A Lancaster University professor’s desire to offer free knowledge to teachers about how to include dyslexic students in language learning prompted the start of a highly successful online teaching resource.

Now enrolment for the fifth Lancaster University-led Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Dyslexia and Language Teaching, developed and run by Professor Judit Kormos and a team of linguists, is open once again.

“I just felt that an active online learning community approach was a more effective way of reaching language teachers,” said Professor Kormos.

The course, run in conjunction with FutureLearn, is aimed at English language teachers, teachers of modern foreign languages, teacher trainers, educators and trainee teachers who are interested in how they can accommodate and cater for the needs of students with dyslexia in foreign/second language classrooms.

More than 18,000 people have signed up for previous courses which aim to help teachers in the classroom. Techniques and ideas can also be used in one-to-one settings and helping schools to enhance inclusive practices and accessibility in general.

Participants come from all corners of the world including African and Asian countries. The course has also attracted interest from countries and contexts where learning difficulties are socially stigmatized and has contributed to shifting perceptions among participating teachers and their immediate circles.

Lead Educator Professor Kormos, who won a National Teaching Fellowship award enabling her to develop the MOOC, said: “During the course, based on the award-winning materials of the Dystefl project www.dystefl.eu, you can find out about the nature of dyslexia and how it affects the learning of additional languages.

“You will explore a variety of useful techniques, including recent computer-assisted tools that you can take into the classroom to help students with dyslexia in acquiring another language.”

Professor Kormos, working with dyslexia expert Dr Anne Margaret Smith, will give practical guidance and advice on enhancing the phonological awareness, vocabulary knowledge and reading skills of dyslexic language learners.

The materials and tasks in the course can be applied for various age groups of dyslexic students and for a variety of language learning contexts including the teaching of English as a foreign/second language and the teaching of modern foreign languages.

'Dyslexia and language teaching’ starts on 15 April and takes place over four weeks entirely online.

Go to:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/dyslexia

https://www.futurelearn.com/register