Oxford

Workshop | Exploring Spelling Evolution and Educational Approaches to Dyslexia

HUNTSVILLE, USA

JULY 25, 2025

Workshop Basic Info

Workshop Title:

Exploring Spelling Evolution and Educational Approaches to Dyslexia

Date:

July 25th, 2025 (UTC -5)

Organizer:

Sam Houston State University

Keywords:

  • Dyslexia
  • Spelling Transparency
  • Learning Strategies

Workshop Chair:

Prof. Enrique Mallen
Professor in Sam Houston State University

Personal Bio:

Dr. Enrique Mallen obtained his Ph.D at Cornell University. He regularly teaches courses on language, art and culture. He is Director of the Online Picasso Project. He has published extensively on language, art and literature. Among his most recent publications are the books Eduardo Espina: Poesía del Deslenguaje (2024), Pablo Picasso: A Period of Transformation (1906–1916) (2023), Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar: A Period of Conflict (1936–1946) (2021) and Pablo Picasso: The Aphrodite Period (1924–1936) (2020).

Background:

Reading and language processing are impacted by dyslexia, a specific learning disability whose effects can vary significantly depending on the language. Orthographic Transparency is one aspect that contributes to this phenomena. Spanish is considered a fairly transparent language with a stable letter-sound relationship, meaning that spelling problems may manifest differently than in languages with less consistent spelling patterns. However, Spanish speakers with dyslexia often struggle with spelling, particularly with longer and less common words, as well a few irregularities still present in the language. Identifying the origin of these irregularities and addressing them in the learning process would be helpful to students with dyslexia.

Goal/Rationale:

Some languages have a more stable relationship between letters and sounds (phonemes) than others. Languages with more regular spelling restrictions, such as Spanish, are regarded as more transparent. In contrast, English contains several inconsistencies that can make reading difficult for dyslexics. Nevertheless, Spanish has some areas where spelling is not as unambiguous. That is, even though Spanish spelling is generally thought to be more consistent than English spelling, there are still some complexities that can make it difficult for dyslexic learners, such as silent letters, a few instances where the same letter combination can produce different sounds depending on the word; and dialect-specific pronunciation variations. Some key issues with Spanish spelling are: "C" pronunciation variations; "G" pronunciation variations; “H” always being a silent letter; “U" being a silent letter in some instances; "B" and "V" having the same pronunciation; plus dialectal variations in the pronunciation of “C”, “Z” and “"LL". We look at the historical roots of these spelling inconsistencies and propose potential exercises to help dyslexic students cope with them.

Scope and Information for Participants:

  • The historical evolution of spelling across languages
  • The interconnection between spelling transparency and dyslexia
  • Ways to cope with dyslexia across languages
  • Issues with learning a foreign language with dyslexia

    • Venue:

    Sam Houston State University, 1905 University Ave, Huntsville, TX, USA

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