I have heard from several educators who work with LD students that Latin is often a better choice for HS students with language processing issues than Spanish (which my 8th grader is now taking but struggling with). Does any one have any experience with Latin and LD students?
Also, we have been getting somewhat mixed signals about foreign language and college requirements. Some teachers have said that if you want to send your child to a competitive college, they must take either 3 yrs of one foreign language or 2yrs of one foreign language and 2yrs of another. Others have said that if your child has documented language processing isues, they can get a waiver in HS for foreign langugage and still be in the running for competitive colleges. Does anyone have experience with how foreign language waivers affect college admissions?
Latin and college entrance requirements
Your best bet for information on college admission is not to rely on others for that information. Go to the source. These days all colleges have websites and their qualifications for admission will be clearly posted on those websites. If you want a handy guide, buy or borrow at your local library a copy of Princeton Review’s Guide to the Best Colleges. There again each college specific admission criteria will be listed.
That said, many colleges will accept students with two years only of a foreign language. Both my own sons took Latin each for their own reason. One of my sons has auditory processing issues and Latin is most often instructed in English and students are not asked to speak the language. My other son spells very poorly and Latin proved easier for him to spell and write than other languages.
Good luck.
Inquiring Mom,
As the parent of a gt/ld 7th grader completing his first year of Latin and of a high school junior in the process of visiting colleges and exploring admissions requirements, I can offer some advice. With respect to Latin, because it usually is taught with an emphasis on reading rather than speaking the language, it can be easier for children with language-based LD to learn than other foreign languages. My child has done quite well in the class, keeping an A/B average, despite his LD. One critical requirement for success, however, is that the student have a good handle on English grammar rules. Latin grammar rules are complex and a student who lacks a good foundation in English grammar will find them difficult to master. Depending on the text used, there are many useful websites that offer quizzes and games that can be very helpful to a student like my son who needs immediate feedback and doesn’t get a whole lot out of classroom lectures. There is also some good Latin software, including a program called Latin Now and another called Flash Latin. We found that 15 minutes a day of playing some of these games really helped my son to learn what he was not able to get just from classroom instruction. He also benefitted from working with a tutor every other week.
I have heard that Spanish is easier than French for LD students to master. I don’t have experience on that point yet — my son will begin studying it next year. My plan is to provide him with a tutor right from the start so that he has some one-on-one instruction in a safe, non-embarassing setting.
As for colleges and foreign language requirements, we are finding that most colleges take the requirements seriously and are looking for a student to have at least 2-3 years of studying the same language. I’ve read that some LD students are taking sign language as a substitute but I’m not sure how colleges regard that approach. I will say that I have the sense that many of the more competitive colleges might be put off by an outright waiver, although there certainly are very bright, capable students who simply are not able to learn a foreign language because of their LD. It isn’t fair that their disability would be held against them, but the reality is that college admissions these days are extremely competitive.
Although we had received advice from a number of professionals that my son would probably not be able to learn a foreign language, he has confounded their predictions. I would say that you should not rule out the possibility that your child, with the right support, could also be capable of learning a foreign language.
Andrea