English and foreign languages with dyslexic students: strategies

For many students with dyslexia, English and foreign languages become one of the most visible obstacles. A student may understand a scene, remember a word when they hear it, and participate orally, but freeze in front of the written form: uncertain pronunciation, fragile spelling, similar words confused, and longer reading or writing times.

The issue is not "not being good at languages". It is often the cost of decoding in a language where what is written and what is pronounced do not match reliably. For teachers, this changes the instructional question: not "how do I make them memorize more vocabulary?", but "how do I make vocabulary more accessible, meaningful, and retrievable?".

The Italian Dyslexia Association's teacher guide highlights the importance of making foreign language learning more contextual, multisensory, and anchored to images, sounds, and real situations.

Why English is harder for many dyslexic students

In Italian, the relationship between letters and sounds is relatively transparent: when students read a new word, they can often infer how it should sound. English is more opaque: the same letter or letter combination can sound different depending on the word.

Simplified example:

Italian:
casa -> spelling gives a fairly reliable guide to pronunciation

English:
though, through, tough -> similar spellings, different pronunciations

For a dyslexic student, this opacity increases the load. They do not only need to learn a new word; they need to connect written form, sound, meaning, and use. If the grapheme-sound link is unstable, every word can require more control.

Cross-linguistic research on dyslexia shows that orthographic characteristics affect how the difficulty appears. Paulesu and colleagues compared languages with different orthographies and showed that the expression of dyslexia also changes according to the transparency of the writing system.

This does not mean English is impossible. It means it needs more anchors: sound, image, context, spaced repetition, oral work, maps, and compensatory tools.

To understand what happens when decoding uses cognitive resources, read what happens when a dyslexic student reads.

Vocabulary: context before lists

Vocabulary lists look organized, but they are often weak for students who struggle to stabilize written form, pronunciation, and meaning. An isolated word is fragile; a word inside a scene is easier to remember.

Instead of assigning only:

apple = mela
window = finestra
hungry = affamato

build a context:

I'm hungry.
I open the window.
I eat an apple.

Then add image, gesture, audio, and situation:

Scene:
a school break

Words:
hungry, snack, apple, water, break

Question:
What do you eat during the break?

This kind of work reduces dependence on abstract memorization. The word is linked to a scene, a communicative function, and a mental image.

Practical rule: if a new word remains only in a list, it is easier to lose. Connect it to a sentence, image, sound, and situation before asking the student to remember it.

Prioritize speaking and listening without abandoning writing

With dyslexic students, speaking and listening are decisive channels. They are not "easy versions" of language: they are central parts of communicative competence.

In class, alternate:

1. short listening with a clear goal;
2. key word or sentence shown after listening;
3. guided pronunciation repetition;
4. use of the word in a personal sentence;
5. visualization in a map or table;
6. spelling check only after work on meaning and sound.

Example:

Before listening:
Look at the picture. What is happening?

During:
Listen for three words: train, ticket, late.

After:
Use one word in a sentence.

This does not remove writing. It puts writing in the right place: after the student has built a link between sound and meaning.

The Italian guidelines connected to Ministerial Decree 5669/2011 emphasize the importance of valuing oral language in foreign language teaching and using tools and measures consistent with the student's profile.

Compensatory tools and measures for foreign languages

Italian Law 170/2010 recognizes the right to educational and teaching support measures, compensatory tools, and appropriate forms of assessment for students with Specific Learning Disorders.

In foreign languages, tools and measures may include:

1. text-to-speech and listening support;
2. digital dictionaries;
3. lexical and grammar maps;
4. verb, tense, and structure tables;
5. additional time in tests;
6. reduced weight of spelling when spelling is not the main objective;
7. oral tests or oral integrations when included in the individual plan;
8. explicit assessment criteria aligned with the student's profile.

Exemption from written foreign language tasks and broader exemption from the foreign language pathway are delicate and non-automatic decisions. They belong inside the legal framework, documentation, and school decision process, with a clear distinction between replacing or adapting a written task and following a differentiated pathway. In a general article, the cautious rule is: do not improvise. Start from the diagnosis, the individual learning plan, the legal guidelines, and discussion with family and school.

