The paper summarizes four presentations made by members of the Pennsylvania State University Program for Learning Disabled (LD) students. An initial section considers the definition of LD and reviews a study on diagnosing LD in 12 undergraduates. The existence of a foreign language disability in students with good attitudes toward learning a…

This paper examines the relationship between learning disabilities and language teaching based on the fact that interaction is inherent to the notion of classroom pedagogy itself. The main argument of this paper is that until a consensus is reached on how to teach a second language to a student with a learning disability, effective interactional…

Developed in Bulgaria in the 1960's by Dr. Georgi Lozanov, Suggestopedia is a unique system of foreign language teaching, combining yoga relaxation and verbal suggestion with the direct method. In the 1950's in France, Dr. Alfred Tomatis began his research into the ear and the voice and subsequently developed his own unique system for treating…

A discussion of the immersion approach to second language instruction contains: a description of the approach and its goals; a brief history of its introduction into public schools; a description of the most common immersion program designs (early total, early partial, middle or delayed, and late); a review of available information on program…

A method for assessing the cognitive and linguistic stages of second language learning in individuals is discussed. The approach is based on a psycholinguistic theory that views language learning as a process of concept formation in three domains: cognitive, cultural, and linguistic. According to the model presented, Spanish-English bilingual…

Second language educators need to examine in greater depth the learning processes of young children in order to provide them with the kind of teaching they need in order to really learn. This means searching other fields to learn as much as possible about: questioning strategies and the development of critical thinking skills; hemispheric…

Two years of language study is a requirement in most colleges and universities for many degree programs and, at the high school level, an expectation for college-bound students. However, some very capable students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have difficulty learning a second language. Recent research has identified characteristics of…