The school that my son has returned to (after his gap decade) has a language requirement. He’s severely dyslexic, and therefore it is exceedingly difficult for him to learn languages. Does anyone have any strategies to suggest to get him to get the requirement waived? We already have a detailed assessment from a psychologist, including testing, that documents his disability and recommends the waiver, but it looks like that might not be enough.
Alternatively, what strategies do you recommend for a person who struggles with learning a language? He either needs to pass a year of a language, or (essentially) pass the final exam for a year of language. That means he has to develop intermediate ability in reading, writing and speaking. We had thought of sending him to a Spanish-speaking country for a month or so of intensive classes, but I’m not certain that would develop the reading and writing skills he would need.
I agree with seeing if ASL would meet this requirement. I wish him good luck and hope that he has strategies in place at school for his success. Do they offer a scribe or allow recording of the classes with a recording pen?
I actually think that Spanish is a good language for a dyslexic, it has a highly phonetic system. Full immersion as you were thinking should do the trick, although one month only may not be long enough. Any chance of a longer stay overseas?
If your son has an IEP he can be exempt from taking a foreign language and instead replace it with a social science or humanities course. You have to talk to the disability office and fill out a form. I know at my University is allow to do it.
I have the option to do it and will be in the process of filling out some paper work
Some of you may not realize that dyslexia is not visual; it starts with an impairment in distinguishing phonemes. This is why it’s difficult for dyslexics to learn to read their mother language (and also difficult for dyslexics to learn to speak their mother language). When you can’t distinguish phonemes in your own language, you have an even tougher time hearing them in another language. (Dyslexia tip: if your small child can’t tell which words rhyme, they probably either have dyslexia or a hearing problem.)
Roycroftmom’s suggestion of transferring is not a good choice for my son’s long educational saga. And unfortunately, with his disabilities, ASL would be even worse than Spanish. His ability to notice visual cues is pretty much non-existent. Spanish it will be, but how to learn it?
Depending on the specific features of his dyslexia, Chinese may be easier because the characters are learned individually, and do not have the same phonetic cues that an alphabetic system would have.
To get through the equivalent of one year of university-level language, you should be looking at 6 to 8 weeks of immersion, not just one month.
Could he do duolingo or Rosetta Stone as an intro…to get some background? Or some other online or computer based language learning application or program?
This is not a blanket statement that applies to all colleges. There will be accommodations made for test taking conditions as an example, but no college is obligated to waive its FL requirement unless there is some state law governing. And for those schools that will exempt one from FL, they generally require something in its place, often a foreign culture course.
After a gap decade, it’s highly unlikely that any IEP would be used…that’s ten years or so old.
But the OP does say that there is current assessment information that recommends a waiver for this. @“Cardinal Fang” what is the disability office at the school telling you about this? That there is nothing they can do? Or what?
What is the major? At some colleges, some majors don’t have a FL requirement. Engineering at my kid’s school did not…and neither did music at my other kid’s school. Degrees from arts and sciençes required FL, but not college of engineering or college of fine arts. Of course YMMV depending on the college.
Fang, I didn’t know dyslexia extends beyond reading issues. But how is he tackling his other courses, if there are several related issues?
Are you saying he is bound to fail a FL class? If he’s unable to master a lang vis reading, listening or sepaking, this sounds serious enough to press the case. What reports are needed, other than from a psychologist?
Cardinalfang, your son must be near 30 if he took a gap decade. The college he chose as a teen may no longer work for him, and it is harder, not easier, to learn a foreign language as one ages. Most importantly, what does he want to do? Sometimes nontraditional students no longer are interested in the gen ed requirements of residential colleges and other alternatives work better for them. It is up to him which path to pursue; there are ways to obtain a degree without FL from may fine places.
I would have your S contact the Office of Disabilities at the college. He should make an appointment to meet with someone in the office, show them his testing, and ask if there are any accommodations given for students with dyslexia to waive the foreign language requirement. The Office of Disabilities can then help direct him through the process at the college.
IEPs don’t apply in college. Colleges do their disability accommodations in a different way, and they are not required to grant nearly as many accommodations as K-12 schools are required to grant.