Developing Effective English Language Teaching Strategies for Non-Native English Speaking Dyslexic Students

Dyslexia, or specific reading disability, is a disorder in which children with normal intelligence and sensory abilities show learning deficits for reading. The developments in reading lags behind other academic developments. Achieved reading skill is limited. Reading is slow and non-word reading is impaired. The educational system has difficulties in understanding dyslexia and an even harder time identifying children with dyslexia in order to provide the correct intervention for students who are non – native English speakers. When a school has the added challenge of identifying struggling English language learners (ELLs), the task becomes an even more complicated process, and often, these kids are completely missed. But that does not have to be the case. Children who are learning English are just as likely to have dyslexia as their native-English-speaking counterparts, and there is a way to identify dyslexia in these children. The difference is that dyslexia might appear in the native language quite as vividly as it will when they attempt to learn English. This research paper tries to analyze those teaching strategies which have been very effective in developing English language skills among the non native speakers. It reviews the body of research on difficulties faced by dyslexic students in educational setup and different teaching methods which played an effective role in enhancing the English language learning skills of the students. First, we explore the assessment of comprehension and reading difficulties of these students at initial stages. Next we discuss the methodology used in reviewing the literature on different instructional methods for the students with specific focus on dyslexic students.