If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You'll Wind up Somewhere Else: The Case of “Foreign Language Learning Disability”

Abstract

Despite the lack of empirical evidence, the term foreign language learning disability (FLLD) has become popular in the learning disabilities (LD) and foreign language literature. I contend that there is not a unique “disability” for foreign language learning and suggest instead that foreign language skills run along a continuum of very strong to very weak foreign language learners. To support my positions, I review problems with the definition and diagnostic criteria for LD. Then, I cite problems with the development and use of a logically consistent, easily operationalized, and empirically valid definition and diagnostic criteria for the FLLD concept and explain how proponents of this “disability” misuse the foreign language aptitude concept. Last, I detail implications for identifying students who exhibit foreign language learning problems, address policies that permit students to obtain waivers from or course substitutions for foreign language requirements, and describe issues hidden from foreign language educators because of the LD and FLLD concepts.

Students With Learning Disabilities in the Foreign Language Learning Environment and the Practice of Exemption

“…Although contemporary, standards-based, proficiency-oriented instruction emphasizes very different goals, these, among other misunderstandings of language acquisition, have been found to hinder the development of inclusive foreign language learning classrooms (Arries, 1999) while perpetuating beliefs among learners, counselors, administrators, parents, and even some language educators that exemptions are necessary. In fact, some educators and researchers are still attempting to classify students as foreign language learning disabled, a classification that may, unfortunately, focus on exempting students rather than on adjusting curricular and instructional practices to meet their needs (Sparks, 2006(Sparks, , 2009.…”

“…This means that many students with disabilities do not benefit from this educational opportunity, which would seem contradictory to inclusive beliefs. Sparks ( ) called for advocates for students with disabilities to be “consistent with their inclusion philosophy and insist that students classified as [learning disabled] be enrolled in foreign language courses and provided with appropriate teaching methods and instruction accommodations so that they can be successful in these classes” (p. 18).…”

Preparing Teaching Assistants to Work With All Learners: The Impact of Accessibility Training

“…When discussing all of the scenarios, special emphasis was placed on the clarification of misconceptions regarding disabilities, ranging from the disabilities or conditions for which students could receive accommodations to what constitutes a disability and whether there was a connection between specific learning disabilities and learning foreign languages (Sparks, , ). In the third session, participants asked questions to confirm and clarify their understanding and general concepts were reviewed as a group.…”

“…However, several studies have found that faculty did not participate in training opportunities due to time constraints (Rao & Gartin, ; Salzberg et al, ; Scott & Gregg, ). Studies have also found that some instructors held negative preconceptions regarding accommodations because they feared that academic integrity would be compromised and had difficulty conceptualizing both the idea of fairness and approaches for implementing fair practices (Bourke, Strehorn, & Silver, ; Cook et al, ; Houck et al, ; Jensen, McCrary, Krampe, & Cooper, ; Matthews, Anderson, & Skolnick, ; Nelson, Dodd, & Smith, ; Sparks, ).…”

“…American institutions of higher education make accessibility training available, primarily for full‐ or part‐time faculty and instructors (Cook, Rumrill, & Tankersley, 2009; Gallego & Busch, , ; Salzberg et al, ; Snyder & Dillow, ). However, the effectiveness of the training is often limited and rarely directed toward TAs (Gallego & Busch, , ; Houck, Asselin, Troutman, & Arrington, ; Rao & Gartin, ; Scott & Shaw, ; Sparks, ). This study explored incoming TAs’ understanding of and level of readiness to implement accommodations both before and after participating in a specifically designed training program facilitated jointly by staff from Student Accessibility Services and the Language Program Director (LPD) at a public 4‐year university in the Midwest.…”