Needs analysis report (WP3) - DysTEFL - edition selection … · DysTEFL Needs analysis report...

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DysTEFL Needs analysis report (WP3) Project-Number: 518466-LLP-1-2011-PL-COMENIUS-CMP

Grant agreement number: 2011-3631/001-001 1

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Needs analysis report (WP3)

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DysTEFL Needs analysis report (WP3) Project-Number: 518466-LLP-1-2011-PL-COMENIUS-CMP Grant agreement number: 2011-3631/001-001 2

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Project Partners:

University of Lodz, Faculty of Philology, Chair of Pragmatics – Poland The Society for Alternative Education, Poland RCNS HAS – Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology – Hungary LU – Lancaster University, Department of Linguistics and English Language – United Kingdom MU – Masaryk University, Faculty of Education, Department of English Language and Literature – Czech Republic Volkshochschule im Landkreis Cham e.V., Germany BEST Institut für berufsbezogene Weiterbildung und Personaltraining GmbH – Austria

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission can not be held responsible for any

use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Content

Executive summary ................................................................................................................................. 7

1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 9

1.1. Background ................................................................................................................................... 9

1.2. The objectives of this work package ............................................................................................ 9

1.3. Method and process ................................................................................................................... 11

1.4. Research sample:........................................................................................................................ 12

2. Research findings............................................................................................................................... 15

2.1. Desk research findings ................................................................................................................ 15

2.1.1. Required qualifications of the teachers of English for different levels of the education

system ........................................................................................................................................... 15

2.1.1.1. Primary level ................................................................................................................. 15

2.1.1.2. Lower secondary level .................................................................................................. 18

2.1.1.3. Upper secondary level .................................................................................................. 21

2.1.1.4. Tertiary level ................................................................................................................. 25

2.1.1.5. Language schools .......................................................................................................... 26

2.1.2. Dyslexia as part of pre-service teacher training institutions (PRESETT) .............................. 27

2.1.2.1. Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching (PRESETT) .......... 27

2.1.2.2. Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (PRESETT) .................................................... 29

2.1.2.3. Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (PRESETT) ..................................................... 30

2.1.3. Dyslexia as part of in-service teacher training institutions (INSETT) ................................... 32

2.1.3.1. Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching (INSETT) ............ 32

2.1.3.2. Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (INSETT) ....................................................... 33

2.1.3.3. Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (INSETT) ....................................................... 35

2.1.4. Legal documents providing for dyslexia and dyslexic students .......................................... 37

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2.1.4.1.Dyslexia in legal documents and ministerial regulations .............................................. 37

2.1.4.2. Assessment of students with dyslexia in legal documents .......................................... 44

2.1.4.3. Dyslexia in national curricula ........................................................................................ 48

2.2. Questionnaire survey findings .................................................................................................... 53

2.2.1. Respondents’ background .................................................................................................. 53

2.2.2. Respondents’ knowledge and experience with dyslexia ..................................................... 55

2.2.3. Further training ................................................................................................................... 61

3. Conclusions and implications for the project .................................................................................... 63

List of tables and charts ......................................................................................................................... 68

Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 69

List of appendices .............................................................................................................................. 69

APPENDIX I - Template for desk research ......................................................................................... 69

APPENDIX II - Needs analysis - questionnaire ................................................................................... 78

APPENDIX III - Factor analysis ............................................................................................................ 90

APPENDIX IV - Distribution od data ................................................................................................... 91

APPENDIX V - Questionnaire results - overview ............................................................................... 92

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Executive summary

DysTEFL project

Foreign language learning is quite challenging for learners with dyslexia. In the past, the

specific learning difficulties of these learners often led to the students’ exemption from

foreign language instruction. In the era of globalization and European integration the

knowledge of foreign languages becomes increasingly important. The command of English in

particular is largely considered a key competence, the lack of which may deprive individuals

of equal opportunities in education, at the workplace and in private lives. Educational policy

makers in many countries insist on the right of learners with dyslexia to have opportunities to

achieve their full potential including foreign language learning. The teachers in European

countries are made legally responsible for accommodating the needs of learners with dyslexia

in their instruction, even if the teachers often lack expertise in the given area.

