1995 Page 40 . . . For a long time specialists in learning disabilities have said that students with difficulties in normal learning situations should not be exposed to a second or foreign language unless it is needed for cultural adaptation and does not affect the remedial program being followed. Throughout my teaching career, I have been interested in the problems slow learners face with L2. This paper gives the conclusions of a five-year research project with slow learners studying English in primary and secondary schools.
Statistics show that two out of every ten students in a class are slow learners.
The number within the whole school population may not be very high, but just the fact that there are slow learners demands our concern. Actually, there are two kinds of slow learners. The first is the student who does not learn successfully due to general socio-cultural problems, frustrating past language classroom experiences, inadequate use of strategies, or lack of interest. In Peru, although public schools cannot afford to assist LDs effectively, there are a growing number of private schools in Lima devoted to aiding and mainstreaming such learners. These institutions range from preschool to secondary levels.