Reading processes in L1 and L2 among dyslexic as compared to regular bilingual readers: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence

The data from the present study supports both the 'Central Deficit' and 'Script Dependent' Hypotheses by demonstrating universal deficits in L1 and L2 among dyslexic readers along with differential manifestations of these deficits as a function of specific orthographic features. The present results are also in line with the 'Dyslexic Automatization Deficit Hypothesis' which purports automatization deficits as a more general and more pervasive cause underlying dyslexic performance. Unlike dyslexic readers, regular bilingual readers not only have the capacity to reach automaticity in their second language, but can also exhibit more effective processing of reading material in English at different levels of the cognitive sequence, despite its irregular nature. Mastery of reading proficiency in English as L2 need not be lower than mastery of Hebrew as L1. Moreover, it may even be higher due to the unique features of the languages and orthographies involved.