A psycholinguistic study on language disorder of a Dyslexic character in the movie “Like Stars on Earth”

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, there is a hot issue but it is not a new case anymore in psycholinguistics; it is dyslexia. Dyslexia is related to language disorder and learning disability. Furthermore, there is a movie which reflects life of a child with dyslexia neither his behavior nor his learning difficulties. Yet, this study focused on his learning difficulties and learning method.

This study described the phenomena of the movie such as the types of difficulties of the dyslexic character and the method to overcome the difficulties. To get the data of difficulties and the method to overcome those difficulties, this study used descriptive qualitative approach. Besides, it used Levinson (Syndrome of Dyslexia) and Lerner‟s (perception) theories to analyze data related to learning difficulties and Gillingham and Stillman‟s theory to analyze the method which is used by Mr. Nikum to overcome Ishaan‟s learning difficulties.

As a result, the dyslexic character, Ishaan, experienced all three kinds of dyslexia and learning difficulties as well. It was because he did not use five elements of each his visual and auditory perceptions completely. In reading, he used four elements of visual perception (spatial relation, visual discrimination, and object recognition) and one element of auditory perception (phonological awareness); in writing, he used one element of visual perception (visual discrimination) and none of auditory perception; and in arithmetic, he used neither visual nor auditory perception. In addition, Mr. Nikum had applied methods of Gilingham and Stillman method and he gave Ishaan some variants of subs medium in teaching to overcome the difficulties. Then, Ishaan can read, write and do arithmetic calculation like normal children.