Abstract

This volume draws together current research on dyslexia and literacy in multilingual settings across disciplines and methodologies. The contributors, all internationally recognised in the field, address developmental and acquired literacy difficulties and dyslexia in a range of language contexts including EAL/EFL. The book uses theories and analytical frameworks of a critical nature to reveal prejudicial social practices, and suggests future research directions towards a critical re-consideration of current understandings of dyslexia in multilingual settings, with a view to foregrounding the potential for interdisciplinarity. The book also suggests ways forward for evidence-informed practice, and it will be a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners and students alike.

Research into reading disability has tended to focus rather too heavily upon the English language. This book offers a valuable corrective that will be of significant interest to all those who seek to understand the problems of those who struggle to read.

Deirdre Martin is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. Her research interests include speech, language and literacy disabilities in multilingual contexts, research methods and the relationship between research and professional practice. Her publications include Language Disabilities in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (2009, Multilingual Matters).

This volume constitutes a refreshing and valuable multidisciplinary contribution to the existing literature at the nexus of three intersecting fields: Literacy Studies, Multilingual Studies and the dichotomized field that focuses dyslexia. The contributions in the volume have relevance for both the fields themselves, but also for institutions like schools and work places.