Language, literacy and cognitive abilities of bilingual biscriptal children with and without reading and writing difficulties (dyslexia)
Submitted by:
Baran Johansson
Abstract:
Research has shown that bilingual children with reading and writing difficulties (dyslexia) are both over- and under-represented (Hedman 2009; Salameh et al., 2002). In order to understand reading and writing processes of bilingual children, we need to analyze both languages. This knowledge would help us understand if the weaknesses and strengths of these children in languages are due to bilingualism or they can be a sign of reading and writing problems.
In my project, I have worked with 5 Persian-Swedish bilingual children with and 20 without dyslexia. I have used standardized tests in Persian (Kormi-Nouri & Moradi, 2009) and Swedish (Høien, 2011). The students’ linguistic, cognitive and writing skills have been tested in both languages. For example, the students’ language competences have been investigated by word- and listening comprehension tests. The students’ working memory skills have also been analyzed by a test where the students are required to repeat some numbers backwards (Wechsler, 2003). The students have also been asked to write two texts in each language. Two frog stories; “frog where are you” and a “boy, a dog and a frog”, had been chosen for two of these assignments. They have also written about their dream houses and dream presents. In order to study the students’ pauses and editing strategies, I have used handwriting logging techniques (Alamargot et al., 2006).
The methods of investigation and a small analysis of the challenges found by two bilingual children with and without dyslexia will be presented at the conference.
The analyses of the participants' tasks would help us gain an insight about which parts of language these children struggle with and how we can help them to overcome these difficulties at school.