DysTEFL project will develop a special training course and materials for pre-service and in-

service teachers of English as a foreign language. The course will raise their awareness of

special educational needs of students with dyslexia with regard to foreign language teaching

and learning. The teachers will be equipped with appropriate teaching methods, techniques

and tools to boost the quality and effectiveness of their performance.

Needs analysis

Prior to developing the training course and educational materials, the project partners carried

out a needs analysis aimed at identifying pre-service and in-service foreign language teachers’

professional development needs with regard to teaching individuals with dyslexia. The desk

research and questionnaire survey were carried out by the DysTEFL consortium in six partner

countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and UK). The study of

educational documents confirmed a trend to accommodate dyslexic learners’s needs in the

classroom, both in terms of instruction and assessment in every partner country.

The opportunities for training dealing with dyslexia in foreign language learning provided on

either a pre-service or in-service level are rather scarce and do not correspond with the current

educational trends. Majority of the questionnaire survey respondents teach or are going to

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teach in mainstream classes where there are some dyslexic students. Majority of the

respondents think that their pre-service and in-service teacher training did not equip them

with the necessary information about dyslexia and did not teach them what a suitable

approach in teaching dyslexic students should look like. Most of the respondents showed low

levels of confidence, knowledge and experience when identifying, teaching and assessing

dyslexic individuals. 95% of the respondents are interested in getting further information and

training in teaching English to dyslexic students.

Implications for the course development

Both parts of the research confirmed the need to develop a course and materials that are

planned in the current project. The course should be created as a flexible system that can be

appropriated by teacher trainers in different contexts and can be used in different modalities

including a face-to-face course (prefered by a majority of respondents), an online course or a

blended course. The course and the materials should be suitable for both pre-service and in-

service training. At the same time, they should be relevant for teachers from all types of

schools (primary, secondary, tertiary and language schools). They should be rooted in sound

research with a solid theoretical background but should also respect the respondents’

preferences to acquire knowledge, skills and competences that have a direct impact on their

classroom practice. The website with the available course and materials is an ideal format for

reaching wide audiences.

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1. Introduction

1.1. Background

Foreign language learning is indisputably more demanding for learners with dyslexia than for

other learners. In the past, the specific learning difficulties of these learners, contributing to

the high level of challenge, often led to the students’ exemption from foreign language

instruction. In the era of globalization and European integration the knowledge of foreign

languages becomes increasingly important. The command of English in particular is largely

considered a key competence, the lack of which may deprive individuals of equal

opportunities in education and at the workplace.

Educational policy makers in many countries are well aware of the above mentioned context

and therefore insist on the right of learners with dyslexia to have opportunities to achieve their

full potential including foreign language learning. Many European countries, such as the

partner countries in the current project, are now introducing new legal regulations related to

the education of individuals with dyslexia. As a result, the teachers are made legally

responsible for accommodating the needs of learners with dyslexia in their instruction, even if

the teachers often lack expertise in the given area.

The DysTEFL project aims at improving the scheme of initial training and continuing

professional development of teachers of English as a foreign language so that teachers can

gain the necessary knowledge, strategies and skills to adapt their teaching to special

educational needs of students with dyslexia. In that way the project follows the European

educational priorities of reinforcing support and inclusive education for students with special

educational needs.

1.2. The objectives of this work package

Prior to developing the training course and educational materials, the project partners carried

out a needs analysis aimed at identifying pre-service and in-service foreign language teachers’

professional development needs with regard to teaching individuals with dyslexia.

The objectives of the needs analysis are:

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To find information on the current approach in teacher education in partner

countries towards preparing foreign language teachers to work with dyslexic

students .

To identify and describe whether and how dyslexia appears in the study

programmes and syllabuses of available courses at teacher training

institutions.

To identify and analyse legal regulations concerning dyslexia in education

with a particular emphasis on foreign language teaching in partner countries.

