. in earning and remembering vocabulary and pronouncing words correctly which may cause incorrect communication result or even lack of it. It is also worth mentioning that a great number of parents report difficulties in learning foreign language/languages in their children with central auditory processing disorders, especially English. Additionally, there are few studies discussing the topic of learning and teaching a second language among students with central auditory processing disorders. This paper aims to provide the importance and brief characteristics of central auditory processing disorders, as well as a review of the literature and results of questionnaire (about the foreign language learning difficulties) performed in 16 parents whose children were qualified to the listening training.

Hazırlık Öğrencilerinin Dil Öğrenmeyi Zorlaştıran Faktörlere İlişkin Algıları ve Başarıları Arasındaki İlişki –Bir Vakıf Üniversitesi Örneği

The aim of this study is to determine the difficulties that students of English as a foreign language experience in the language learning process. The study also reveals the relationship between language learning difficulties students experience and their achievements, gender and academic levels. The study group of this descriptive study consists of 340 preparatory unit students. “Foreign Language Learning Difficulties Scale” developed by Özmat (2017) is used for quantitative data and a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was used as a qualitative data source. According to the results of the study, it was determined that the difficulties that preparatory students have at the highest level in the language learning process are related to the learning resources, and the difficulties they experience at the minimum level are related to the learning environment (physical and psychological). It was determined that the students had moderate difficulty stemming from teaching learning process and from themselves. The qualitative results of the research also support the results obtained from the scale. It was observed that students did not experience much difficulty related to disciplinary or classroom management issues. In addition, students stated that they needed more student-centered practices in class. There was no significant relationship between students' difficulty level, achievement test and gender. It was determined that the difficulties experienced by the students studying at lower levels are higher than the students studying at the higher levels. According to the results of the research, suggestions were made for language learning process and foreign language teaching in preparatory schools.

CBM language measures as indicators of foreign-language learning: Technical adequacy of scores for secondary-school students

Students with and without learning disabilities often struggle to learn a foreign language (FL). Teachers could benefit from a measure designed to screen and identify students at risk for FL learning difficulties. In this study, we examined the reliability and validity of scores from four curriculum-based measures (CBM) as potential indicators of English FL learning: reading aloud, maze selection, and English-to-Dutch and Dutch-to-English word translation. Participants were 133 Dutch students in Grade 8. Criterion variables were English course grades and scores on a standardized achievement test (Cito-VAS). Alternate-form reliability ranged from r = .77 to .87. Correlations between CBM and criterion measure scores ranged from r = -.04 to .65. Scores from maze selection and reading aloud alone predicted English-language proficiency better than a combination of scores from the four measures, explaining 29.7% and 23.6% of the variance, respectively. Implications for the use of CBM for FL screening and progress-monitoring are discussed.

Magyar szakos japán hallgatók interkulturális kommunikatív kompetenciájának fejlesztése IKT-eszközökkel

A tanulmány az IKT-eszközök és az interkulturális kommunikatív kompetencia (IKK) fejlesztésének szerepét vizsgálja a sajátos japán idegennyelv-tanulási nehézségek legyőzésében. Bemutatja a japán idegennyelv-oktatási színteret, és ehhez kapcsolódóan a kommunikációra való hajlandóság és a nemzetközi beállítottság fogalmát, valamint az IKT-eszközök elterjedtségét Japánban és ezek nyelvpedagógiai vonatkozásait. Ezt követően a szerzők az Oszakai Egyetem magyar tanszékén végzett kutatásukat mutatják be, melyben magyar anyanyelvű, tanárszakos hallgatók fejlesztettek kifejezetten a japán nyelvtanulóknak IKT-eszközök használatát igénylő feladatokat kiemelten az IKK fejlesztésére. A nyelvtanulók feladatmegoldását is vizsgáló kutatási eredmények szerint az IKT-eszközök használata, a kommunikáció célnyelvi beszélőkkel és az IKT-s környezetben szerzett kulturális ismeretek alapvető motivációt jelenthetnek a japán nyelvtanulók számára, és kommunikációs készségüket is eredményesen fejleszthetik.

Cognitive and Behavioural Weaknesses in Children with Reading Disorder and AD(H)D

Working memory capacity, an essential prerequisite for language learning and the development of arithmetic skills, has been reported as deficient in children with reading disorder (RD) and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (AD(H)D). However, few studies to date have explored potential associations of working memory impairments and foreign language learning, mathematical skills and school achievement in these groups, in particular in children with a comorbidity of both. In the present study, we assessed working memory, language learning, arithmetic fluency and academic achievement in children (N = 166; Mage = 14.3, range 8–18 y), including typically-developing children (n = 89), subjects with RD (n = 27), AD(H)D (n = 43), and a comorbidity (n = 15). While children with AD(H)D performed similar to typically developing children on all tasks, RD children performed weakly on various language learning and working memory tasks, with major deficits in non-word span, phonetic memory and vocabulary learning. Combining weaknesses of the two groups, children with a comorbidity further performed significantly worse on arithmetic skills, learning of sound-symbol combinations and simple digit span forward. The findings suggest a reconsideration of working memory and learning impairments in AD(H)D, while highlighting the additional weaknesses of comorbid children and pointing out severe foreign language learning difficulties in RD children.

