A bitch, as most people already know, is a female dog. As a trendy word we hear (and say) all the time, it might be tempting to guess that it isn’t very old. But if we look up its etymology, that is, the origins of the word, we discover that bitch meaning “a female dog” has a far longer pedigree that goes back over one thousand years. Over the course of a millennium, bitch became stigmatized by its association with social taboos such as prostitution, promiscuity, “bad” women, and “unmanly” men. This led to its offensive senses pushing out the inoffensive one. Bitch – which was once just the literal word for a female dog – eventually became what it is today, arguably one of the most insulting words in the English language. But on the other hand, bitch has developed positive uses in slang and has even been reclaimed in some ways.

Chapter 5 explores the impact of dyslexia on effective language processing. It explains some of the literacy processes that are assessed during a dyslexia diagnosis, as outlined in chapter 2. Such an understanding has been indicated as useful by many of the adult dyslexic contributors to this book. Greater awareness of the complexity of reading/writing has decreased their frustration, as well as improved their literacy skills and confidence. Therefore, the chapter will focus on developing an understanding of the processes and strategies that support improving literacy skills at the word and text level, and which can further development basic language skills involved in processing sounds and meaning/vocabulary. The chapter provides a range of suggestions, tasks/activities and strategies to improve these underlying reading and language processes. The chapter also covers how to work with text and strategies for improved comprehension as this is the focus of reading for adults, and which may be a particular area of difficulty for many if reading at speed is emphasised. The chapter ends with exploring some the technological solutions that can support reading and writing.