Assessment of dyslexia in English additional language and bilingual learners - 21 Oct 2025 to 21 Oct 2026: Patoss
Overview
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Date(s)21 Oct 2025 - 21 Oct 2026
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Cost£59.00
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ProviderPatoss
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Delivery typeDistance
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Course levelIntermediate
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Course summary
The presentation, delivered by Prof John Everatt, will discuss research considering areas of assessment that can support the identification of learners with dyslexia (ie, read and writing difficulties) in English. A specific focus will be those who use English as a second/additional/foreign language.
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CPD credit hours1 hour and 30 minutes
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Course themesSpLD testing methods, interpretation, report writing, feedback and test materials
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AudienceAssessors, Support
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Website
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SASC CodeSASC-20251001-1564
Description
This presentation explores how dyslexia is identified, particularly in learners for whom English is an additional language. While many assessment methods are based on English first-language populations, we’ll examine how these approaches can be adapted for multilingual contexts.
Dyslexia often involves difficulties with phonological processing—how sounds relate to letters. In English, inconsistent sound-letter links can make decoding harder. However, in more transparent languages, these difficulties may appear differently. Research shows that phonological skills are important predictors of reading ability across languages, suggesting shared underlying causes.
Learning outcomes
We’ll look at studies from diverse contexts—Arabic-speaking children learning English, bilingual learners in South-East Asia, and multilingual students in New Zealand. These studies highlight how English literacy can still be assessed using tools developed for native speakers, especially when supplemented with first-language assessments.
Effective interventions focused on structured phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension support. Overall, the findings suggest that with thoughtful adaptation, existing tools can help identify and support dyslexia in multilingual learners.
Course prerequisites
Teachers of students with English as an additional language.