For a broader view of tools, individualized plans, and supports, read strategies for teaching students with SLD and concept maps for SLD and SEN.

Maps for vocabulary, structures, and pronunciation

A lexical map can help because it keeps together elements that lists separate: word, mental image, category, usage sentence, pronunciation, and links.

Example map for the semantic field "travel":

TRAVEL

Places
- station
- airport
- hotel

Actions
- book a ticket
- miss the train
- check in

Useful phrases
- Where is the platform?
- I would like a ticket.
- The train is late.

Pronunciation notes
- ticket: /ˈtɪkɪt/
- train: one syllable

With Kiuwo, the workflow is this:

1. start from a worksheet, dialogue, song, short text, or notes;
2. create a first map with categories and keywords;
3. check that words are correct and appropriate for the level;
4. add usage sentences, examples, and pronunciation notes;
5. reduce text: one word or short phrase per node;
6. use the map for speaking, review, and active retrieval;
7. update the map after frequent mistakes or new words.

The map does not replace listening, conversation, and practice. But it reduces dispersion: the student does not have scattered words, but families, contexts, and sentences to return to.

CAST's UDL Guidelines encourage educators to offer multiple ways of representing information. In language learning, this means not relying only on written form: sound, image, gesture, context, and map work together.

Practical activities to try in class

1. Vocabulary map by semantic field

Choose a short theme, such as food, travel, school, or weather. Divide the map into stable categories:

Objects
Actions
Adjectives
Useful phrases
Difficult pronunciation

Each word goes into a sentence. No word remains alone.

2. Image-based storytelling

Show three images in sequence. Students build the story first in their home language, then add words and sentences in the target language.

Image 1: a student misses the bus.
Image 2: the student runs to school.
Image 3: the teacher smiles and says "You're just in time".

The story gives meaning to words. Spelling comes later.

3. Song or video with guided text

Do not ask students to fill in the whole text immediately. Choose three objectives:

listen for three words;
circle one structure;
find a sentence you can reuse.

Then build a mini-map with word, sentence, and meaning.

4. Selective spelling

Not every word has the same weight. Choose high-frequency words or the words needed for the assessment. For the rest, work on recognition, pronunciation, and oral use.

Words to spell:
because, people, school

Words to recognize and use orally:
environment, journey, conversation

5. Active retrieval with cues

Instead of asking students to repeat the list, give graded cues:

image -> first letter -> sound -> incomplete sentence -> full word

This helps students retrieve without becoming stuck immediately. Connect the routine with active retrieval and teaching metacognition: students notice which cues they need and decide what to review.

How to prepare a more accessible language test

A foreign language test can be rigorous and accessible at the same time. The key is clarifying what you are assessing.

Before the test, separate the objectives:

Listening comprehension
Oral production
Vocabulary in context
Use of one structure
Spelling
Reading comprehension

Then ask:

1. which objective is truly central?
2. which barrier could hide it?
3. which tool is included in the individual plan?
4. where can I use speaking, audio, images, or a map?
5. which criteria will I communicate before the test?

Example: if the goal is using past tense in a short narrative, provide an image sequence and a support list of verbs. If the goal is spelling, state it and limit it to selected words. If the goal is comprehension, avoid turning the test into a race in reading speed.

This approach reduces cognitive load and makes clearer what the test is measuring.

Frequently asked questions about English, foreign languages, and dyslexia

Sources used

• AID Decalogo per Insegnanti
• Legge 170/2010
• DM 5669/2011 and SLD guidelines
• Paulesu et al., Dyslexia: Cultural diversity and biological unity
• CAST UDL Guidelines
• Unsplash License

Want to prepare a more accessible vocabulary map? With Kiuwo you can start from dialogues, texts, notes, or worksheets and build a map to review, simplify, and use for speaking, review, and vocabulary retrieval.

Try it now, it's free