LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 1
Language Learning Disabilities Paper
Jennifer Sanders
School of Education, Liberty University
Abstract
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 2
An overview of the text's chapters by Swanson, Harris & Graham (2014) is provided below. The review
highlights the significance of language, linguistic foundations, reading challenges, learning and/or
language challenges, and the pervasive use of technology. The development of reading, writing, and
spoken skills are all dependent on language, which is employed in daily life. Learning and/or language
problems are frequently identified in some of the students who struggle with these ideas and abilities.
These kids have trouble both with speaking and writing. Early in a student's educational journey, reading
helps identify challenges and implement successful interventions to support academic success. Finally,
this paper examines technology that can assist these Language Learning Disabilities (LLD) students. All
things considered, the review's sections are closely related to one another and aim to help students with
LLD who struggle with reading.
Keywords: Linguistic, Language Learning Disabilities, Reading, Interventions, Technology
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 3
Importance of Language
An essential component of daily human existence is language. Additionally, language is very
crucial in academics and, more significantly, has a big impact on academic achievement. Students
frequently engage in a range of language-related teaching activities within the classroom. According to
Swanson et al. (2014), there is a fundamental justification for students to be integrated into the language.
Children utilize language to comprehend teacher instructions and guidance, build relationships with their
peers, take part in class discussions, and expand their knowledge.
Language Foundations
According to Sardana & Rathore (2022), instructional language has the power to raise or lower
educational standards. Language has a significant impact on students' daily lives. genuinely a cornerstone
of education, particularly in the field of reading. Schools frequently struggle to strike a balance between
learning and reading. Millions of students have been identified as having language learning disabilities
(LLD) or specific learning disabilities (SLD). As a result, children have trouble speaking and writing,
which could negatively impact their overall academic performance (Swanson et al., 2014). Oral language
is a powerful predictor of reading, according to Dickinson et al. (2019), yet many schools teach
vocabulary to help students learn words rather than to develop their skills. It is challenging for kids to
completely follow and absorb the teacher's instruction as well as the assignment instructions if they are
unable to understand the spoken and written language. Specifically, these deficiencies may have an
impact on how students engage with and build relationships with their peers. Students can start to
comprehend and cultivate the social skills necessary for taking part in text conversations as they pick up
new vocabulary and definitions. Consequently, students experience a stronger sense of belonging and
community when they are a member of the learning community. These skills are essential to the student's
overall growth in the classroom and life in general. Vygotsky's theory of social genesis, according to
Johnson & Golombek (2018), holds that "participation in social interaction that is mediated by people,
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 4
concepts, and interactions is where development of an individual's cognition emerges". This in turn brings
light a crucial idea that affects a student's overall academic performance.
According to Jamshidifarsani et al. (2019), reading is crucial and a necessary ability in modern
society. Effective methods and interventions must be found to help make our students academically
successful. According to Jamshidfarsani et al. (2019), reading is a complex and tough subject that
presents difficulties for certain students. This study demonstrates a disparity in children's academic and
educational attainment. In elementary schools, students still fall short of reading at grade level. Readings'
strong linguistic interconnections and connections demonstrate their significance in relationships,
education, and other areas of a student's social and academic lives. Oral language can have a significant
impact on reading comprehension and is a very good predictor of reading (Dickinson et al., 2019).
Learning and/or Language Disabilities (LLD)
The National Center for Educational Statistics (2022) reports that more than 33 percent of school-
age children have learning and/or language learning difficulties. These four domains: "semantics,
morphosyntax, phonology, and pragmatics", all are which problematic for students with language
impairments. Much of the student body with LLD falls in the “middle of the pack”, however some
individuals have relatively low LLD. This indicates that they have less language development
deficiencies, particularly in the early preschool years (Swanson et al., 2014). Furthermore, according to
Swanson et al. (2014), LLD is frequently prevalent beginning in the primary grades, and language
impairments are frequently found in preschool-aged children.
To address the overwhelming number of students diagnosed with LLD, parents, teachers, and
administrators should prioritize prevention over intervention. When children exhibit indicators of learning
disabilities before entering school, parents can act to ensure academic success. Swanson et al. (2014)
suggest focusing on three areas for prevention: comprehension language curriculum, supplemental
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 5
language-focused curricula, and language facilitating approaches. These tactics help students successfully
build language skills for learning, not just reading.
With school-aged children, LLD is typically difficult to identify. These kids are adept at
delivering academic speeches and constructing entire sentences. Additionally, these adolescents can
advocate for themselves and answer simple questions. LLD is more noticeable as levels of complexity
increase. Students with slight or minor impairments often find strategies to compensate for their lack of
skills in lower school. Educators initially provide more support to students with LLD, but as they grow in
their learning, these supports tend to decrease. Teachers may not have access to adequate interventions
and methods that would be advantageous to the students.
