Minhal

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum and I have a question regarding whether dsylexia can be classified as a mental disability that exempts my spouse from the English language requirement.

We got married in December 2014. Since then he has been attending English language classes, it has almost been two years now and he has taken the English language test once and failed. After his first failure he was extremely upset and increasingly finding it difficult to learn the language, still he persisted but has not gotten far. He can still only say a few words in English. Anything he learns, he gets all jumbled up and forgets very quickly. He's taken countless mock tests and failed all of them. His teacher is constantly saying how he is not ready to take another test also and it just seems so unlikely he will ever learn English.

He had the worse kind of upbringing and didn't get to attend school thus he does not even read and write properly in his native langauge (Urdu).

I am so fustrated. If at this stage I was to apply for his Visa (meeting all other requirements of course), what evidence must I supply to prove he is dyslexic aside from a medical certificate? Also the medical certificate I have is from a Dyslexic Institution in Pakistan, does this suffice?

Please help me.

Thank you and kind regards,
Minhal

formula

Dyslexia is a reading disorder.

TrishP

How much time is he spending interacting with native speakers of English on a daily basis? Generally, the best way to learn a language is to immerse oneself in the culture with native speakers of the language - classroom learning is just the beginning. As another poster has said, dyslexia is a disorder of reading and has nothing to do with being able to learn through auditory methods.

Minhal

I understand dyslexia is a reading disorder.

English is taught using reading material and reading is a huge part of learning the language. The material he is given to practise with is what he struggles with and the in-class reading using the projector. If he cannot understand the written words enough to read them, he can't learn the language. Languages are not learnt without reading playing a huge part in the process.

Minhal

Let me rephrase for you. <<<SNIP>>> He can still only say a few words of English as he cannot read properly due to his disability and thus only picks up on selected words used by his teacher.

The class mostly consists of reading and trying to translate words and phrases from Urdu into English using reading material.

I am well aware of what dyslexia is, thank you very much.

TrishP

A simple internet search will give plenty of information on the best ways for adults to learn a second language and they all pretty much agree that watching, listening and trying to speak it are the most effective methods. They also say that immersion and motivation are key. Reading and writing are not essential to learning to speak a language ... babies and young toddlers don't!

michali

Have you read this? https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...2015_final.pdf

It does not specify which physical or mental conditions would be considered to allow an exemption from passing the English requirement tests. It seems it would be determined on a case by case basis, along with medical evidence submitted with the application.

BEVS

You have my sympathy Minhal. My own husband is extremely dyslexic . His reading & writing age pinned to around 10 years old . His verbal use of words can also be a little odd as he doesn't pick up the auditory sound shapes in the same way non-dyslexic people do to the degree where some people can think he is partially deaf . He often uses the wrong words when speaking . Funny thing is he loves playing with words.

I will write here that dyslexia is not simply a 'reading disorder' at all. It encompasses more than that .

My husband would be unable to pass a standard IELTS test too without a HUGE amount of work over a long period of time and English is his first and only language. One of the reasons we did not move to France was the concern over his ability to learn any sort of French. He could have been with French speakers all day every day and still not have been able to discern the spoken word. We know. We tried.

Minhal. Your husband may find the TPR approach helpful. It is a multi-sensorial approach using both body, language & physical clues .

Please contact the UK dyslexia association . Have a candid conversation which includes your husband's diagnosis from Pakistan. They are more than aware of the difficulties faced by overseas people with dyslexia trying to learn English

I do not know but it could be that you can gain a UK dyslexia assessment and from there a pathway to improving his verbal skills to the best of his ability. The association might also help by liaising ref the IELTS tests and tailor that to someone with dyslexia.

Please understand that your husband may never gain a good grasp of verbal English, let alone written. He needs to think about that. It doesn't mean he is in anyway thick. My own husband's IQ is top 10% but that doesn't stop him feeling huge frustration and that he is somehow diminished as a person .

Please let me know how you get on. No-one should be held back from their dreams because of wretched dyslexia.

michali

spouse of scouse

BEVS

scot47

Teaching English to someone who is not literate in their first language is very difficult.

BEVS

I agree & thank you for your understanding

az2014

OP when you communicate with your husband do you try to do it in English as much as possible?

As mentioned listening and speaking it constantly will help him improve more than reading a book will.

Minhal

< snip > My question was not 'How can I get my dyslexic husband to learn a second language?' Also, Google doesn't have the answers to everything and sometimes it is better to ask people who have been through or are going through the same thing.

Babies are a terrible example. They learn through communication and at a ripe new age when they are just beginning their life, their brains are fresh and ready to absorb information. For an adult it is extremely difficult to learn a whole new language other than the one they were nurtured with. An adult brain has aged and will not absorb information at the same level a baby would and a dyslexic person's brain will definitely struggle triple times as much as the average person's brain.

Minhal

Hi Lovely!

First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your informative, quick and great reply. I really do appreciate your help and not that I'd wish such seperation from one's husband on anyone, it is nice to know I am not alone and the only person in this dreadful situation.

Thank you for acknowledging that dyslexia does not only affect one's reading abilites, it penetrates into something much deeper and can cause severe psychological stress also.

Thank you, once again, for your suggestions and advice, which I shall definitely be taking and trying to see if my husband can get a tailored test to suit his needs.

I hope things work out for you and your husband, lots of luck! x