To find information on teachers’ previous pre-service and in-service training

which would equip them with the necessary information about dyslexia and

skills for an effective approach to dyslexic students.

To identify teachers’ knowledge of and experience with dyslexic students as

well as their overall confidence in identifying, teaching and assessing dyslexic

individuals.

To identify teachers’ needs and interest in getting further information and

training in teaching English to dyslexic students and at the same time identify

their preferences in terms of the format and content of such a training.

The needs analysis consisted of two parts:

desk research

field survey (questionnaire)

This report summarizes the findings of both parts of the needs analysis. The first part is

devoted to the information on the current approach in teacher education in partner countries

towards preparing foreign language teachers to work with dyslexic students, including facts,

tendencies, and examples of good practice. In the second part, the needs of teachers with

reference to pre-service and in-service training in the field of provision of foreign languages

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to students with dyslexia are analyzed. The report includes description of results, statistical

analysis, conclusions and implications for the current project.

1.3. Method and process

The desk research and questionnaire survey were planned by the project partners. Each

partner carried out desk research in their countries. The results were collated by the team at

Masaryk University, Czech Republic.

Research instruments developed by project partners included:

Workpackage 3 Guidelines (Internal document)

Template for desk research (See Appendix I)

Questionnaire (See Appendix II)

Desk research

First, data related to English language teacher education were collected. Four institutions per

partner country were selected by partners: two pre-service teacher training institutions and

two in-service teacher training institutions. We focused on information on the current

approaches in teacher education in partner countries towards preparing foreign language

teachers to work with dyslexic students. The syllabuses of available courses were analysed.

Second, legal regulations and other relevant documents concerning the education of learners

with dyslexia were analyzed. Both facts and trends were included in the report.

Finally, the roles of pedagogical-psychological centers in identifying and supporting learners

with dyslexia in partner countries were compared.

Questionnaire survey

Each partner was asked to administer the questionnaire (either online using the Survey

Monkey application (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V6F2L2L) or its identical printed

version (See Appendix II) which the partners then had to enter in the online questionnaire

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V6F2L2L

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themselves), finding at least thirty respondents among pre- and in-service teachers. The

results were collated and statistically analyzed by the team from Masaryk University, Czech

Republic.

We used three series of questions in the questionnaire:

1. Questions focusing on the respondents’ background (page 2) included the type of school, the

length of teaching practice, the age of most students taught, country and the presence of

students with dyslexia in their classes. All of these questions offered a selection of responses.

It was required to answer all of the questions in this section.

In the last question (page 4) the respondents were asked to provide a contact in case they

wanted to learn more about the project and project materials. The answer was optional.

2. Questions aimed at the respondents’ experience with pre-service and in-service education and

the self-evaluation of their knowledge and skills related to teaching students with dyslexia.

There were twenty of these questions on page 3, all offering scaled responses.

3. Questions identifying respondents’ training needs and preferences concerning the format and

content of training courses in the area under investigation (page 4).

To measure the reliability of the questionnaire Cronbach’s alpha was used. The reliability of

the questionnaire is expressed as α = 0,89, which means the questionnaire was a reliable

research instrument.

The distribution of the data proved normal, therefore it was possible to use parametric tests in

the analysis (see Appendix IV).

1.4. Research sample:

The object of the research was both public and private education sectors in project partners’

countries (UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary) with the main focus on

public education.

In each partner country four teacher training institutions (two pre-service and two in-service

institutions) were selected and their study programmes and syllabuses were analyzed.

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Pre-service and in-service teachers of English as a foreign language in project partners’

countries (UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary) were given the

questionnaire survey. By pre-service teachers we mean final year BA students and MA

students who already have some teaching practice.

Teachers were teaching at all types of schools, however, the main focus was on primary and

secondary level of education - up to the age of 16 - 18 (depending on the national context).

Country No. of respondents / no.

of incomplete

questionnaires

Austria 35 / 2

Czech Republic 45 / 3

Germany 50 / 2

Hungary 161 / 14

Poland 70 / 8

United Kingdom 30 / 2

Other countries* 21 / 5

Total started survey:

Total completed survey:

412

375 (91%)

Table 1: Number of respondents from individual countries

*respondents from Italy (8), Spain (3), Finland (2), Cyprus (2), Greece (1), Luxemburg (1).