Hulme et al. (2020) propose that focused language interventions can significantly improve a
child's ability with oral language. Furthermore, the writers address the complexities of language and the
various components that comprise it. These outline receptive and expressive skills, also known as
listening and speaking. Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is one specific example of an early
language intervention strategy. This is a more extensive intervention for students who enter school with
poor oral language abilities. NELI aims to improve students' vocabulary, narrative abilities, active
listening, and confidence in independent speaking (Hulme et al., 2020). The intervention is just an
example of one that has a minor but significant effect on students with LLD. Considering implementing
these and other interventions for students with LLD would prove beneficial in many areas of a student’s
life now and later on.
Reading
Knowing and understanding what a learner reads involves learning to decipher words and connect
them to the literary subject matter. Students who possess learning difficulties often struggle with reading,
including decoding, fluency, and reading at grade level. Interventions are typically implemented when a
student's reading comprehension falls below what is expected for their grade level. Students with weak
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 6
vocabulary or language abilities may struggle to understand what they read because they are unfamiliar
with the terms or their meaning. Slower readers also struggle since it takes them a long time to complete
the information, causing them to overlook or even forget what they have already read.
According to Metsala et al. (2021), reading acquisition is significantly linked to oral language
development among children. Metsala et al. (2021) found that improving a student's spoken language
skills leads to better reading comprehension level. Early development of oral language skills leads to
improved reading comprehension for students. Vaughn et al. (2014) found that early intervention with a
response-to-intervention (RTI) approach leads to significant gains in reading comprehension for younger
kids. Some students obtain classroom instruction but need targeted tutoring to improve certain skills. In a
tiered structure, students who require more or intensive support may receive it outside of the classroom
setting.
Students who require further support beyond Tier 3 will be assessed for Special Education.
Individualized intervention is usually necessary for these students, not a whole-class approach. Guidelines
for reading comprehension interventions are designed for secondary pupils with reading challenges
(Ouellette, 2006). An initial screening to identify kids' specific needs and develop an appropriate
educational support plan accordingly. The interventions involve gathering extensive information about the
subject and using obtained data to determine the Tiers of the RTI process. These tailored interventions
can benefit both students and teachers. Educators then use data, previous classroom experiences, and
relationships to determine what students need for success in the classrooms. Personalized intervention
helps students address their subject-specific deficits, giving them the optimum ability to succeed
academically.
Technology
Technology has the ability to benefit many aspects of education/schooling. Providing assistance
with reading, decoding, comprehension, and data collecting through the RTI process are just a few to
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 7
name. Using technology in the learning environment can facilitate decision-making and keep learning
processes fluid. Technology has transformed human interaction and communication over the years.
Swanson et al. (2014) examine the use of technology in education to improve literacy results, including
various gadgets and applications to aid students' reading comprehension.
Technology can improve literacy, reinforce academic skills, and help close gaps in reading comp.
There are numerous educational programs available today that can assist students with reading, reading
comprehension, and oral language skills. Simple tools such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text allow
students to have the text read to them or have the technology read it aloud. Students can use videos/zoom,
cellphones, and computers to review classes at their convenience. Students can easily access resources
such as problem-solving solutions, literary reviews, and sentence patterns/grammar. These can all prove
to be useful and beneficial, particularly for reading comprehension. These programs encourage active
listening and improve oral skills. Word recognition is another tool for improving written communication
(Swanson et al., 2014). Today's technology can forecast what consumers will type next. This is called
computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Swanson et al. (2014) found positive impacts of CAI on specific
abilities taught in the research.
Summary and Biblical Integration
Language and reading are inextricably linked, regardless of perspective. A student's language
proficiency is essential for reading success. "The implicit learning of co-occurrences of words, sentence
structures, and other components of language forms a critical part of children's language comprehension
and fluent reading" (Seidenberg and MacDonald, 2018). Students who struggle with language, often
suffer with reading comprehension, this tends to go hand in hand. Unfortunately, these challenges extend
to other courses, including math, science, and social studies. Developing students' reading skills from a
young age can lead to success in various areas of their lives.
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 8
The Bible instructs us in Proverbs 9:10 to, "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still
wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning". There are instruments available to educate
children that should be used by both educators and parents alike. Students must be taught how to use the
learning tools and methods correctly and appropriately. As Christian educators it is our duty to empower
students by teaching them how to use modern technology to overcome learning difficulties and reading
deficiencies, ultimately leading to them achieving not only academic success, but being set up
successfully for life in general.
LANGUAGE LEARNING DISABILITIES 9
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