Common Language-Related Difficulties of School Learners

LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES immediate & long-term adverse effects learners’ academic achievement psychosocial well-being

spelling reading oral language composition reading comprehension verbal-analytical day-to-day lessons transactions/interactions with others

Factors that cause/lead to language difficulties

 reading disabilities  problems of articulation  hearing delays (e.g., deafness) A. Genetic Factors B. Neurological Factors  due to brain damage/injuries  e.g., aphasia, cerebral palsy, deafness  dysfunctions in sensory processing

 poor quality of teaching  lack of home support and supervision  peer pressure & influences  ill-effects of media and “gadget” technology (e.g., PSP, Wii, MP4)  inadequate and low-quality learning resources  lack of conducive learning environment  social-emotional climate C. Environmental Factors 

 poor study habits and attitudes  poor study skills: * does not complete/review notes * fails to outline lessons * does not organize his notebooks  gets hyperactive & inattentive in class  social-emotional and home-related problems D. Learner Factors 

 physical-physiological impairments  visual and auditory impairments  vocal-mechanism impairments: * cleft palate E. Impairments 

Language-Related Difficulties of School Learners

Oral Expression ☞ difficulties in speech * articulatory defects * developmental apraxia ☞ pragmatics * functional language use initial verbal abilities of young children

☞ pragmatics * answering simple social questions * answering “Yes” / “No” * expressing needs * addressing familiar persons

☞ verbal-analytical skills * logical reasoning * making social judgments * telling cause-and-effect relationships * reporting incidents * story telling

Listening Comprehension Deficits in: ☞ aural receptivity & recognition ☞ auditory recall/memory ☞ auditory discrimination & association ☞ auditory sequencing

Listening Comprehension Examples are difficulties in: *remembering commands heard *sequencing number & word series heard *comprehending dictated sentences and short selections *summarizing instructions heard

Reading and Reading Comprehension Deficits in: ☞ letter recognition ☞ phonemic awareness/phonics ☞ phonemic reading & vocabulary delays including word definition

Reading comprehension lags: ☞ inability to understand sentences, paragraphs & selections/texts * note details * sequence events * get the main ideas * make inferences * interpret specific passages * define words as used in context

Spelling and Written Expression ☞ spelling errors ☞ delays in recognizing letters and numbers in print ☞ reversals

Lags in: * visual processing including orientation * directionality * spatial relations * motoral delays- poor paper-pencil outputs writing from copy & dictation * composition while observing: use of punctuations & upper cases, syntax, grammar, coherence, spelling, legibility of handwriting

☺ consult with teachers ☺ observe the learner ☺ fill up observation journals ☺ administer teacher-made diagnostic tests ☺ refer learner to appropriate specialists