France (1), Netherlands (1), Uzbekistan (1) and Sri Lanka (1).

Table 1 presents the exact numbers of respondents from individual countries: the first figure

shows the total number of respondents from each country, the second figure indicates the

number of respondents who started but did not complete the questionnaire.

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2. Research findings

2.1. Desk research findings

2.1.1. Required qualifications of the teachers of English for different

levels of the education system

2.1.1.1. Primary level

In Austria, primary school generally begins between five and seven years of age and lasts for

four years.A teacher or form master generally teaches all subjects at primary school level with

the exception of religious studies. There may be specialised teachers to support pupils with

special needs, for example, pupils with disabilities, specific learning difficulties or pupils

whose mother tongue is not German. Pupils have to attend all compulsory subjects and have a

choice of optional subject classes such as drama or singing classes. From the third year

onwards, pupils are taught a modern foreign language which is compulsory but not assessed

by the teacher. After completion of the fourth year, pupils are advised by their teacher on their

future educational pathway based on their performance and interests at school. Pupils move

on to either a lower secondary school lasting another four years or a secondary school

(Gymnasium) lasting another eight years.

Primary school teachers take a compulsory English language teaching module along with

other pedagogical modules as part of their teacher training. The duration of the programme is

six semesters.

In the Czech Republic, most children between the age of 6 and 15 attend basic school, which

includes primary (6 to 11 years of age) and lower secondary. Children start learning a foreign

language (preferably English) in the third grade (at the age of 8). All subjects at primary level

are taught by class teachers. English as a foreign language is often taught by a different

teacher.

Primary teachers must have a Mgr. degree (equivalent to MA). Faculties of Education (part of

Universities) award the degree at the end of a four-year or five-year study programme. Even

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after the Bologna system was introduced to the Czech Republic, the study programmes for

future primary teachers remained unchanged (there is no bachelor programme, just a masters

programme). At some universities an English language teaching module is part of the

curriculum, at other universities only some students opt for a specialization in a foreign

language (including English).

German (Bavarian) children start school at the age of six years and normally complete four

years of primary school and five to six years of lower secondary school. English as a foreign

language is taught from grade 3.

The required qualification for teachers of English is first University state examination in

English, primary school didactics (pedagogy) and educational science and completion of a 2-

year internship with the second state examination for teaching in primary school (area of

study: Applied Linguistics and Cultural Studies).

Teaching English at primary school involves a 6 -7-semester long study program. The

students have to complete nine compulsory modules (e.g. Introduction to Literary Studies,

Foreign Language Didactics, Core Skills Lexis and Grammar, Cultural Studies, Theory and

Practice of Teaching English). The internship involves pedagogical and didactic training.

Similarly to the Czech Republic, Hungarian primary schools also provide education for

pupils aged 6-14 (grade 1-8). However as the secondary school system is very complex, a

pupil may leave primary school as early as the age of 10 and start secondary school. A foreign

language is taught from Grade 4 (age 10), but in a large number of schools students start

learning a foreign as early as Grade 3 or even as Grade 1.

The qualifications acceptable for teaching in year 1 - 4 of primary education are:

primary school (grade 1 - 4) teacher degree with specialization in English (3-year

training which was provided by teacher training colleges. This training is no longer

offered since the introduction of the Bologna system. The Bologna system was

introduced in 2006 in Hungary).

English teacher degree/ 4 year training provided by teacher training colleges.

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English teacher degree-university level 3-year training. (This training is no longer

offered since the introduction of the Bologna system.)

teacher of English language and literature - university level 5-year training. This

training is no longer offered since the introduction of the Bologna system.

For students studying in the Bologna system (future teachers of year 1 – 4 of primary

education): primary school teacher BA qualification with specialization in English.

