Dyslexia in the L2 Classroom: Recognizing and Supporting Undiagnosed Students in Japan

Abstract

Although dyslexia is the most common learning disorder worldwide, official diagnosis and support from educational institutions for learners with dyslexia remains rare in Japan. Consequently, the understanding, identification, and accommodation of dyslexia remains elusive in the foreign language (L2) classroom. In many cases, even if a student with dyslexia has developed compensation techniques to overcome difficulties in reading, writing, and other academic areas in Japanese, these techniques do not transfer to learning a second language, especially orthographically deep and opaque languages such as English. Further, there is a growing movement in Japan for inclusive education, meaning accommodating students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia will be necessary in the L2 classroom. In this paper, I will define dyslexia, how it can affect L2 learning, how to recognize if a student has dyslexia, and what L2 teachers in Japan can do to support students who may have dyslexia. Based on previous literature I will give general suggestions on how to design classroom activities and materials to accommodate L2 students with dyslexia, as well as more targeted advice based on studentsʼ preferred learning style.