DYSLEXIA, BILINGUALISM AND EDUCATION: INFLUENCE ON READING PROCESSING IN L1 AND L2

Abstract

Dyslexics are often discouraged from L2 learning; however, it can have beneficial effects. The dual route reading model (Ellis, 1995) proposes reading processing via two distinct routes: the lexical and phonological route. We investigated reading performance in young bilingual dyslexics (aged 8-11) in English and Brazilian Portuguese (BP), checking for transfer of the direct lexical reading strategy, more compatible with the opaque and irregular English orthography as well as dyslexia, thus benefiting reading in BP also. Indeed, dyslexics showed poorer performance on reading pseudowords, but less impairment for frequent words and better performance in English than in BP, with near similar scores compared to controls for sentence reading. This shows that high exposure to English in immersive and student-centered educational contexts may enhance reading even in young bilingual dyslexics.

Keywords
dyslexia; bilingualism; education; reading; orthographic depth