Learning and using multiple languages
Experiences of adults with ADHD
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21236096 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Franziska Köder (0000-0001-9779-9231, University of Oslo, corresponding author), Cecilie Rummelhoff (University of Oslo), Maria Garraffa (0000-0003-1767-424X, University of East Anglia) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 100191 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ampersand (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2215-0390 • E-ISSN: 2215-0390 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.amper.2024.100191 |
| OpenAlex | W4401983476 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 39 |
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts many areas of a person's life. So far little is known on how ADHD affects the learning and usage of additional languages. The present study investigates what potential challenges and benefits adults with ADHD experience in second language (L2) learning, and what strategies they have developed to offset ADHD-related differences in cognition and behaviour. As part of a larger questionnaire, 59 participants with ADHD provided written responses, answering questions on how ADHD has influenced their learning and use of multiple languages. After a multiple-step classification process, three overarching topics were identified: (1) the effects of cognition on language learning and use; (2) how different language components and language modalities are affected by ADHD; and (3) what language learning strategies adults with ADHD apply. In our analysis, we present authentic quotes from individuals with ADHD and place them into the larger context of research on neurodivergence and L2 acquisition. Our results highlight the great heterogeneity in learning experiences and pathways in adults with ADHD. Interestingly, many respondents embrace their neurodiversity and develop individual strategies to enhance L2 proficiency. Our research aims to contribute to a better understanding of multilingualism within neurodiverse populations. • Great diversity in the reported effects of ADHD on learning and use of multiple languages. • Adults with ADHD reach similar proficiency in a second language but potentially via different pathways. • Individual language learning strategies may offset challenges associated with ADHD
Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Language acquisition · Modalities · Multilingualism · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder · Clinical Psychology · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies · Neuroscience · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development
ADHD prevalence estimates across three decades
The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement
Validity of the Executive Function Theory of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Executive Function and Reading Comprehension
Working memory and second language comprehension and production
The phonological loop as a language learning device.
Second Language Anxiety and Achievement
Chapter 20 What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory?
The Relation Between Written and Spoken Language
The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Measuring bilingual language dominance
Teaching Languages to Students with Specific Learning Differences
Attitudes towards code-switching among adult mono- and multilingual language users
The Unity and Diversity of Executive Functions and Their Contributions to Complex “Frontal Lobe” Tasks
Measuring Language Dominance in Early Spanish/English Bilinguals
Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions
| Citations per year | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |