Spelling with Developmental Dyslexia in English as a Second Language. A literature review

Abstract

Today, the acquisition of a second language is viewed as an essential resource and in most cases, a vital task to be able to perform in order to be a part of society. However, different disorders such as dyslexia may impede this kind of acquisition. This literature review examines recent research regarding developmental dyslexia, spelling and learning a second language (L2), which in this case is the English language. The research questions of this review are twofold: (1) what conclusions can be drawn from recent research regarding developmental dyslexia, spelling, and English as a second language? (2) What implications for teaching do these findings suggest? It begins with giving a definition of dyslexia, followed by the prevalence of the disorder and a theoretical background. The results of the different studies indicate that if students have trouble with spelling in their L1, they will probably struggle even more to acquire the spelling in an L2. Particularly if the L2 is English, which is viewed as a more opaque language than many others. Various considerations about the studies’ affordances in teaching situations are considered and brought up as well as the scarcity of previous research in the field.