Identifying the Linguistic Profile of Persistent Foreign Language Learning Difficulties: a Chinese Case Study

The present case study investigated the possible source of persistent English learning difficulties of a Mandarin-speaking adult learner of English as a foreign language. The case, Jo, a sophomore student receiving over 10 years of formal English education in Taiwan, demonstrated severe learning difficulties in a compulsory English class. The present study compared his linguistic coding abilities with those of two control participants, his university peers and elementary third graders. The first comparison showed that his English phonological/orthographic awareness, vocabulary, and syntax were at the same level as or lower than the 25th percentile of his university peers. To make sure that his deficiencies in English coding were not simply the result of a developmental delay in English learning, the second comparison examined his Chinese coding ability, along with English, in relation to that of third-grade elementary school children. The second comparison revealed that Jo also scored at the lower end of the distribution formed by the third-grade children in phonological memory, phonological awareness, and vocabulary, not only in English but also in Chinese, indicating that Jo’s linguistic coding difficulties were not specific to English. These results suggest that Jo’s English learning difficulties might be a result of a more general deficit in linguistic coding, which affects both English and Chinese learning.

Validity and Reliability Study of Foreign Language Learning Difficulties Scale

Bu araştırmanın amacı, yabancı dil öğrenmede üniversite öğrencilerinin yaşadıkları öğrenimsel zorlukları belirlemede kullanılabilecek geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçek geliştirmektir. Araştırma nicel ve betimsel bir çalışma özelliği taşımaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemi, Kırgız-Türk Manas Üniversitesi Yabancı Dil Hazırlık Eğitimi alan 495 öğrenciyi kapsamaktadır. Veriler 36 maddeyi içeren taslak ölçek formu ile toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonunda 5 faktör altında toplanmış 29 maddeyi içeren beşli likert tipi bir ölçek geliştirilmiştir. Ölçeğe “Yabancı Dil Öğrenme Zorlukları Ölçeği (YDÖZÖ) adı verilmiştir. Ölçeğin KMO değeri 0,937; Bartlett Testi değerlerinin x2=5707,914; sd=46; p<0,001’dir. Ölçeğin geçerlik özelliği açımlayıcı faktör analizi ve ayırt edicilik analizi ile incelenmiştir. Ölçek maddelerinin faktör yükleri 0,45 ve üzerindedir. Açıklanan toplam varyans miktarı ise %54,821’dir. Madde toplam korelasyonu katsayıları p<,001 düzeyinde anlamlıdır. Ölçeğin güvenirlik incelemesi kapsamında ise tutarlık ve kararlılık özelliği incelenmiştir. Ölçeğin Cronbach alpha güvenirlik katsayısı 0,923 olarak belirlenmiştir. Kararlılık analizi ise iki ölçüm arasındaki ilişki incelenerek test edilmiştir. Analiz sonunda her bir madde ve faktörlere ilişkin kararlılık katsayılarının p<,001 düzeyinde anlamlı olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Lending Ears to EFL Learners: Language Difficulties

This study investigates the main English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning difficulties Jordanian English-major undergraduates encounter from their perspective. For this purpose a questionnaire was developed and administered to 270 (50 male and 220 female) participants. The study addressed the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). The independent variables included gender, grade point average (GPA), and academic major. Ordered according to their difficulty, the skills were speaking, reading, writing and listening respectively. Some specific language learning problems are also discussed. Appropriate conclusions and recommendations are provided accordingly.

Associations Between Key Language-Related Measures in Typically Developing School-Age Children

Associations Between Key Language-Related Measures in Typically Developing School-Age Children

Foreign Language Learning Difficulties in Italian Children

A group of seventh- and eighth-grade Italian students with low achievement (LA) in learning English as a foreign language (FL) was selected and compared to a group with high achievement (HA) in FL learning. The two groups were matched for age and nonverbal intelligence. Two experiments were conducted to examine the participants' verbal and nonverbal learning skills, such as native language reading accuracy, speed and comprehension, calculation, and attention and self-regulation. Both experiments showed that the LA group seemed at risk for reading comprehension difficulties, but its reading speed and accuracy were within the average range according to Italian norms. The results also excluded the possibility that FL learning difficulties of LA participants could be associated with a deficit in calculation. Furthermore, according to teachers' ratings, children with LA appeared at risk for attention-deficit disorder (ADD). The pattern of learning difficulties of seventh- and eighth-grade participants with LA appeared to be not completely comparable with that of high school students at risk of FL learning difficulties as described in the literature.

