Book Notices

158

doi:10.1017/S0272263109990398

LANGUAGE LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: AN INTERNATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE . Judit Kormos and Edit H. Kontra (Eds.). Clevedon,
UK : Multilingual Matters , 2008 . Pp. v + 233.

With increasing globalization comes an increasing demand for bilingualism in
the workforce. For those raised in primarily monolingual communities, greater
need is placed on primary and secondary education for provision of second
(or foreign) language learning. There is no question that early exposure is key
for maximizing the opportunity to achieve fl uency (if not mastery) of a second
language and that the older the learner, the harder it is to reach that goal. Yet,
there are also those learning a second language who face numerous obstacles,
regardless of age. For example, a deaf individual learning a second language will
naturally have very different experiences from those of a hearing individual.
Additionally, an individual with dyslexia will be particularly hindered by the
markedly opaque orthography of English, arguably the most common second
language in the world. Importantly, the language-learning challenges that indi-
viduals with special needs face often refl ect the paucity of research in and de-
velopment of appropriate second language pedagogical methodologies. In other
words, such individuals are at risk due in no small part to the lack of adequate
consideration of their needs. However, they can and should benefi t from the
knowledge of a second language just as much as anyone else: As Helland puts it,
“no one should be left out of education: it is for all” (p. 83).

The nine chapters of this edited volume focus on the language-learning

process of some of those individuals for whom language learning is different or
more challenging. Populations considered in this volume, from Canada, Hungary,
Norway, Poland, the United States, and the United Kingdom, include primarily
those with dyslexia and other reading disabilities; also considered are individuals
who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or who have learning disabilities or attention
defi cit hyperactivity disorder. Language teachers’ views with regard to inclu-
sive education programs for those at-risk learners are also addressed. Ulti-
mately, the volume succeeds in helping to raise an awareness of the special
needs of certain language learners.

( Received 15 May 2009 )

Jessica A. Barlow

San Diego State University

doi:10.1017/S0272263109990404

JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEACHING: A COMMUNICATIVE
APPROACH . Alessandro G. Benati . New York : Continuum , 2009 . Pp. 214 .

There are many ways of teaching a foreign language. When a teacher chooses
one method or approach from all the varieties, he or she has at least some kind
of reason for it. However, it is possible to validate the choice of one method