Learning English as a foreign language is not easy – and for dyslexic learners it is particularly challenging. To support teachers working with dyslexic students, and to offer hope to dyslexic language learners, Anne Margaret has been working with Anastasia Metallinou in Greece to produce an holistic and self-contained English language programme designed specifically for learners with SpLDs such as dyslexia.
English Sounds Fun takes a bottom-up approach (working from the sounds of English and matching them to common spelling patterns) as well as a top-down approach (developing social English and then analysing phrases to draw attention to grammar patterns).
It comprises both hands-on and on-line materials in order to engage learners and make the language more accessible. Each lesson focuses on a small amount of new language, building on what has already been learnt.
As well as grammatical structures and vocabulary, English Sounds Fun helps students to develop good study skills, and memory strategies, and builds their self-esteem. Through experiencing success early on, learners come to believe that they can learn English, and so they do.