In Poland, children aged 7 – 12 attend primary school (6-year old children may attend school

provided that parents decide so, in 2014 all 6 year old children will attend school). Foreign

languages (not necessarily English) are taught from grade 1.

Polish primary school EFL teachers have one of the required qualifications:

MA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including pedagogical course)

– 5 years ( 3+2)

MA graduates, in the English speaking country (including pedagogical course)

BA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including pedagogical course)

– 3 years

Foreign Languages Teacher Training College graduates (3 years)

MA graduates (of any specialisation including pedagogical course) who also

successfully passed the exam in English – advanced or proficiency level (CAE, CPE,

IELTS, TOEFL, CITY & GUILDS)

Teacher Training College graduates (of any specialisation including pedagogical

course) who also successfully passed the exam in English –advanced or proficiency

level (CAE,CPE, IELTS, TOEFL, CITY & GUILDS) or who successfully passed

foreign language national exam I or II level

For kindergarten and grades 1- 3 of primary school:

MA graduates – Pedagogy Department or Teacher Training College – required

qualifications to teach grades 1- 3 and the successfully passed exam in English – at

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least FCE level A,B and either post-graduate studies or a qualification course in

Teaching English to Young Learners.

Secondary school graduates who successfully passed foreign language national exam I

or II level.

In the United Kingdom, children aged 4 – 11 attend primary school. From the point of view

of our project (focusing on teaching English as a foreign language) the situation in the UK is

somewhat specific. Foreign language teaching at primary level involves optional French.

Support for students from other language backgrounds for whom English is a second or

additional language is not provided everywhere in the UK. It very much depends on the

resources of the local councils whether these students receive any ESOL (English as a second

language) instruction.

The required qualification of teachers is Postgraduate certificate of education (PgCE), and

support teachers who provide additional help in English as a second language sometimes have

a BA or MA in TESOL.

2.1.1.2. Lower secondary level

In all researched countries, this level continues the basic programmes of the primary level,

although teaching is generally more subject-focused.

In Austria the lower secondary school lasts for four years. It provides pupils with a general

education to set them up with the essential skills for a working life or to move on to an upper

secondary level, particularly in the last two years of the lower secondary level. Especially in

the last two years of the lower secondary level, pupils are being prepared for their future

educational path or their vocational career. Pupils are able to access a career adviser at this

stage to help them decide which vocational career to choose.

Generally, the end of the lower secondary level coincides with the end of compulsory

education.

Teachers of English are required to undertake a degree at a pedagogical college. Like primary

school teachers, teachers intending to teach at a lower secondary school choose the English

Language as their first core subject and combine this subject with a secondary subject of their

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choice. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Education at the end of their studies. The

duration of the course is six semesters.

In the Czech Republic most children attend the second stage of basic school from 11 to 15

years of age. Some leave for an 8-year grammar schools (gymnázium) at the age of 11.

Lower secondary teachers of English must be graduates of a masters study programme from a

Faculty of Education ( Bc study programme – 3 years plus a follow-up masters study

programme – 2 years). They usually study a combination of two subjects (English language

and another language or History, Geography, Arts, Music etc.)

In Germany (Bavaria) the secondary schools are traditionally differentiated into three levels,

general school (Hauptschule/Mittelschule), intermediate school (Realschule) and high school

(Gymnasium). The general and the intermediate schools cover only the lower level of

secondary schooling. They are conceived to provide general education as a basis for

apprenticeship training or professional schools without university status.

The required qualification for teachers of English are:

first state examination in English, didactics of a group of subjects in

general school and educational sciences

completed 2-year internship with the second state examination for teaching

in primary school.

Teaching English at general school (Hauptschule) and intermediate school (Realschule)

involves a 6 – 7-semester study composed of nine compulsory modules (e.g. Introduction to

Literary Studies, Foreign Language Didactics, Core Skills Lexis and Grammar, Cultural

Studies, Theory and Practice of Teaching English) and an internship (pedagogical and

didactic training).

