Dyslexia in the European EFL Teacher Training Context

Abstract

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that has an effect not only on literacy skills in students’ first language, but also on foreign language learning (Sparks et al. 1989, 2006; Peer and Reid 2000; Schneider and Crombie 2003; Nijakowska 2008, 2010; Kormos and Smith 2012). In order to ensure that dyslexic students successfully acquire necessary levels of foreign language competence, they need adequate instruction and teachers’ support. However, frequently enough, EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers lack sufficient understanding of the nature of dyslexia and the difficulties it causes in foreign language learning. They are not familiar with the relevant teaching techniques and methods to further the language learning processes of students with dyslexia. It seems that more often than not it results from the lack of satisfactory training on dyslexia/learning differences during the course of studies as well as from the limited offer of courses for in-service teachers which would enable them to get qualifications (knowledge and skills) to teach foreign languages to dyslexic students with success. The chapter reviews the outcomes of a study whose aim was to identify the professional development needs of EFL teachers with regard to teaching dyslexic language learners. Data has been collected with the use of an online survey. The study has been conducted among the pre- and in-service EFL teachers mainly from six European countries where institutions participating in the DysTEFL project www.dystefl.eu are located. The findings of the present study indicate that the respondents perceived their knowledge and skills with regard to teaching dyslexic language learners as rather poor. They acknowledged the existence of the apparent gap in their training concerning this issue and expressed a well-defined need and interest in further professional development in this respect. In addition, they voiced their opinion and preferences as to the format, content matter as well as types of tasks and activities they would find most favourable in the training materials/course on the EFL and dyslexia. Thus, the immediate implications of the study refer to both the structure and content of the training materials/course for EFL teachers to be developed by the DysTEFL project consortium in response to the needs teachers articulated in the survey. More broadly, the findings seem relevant and informative for the higher education authorities and teacher training institutions responsible for designing professional training schemes for EFL pre- and in-service teachers.

Appendix 1. DysTEFL Needs Analysis Questionnaire

Part A. Please tick the statement that describes you best. In some questions more than one answer is possible.

• 1. I teach at (more than one answer is possible)

  • primary school

  • lower-secondary school

  • upper-secondary school

  • college, university

  • language school

• 2. I have been teaching for

  • less than 2 years

  • 3–5 years

  • 6–10 years

  • more than 10 years

• 3. Most of my students are aged (more than one answer is possible)

  • up to 5 years

  • 6–10 years

  • 10–15 years

  • 15–19 years

  • 20+ years

• 4. I have taught/I am going to teach next year (more than one answer is possible)

  • classes where there are no students with dyslexia

  • classes where there are some students with dyslexia

  • special classes for students with dyslexia

  • classes with students who are exempted from assessment because they have dyslexia

  • one-to-one sessions for students with dyslexia

  • I do not yet know what classes I will teach next year

• 5. I teach in………………….. (please give the name of the country)

• 6. I am training to be a teacher in……………….. (please, give the name of the country)

Part B. Please consider a number of statements referring to working with dyslexic language learners.

Please, tick the most appropriate number on the scale, where

• 1 = definitely not true of me

• 2 = mostly not true of me

• 3 = sometimes true and sometimes not true of me

• 4 = mostly true of me

• 5 = definitely true of me

No	Question	1	2	3	4	5
1	I often encounter dyslexic students in my daily work
2	I learnt about dyslexia during my studies at college/university/other teacher training institutions.
3	I have developed my own techniques for teaching English to dyslexic students.
4	I learnt about how to teach English to dyslexic students in my courses at college/university/teacher training institutions.
5	I feel the need for more information on the language teaching methods to be successfully applied with dyslexic students.
6	I am aware of the difficulties dyslexic language learners experience in learning English as a second/foreign language.
7	I can define the term’dyslexia’.
8	I can recognize a dyslexic student in my English language class.
9	I know how to develop learning strategies of my dyslexic students.
10	I know how to assess my dyslexic students.
11	If there were materials on the language teaching methods helping dyslexic students, I would read them.
12	I know what to do if I think that one of my students is dyslexic.
13	I do not assess the spelling of dyslexic students.
14	I provide extra time for dyslexic students to do a written task.
15	If it is necessary I assess my dyslexic.
16	I know how to apply the principles of multisensory teaching and learning.
17	I am familiar with the accommodations dyslexic students are entitled for in English language lessons.
18	I am familiar with the accommodations dyslexic students are entitled for at the national school leaving exams.
19	I am familiar with the accommodations dyslexic students are entitled in taking foreign language proficiency exams.
20	I am interested in further training in the area of teaching English to students with dyslexia.

Part C. Training needs. In this part of the questionnaire we are interested in what kind of training you would find useful to help you work with dyslexic language learners.

• 1. An ideal format of the course on dyslexia and methods of teaching a foreign language to children with specific learning difficulties is:

  • printed self-study materials

  • online learning course

  • online resources that I can use for self-study

  • face-to-face training workshop

• 2. In a training course on dyslexia I would like to learn about the following (please tick the topics you would find relevant; more than one answer is possible)

  • nature of dyslexia

  • learning difficulties associated with dyslexia

  • problems dyslexia causes in language learning

  • assessment of dyslexic learners in the language classroom

  • how dyslexia is diagnosed

  • accommodations dyslexic students are entitled to in high-stakes exams

  • language teaching techniques that assist dyslexic language learners

  • general teaching and classroom management tips for teaching dyslexic language learners

  • other topic (please indicate what other topics you would be interested in)

• 3. In a training course I would find the following useful (please tick the tasks and activities you would find relevant; more than one answer is possible)

  • brief lectures

  • reading articles

  • reading book chapters

  • reading online resource materials

  • watching videos of classrooms

  • listening to/reading interviews with dyslexic learners

  • listening to/reading interviews with teachers of dyslexic learners

  • learning how to design language teaching materials for dyslexic learners

  • evaluating language teaching materials designed for dyslexic learners

  • designing lesson plans for classes with dyslexic learners

  • evaluating lesson plans for classes with dyslexic learners