NEUROMAP RESOURCE
Dyslexia or learning in a second language?
For bilingual and multilingual learners, literacy difficulty needs to be interpreted in the context of language exposure, schooling and skills across languages.
Why the question can be complicated
A learner can be acquiring a new language and also have an underlying literacy difficulty. Equally, limited exposure to the language of instruction can make performance look weaker without representing the same underlying pattern.
Evidence that matters
- Language history and exposure.
- Literacy development in each language where information is available.
- Teacher observations across settings.
- Reading accuracy, fluency, spelling and language skills.
- The learner’s wider reasoning, memory and processing profile.
What assessment should avoid
A single score should not be used to decide that a bilingual learner has or does not have a specific learning difficulty without considering the wider context.