Learning Styles and Foreign Language Learning Difficulties

Abstract: In order to identify what other elements besides linguistic deficits could be playing a role in foreign language learning difficulties, the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory was administered to students enrolled in regular and modified Spanish classes at a major U.S. university. Preliminary results gathered as part of a longitudinal study on learning styles and foreign language learning difficulties indicate that regardless of any specific language learning deficit or difficulty, a student's preferred learning style can hinder or help success in the foreign language classroom. Findings from this study also indicate that having access to information about the preferred learning styles of the majority of students enrolled in beginning foreign language classes at the college level will be of great importance for researchers, instructors, and students alike.

The Relationship between Foreign Language Anxiety and Learning Difficulties

Abstract: This study investigated the possible existence of causal links between anxiety and language learning difficulties by using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986) to examine anxiety and the Foreign Language Screening Instrument for Colleges (FLSI‐C) (Ganschow & Sparks, 1991) to explore learning difficulty variables. Factor analysis, correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis of data provided by 1,187 college students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in Taiwan indicate that English learning difficulties account for 36.80% of variance in anxiety. The results show that some anxious students have a history of English learning problems, obtain low grades, suffer difficulties with classroom learning, and exhibit poor developmental skills. The findings are used to discuss both theoretical and practical implications for foreign language anxiety.

Working memory performance of Italian students with foreign language learning difficulties

It has been suggested that the ability to learn a foreign language is related to working memory. However, there is no clear evidence about which component of working memory may be involved. Two experiments investigated working memory problems in groups of seventh and eighth grade Italian children with difficulties in learning English as a second language. They were compared with control groups of children matched for age, education, school, and intelligence who differed for foreign language learning ability. Experiment 1 focused on clarifying how modality-specific the memory problem of children with a foreign language learning difficulty (FLLD) is. Verbal working memory tasks (forward and backward digit span) were proposed together with visuospatial working memory (VSWM) tasks. Groups showed a significant difference only in the more passive verbal working memory task, that is, the forward digit span. Experiment 2 focused on clarifying how central the verbal working memory problem of students with an FLLD is. A nonword repetition task and an Italian version of the listening span test were proposed. Groups differed significantly in both tasks. However, differences in the listening span test disappeared when nonword repetition performance was partialed out. It was concluded that a difficulty in learning a foreign language is mainly related to the more passive aspects of verbal working memory, typically associated with the articulatory loop.

Testing Chinese Learners of English for Language Learning Difficulties By the Linguistic Coding Deficit/Difference Hypothesis

Ganschow and Sparks (1991), reckoning on the correctness of their Linguistic Coding Deficit/Difference Hypothesis (LCDH) to attribute the main source of foreign language learning difficulties to language- based problems, rather than to affective variables, attempted to extend its validity by devising a Foreign Language Screening Instrument for Colleges (FLSI-C) in the USA. The author of this study here proposes to test whether the hypothesis holds for language learning difficulties among Chinese-speaking college students learning English as a foreign language (FL) in Taiwan, and presents evidence for the following two propositions: (1) that a modified Chinese language version of the FLSI-C is a valid and reliable instrument, and (2) that the high-risk and no-risk students identified by the modified instrument differ on the Chinese Language Aptitude Test (CLAT) and, according to self-reports, on the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) developed by Horwitz et al. These propositions are accordingly vindicated and lead the author to affirm the validity of the LCDH for interpreting difficulties encountered by Chinese college learners of English.

The Case for Course Substitutions as a Reasonable Accommodation for Students with Foreign Language Learning Difficulties

It has been observed for decades that some students have a particularly difficult time learning another language. Colleges and universities have an obligation to offer special language programs designed to help these students succeed in their attempts to learn another language. However, for those few students who cannot learn another language even with special instruction, allowing them to meet the foreign language requirement though the substitution of related courses is appropriate and does not constitute a fundamental alteration of the goals of a liberal education.

Benefits of multisensory structured language instruction for at-risk foreign language learners: A comparison study of high school Spanish students

In this study, the benefits of multisensory structured language (MSL) instruction in Spanish were examined. Participants were students in high-school-level Spanish attending girls’ preparatory schools. Of the 55 participants, 39 qualified as at-risk for foreign language learning difficulties and 16 were deemed not-at-risk. The at-risk students were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) MSL—multisensory Spanish instruction in self-contained classrooms (n=14); (2) SC—traditional Spanish instruction provided in self-contained classrooms (n=11); and (3) NSC—traditional Spanish instruction in regular (not self-contained) Spanish classes (n=14). Not-at-risk students (n=16) received traditional Spanish instruction in regular classes similar to the instruction provided to the NSC group. All three at-risk groups made significant gains over time on some native language skills regardless of teaching method. The MSL group also made significant gains on a foreign language aptitude measure. The MSL group and the not-at-risk group made greater gains than the two other at-risk groups on foreign language aptitude and native language measures of reading comprehension, word recognition, and pseudoword reading. Although most at-risk learners achieved an “expected” level of foreign language proficiency after two years of instruction, significant group differences were found. On measures of oral and written foreign language proficiency, the MSL and not-at-risk groups scored significantly higher than the at-risk groups instructed using traditional methods. After two years of Spanish instruction, no differences in foreign language proficiency were found between the MSL group and the not-at-risk group.