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The Hungarian secondary school system is very complex. A student may leave primary

school as early as the age of 10 and start secondary school. There are 4-grade general

secondary schools (students aged 14 – 18 , grade 9 – 12), 6-grade general secondary schools

(students aged 12 – 18, grade 7 – 12) and 8-grade general secondary school (students aged 10

– 18, grade 5 – 12). Moreover, there are “12 grade schools” which provide 8 yeas of primary

education and 4 years of secondary education. It is also possible that one secondary school

has 4 -grade and 6 or 8-grade classes as well. Apart from general secondary classes there are

also vocational secondary classes (4-grade classes, students age 14 – 18, grade 9 – 12).

The qualifications acceptable for teaching in grade 4 – 8 are

English teacher degree/ 4 year training provided by teacher training

colleges. This training is no longer offered since the introduction of the

Bologna system.

English teacher degree - university level 3-year training. This training is no

longer offered since the introduction of the Bologna system.

Teacher of English language and literature-university level 5-year training.

This training is no longer offered since the introduction of the Bologna

system.

Within the Bologna system:

English teacher needs an MA degree (this entails that they should also have BA degree in

English studies).

In Poland children aged 13 – 15 attend lower secondary school.

EFL teachers lower secondary level have either of the required qualifications:

MA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including

pedagogical course) – 5 years ( 3+2)

MA graduates in the English speaking country (including pedagogical

course)

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BA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including

pedagogical course) – 3 years

Foreign Languages Teacher Training College graduates – 3 years

MA graduates (of any specialisation including pedagogical course) who

also successfully passed the exam in English – advanced or proficiency

level (CAE, CPE, IELTS, TOEFL, CITY & GUILDS) or foreign language

national exam level II.

In the United Kingdom secondary school normally starts at the age of 11 and lasts until the

age of 16. The foreign languages taught are usually French, German and Spanish. Help to

English as second language speakers is provided at an ad hoc basis depending on the

resources of the school.

2.1.1.3. Upper secondary level

In Austria, pupils attend an upper secondary school study for an additional four years (eight

years in total) and graduate with a national certificate that allows them access into higher

education such as a university. The aim of the upper secondary school level is to extend the

general education and provide pupils with specialised educational skills and working practise

to prepare them for higher education. This means that the education for students at an upper

secondary level is more specialised towards academic performance. Students enroling in a

more technical or vocational oriented upper secondary school are prepared for their future

profession in their specialised fields. Polytechnic institutes are often based at lower secondary

schools. Depending on their grades from lower secondary school, some pupils have the option

to attend a technical high school for an additional year instead. There they either stay an

additional year to complete the compulsory school education or if their grades are satisfactory

they can move on and complete another three years of study (four years in total) and graduate

with the same national certificate as pupils of a higher secondary school. This also allows

them to access higher education.

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Teachers of English are required to enrol at a university and undertake a masters degree in

English Studies to be able to teach at an upper secondary school. Students choose English

Language as their core subject and combine this with a secondary subject they intend to teach.

The curriculum of the course focuses on practical classroom experience in the second half of

the course.

In the Czech Republic, upper secondary schools provide academic education (gymnázium) or

technical education (secondary technical schools) or vocational training.

Upper secondary teachers of English must have a Masters degree from a Faculty of Arts

(bachelor study programme – 3 years plus master study programme – 2 years).

In Germany (Bavaria) students who want to earn a degree giving access to higher education

complete three years of upper-level secondary education at upper secondary school

(Gymnasium). The overwhelming majority of schools are public state schools.

The required qualification for teachers of English is:

first state examination in English and another teaching subject and

educational sciences

completed a 2-year internship with the second state examination for

teaching in primary school (area of study: Applied Linguistics and Cultural

Studies)

Teaching English at upper secondary school involves 8 – 9-semester study including

compulsory modules (e.g. Introduction to Linguistic and Literary Studies, Foreign Language

Didactics, Core Skills Lexis and Grammar, Cultural Studies, Intercultural Project, Theory and

Practice of Teaching English, Language Practice Courses) and General Didactics and

Psychology and Internship (pedagogical and didactic training).

