Determining and Comparing Signs of Specific Reading Disability in Monolingual and ‎Bilingual Students

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the signs of reading learning disorder in bilingual and monolingual students. Methods: The research method was cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical). The study population included all bilingual and monolingual students in the third-grade elementary school students attending learning disorder centers in Tabriz and Tehran during the academic year 2019- 2020. Convenience sampling was used for selection of 50 individuals for each group. Data were collected through WISC-IV and reading test, then analyzed using multivariate of variance. Results: The results showed that the average scores of bilingual students in the sub-test of words reading (p<0.001), reading non-words, pseudo-words (p<0.001), calling pictures (p<0.001), categories fluency (p<0.001), and letters fluency (p=0.001) were significantly lower than the average scores of monolingual students. Additionally the results showed that the average scores of bilingual students in the sub-test of word chains (p<0.001) and elimination of sounds (p<0.001) were significantly higher than the average scores of monolingual students. Conclusion: In accordance to research findings, bilingual students had more problems in words reading, reading non-words, pseudo-words, calling pictures, categories fluency, and letters fluency compared to monolingual students.

Keywords

• reading disorder
• bilingual
• monolingual