ABSTRACT
Specifi c learning diffi culties not only have an effect on the acquisition of oral and literacy skills in the fi rst language, but also infl uence the processes of second language learning. This chapter starts with a detailed discussion of how the cognitive correlates of specifi c learning diffi culties (SpLDs), such as reduced phonological awareness, working and phonological short-term memory capacity, diffi culties with attention control and implicit learning, can affect the processes of second language acquisition. Particular consideration will be given to how learners with SpLDs attend to, process and integrate new language input, as well as produce and learn from output. The cognitive effects of SpLDs on explicit and implicit learning processes will also be elaborated. This will be followed by a critical summary of previous research on how SpLDs affect the learning of second language skills such as reading and writing. While most of the discussion in this chapter will be centred on the cognitive correlates of SpLDs and additional diffi culties with attention control, at the end of this chapter, I will also consider the language learning processes and outcomes of learners with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) from a cognitive perspective.