The secondary school system in Hungary includes 4-grade general secondary schools

(students aged 14 – 18, grade 9 – 12), 6-grade general secondary schools (students aged 12 –

18, grade 7 – 12) and 8-grade general secondary school (students aged 10 – 18, grade 5 – 12 ).

Moreover, there are “12 grade schools” which provide 8 year of primary education and 4 year

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secondary education. It is also possible that one secondary school has 4 grade and 6 or 8 grade

classes as well. Apart from general secondary classes there are also vocational secondary

classes (4-grade classes, students age 14 – 18, grade 9 – 12).

The qualifications acceptable for teaching in grade 9 – 12 are

English teacher degree - university level 3-year training. This training is no longer

offered since the introduction of the Bologna system.

Teacher of English language and literature-university level 5-year training. This

training is no longer offered since the introduction of the Bologna system.

Within the Bologna system:

English teacher needs an MA degree (this entails that they should also have BA degree in

English studies).

Upper secondary schools in Poland are attended by pupils aged 16 -18.

EFL teachers upper secondary schools have one of the required qualifications:

MA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including pedagogical course)

– 5 years ( 3+2)

MA graduates in the English speaking country (including pedagogical course)

BA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including pedagogical course)

– 3 years

Foreign Languages Teacher Training College graduates – 3 years)

MA graduates (of any specialisation including pedagogical course) who also

successfully passed the exam in English – advanced or proficiency level (CAE, CPE,

IELTS, TOEFL, CITY & GUILDS) or foreign language national exam II level

The above description of the situation in primary and secondary schools in Poland is based on

the ministerial regulations introduced in March 2009. At the same time, according to the new

ministerial regulations (decree issued on January 17, 2012) concerning the quality and

educational standards with regard to the teacher training, graduates with BA degree (3 years

of study) are qualified to teach only in kindergartens and primary schools, while graduates

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with MA degree (3+2 years of study) can teach in all types of schools and educational

institutions from kindergarten to tertiary education. Thus, apparently there are certain

discrepancies between the two above mentioned regulations. The new regulation applies to

future teachers who will be ready to start their teaching careers when they graduate, ie. in the

coming year and a half. The regulation however, does not offer tools or materials to be used

in the teaching process and these would need to be prepared. The older regulation concerns all

those who have already entered the teaching profession.

Most importantly for the DysTEFL project, the new ministerial regulation (decree issued on

January 17, 2012) clearly specifies both general and specific educational outcomes in teacher

training concerning the knowledge, skills and competencies of future teachers, including

preparing teachers to work with students with special educational needs. More specifically, it

is stated that every graduate should have the knowledge of the specific needs and learning

abilities of special education needs (SEN) students (dyslexia included), have the necessary

skills to diagnose the problems of particular SEN students, should be aware of the need to

accommodate and adjust the requirements for SEN students in mainstream education. In terms

of content, every future teacher should be ready to plan and carry out individualized forms of

teaching adapted to the needs of SEN students and be ready to adjust the materials and tasks

to suit the possibilities and the abilities of students with specific learning difficulties. These

new educational standards and a graduate’s profile have just been introduced, so anyone

starting their teacher training from now on will be subject to these regulations. In addition,

following the changes in the educational law, in-service teachers will have to comply with the

requirements concerning the ability to cater for the needs of SEN students learning English as

a foreign language. In such a situation there seems to be the perfect ground for introducing the

DysTEFL project outcomes to both pre-service and in-service teacher training.

Currently almost no courses devoted to SEN are available either in teacher training colleges

or at universities (English Philology). If there is any training offered specifically for the

teachers of English as a foreign language, it frequently constitutes a part of methodology

training. In practice it usually means about 1.5 – 3 contact hours. Issues connected with SEN

can also be partially covered by courses in psychology and pedagogy offered to teachers in

Polish. More information is provided in chapters 2.1.2. and 2.1.3.

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In the UK there are 6th Form colleges for students aged 16-18 for preparing them for A level

(needed for university entrance) exams.

2.1.1.4. Tertiary level

In Austria the teachers of English are required to enrol at a university and earn a masters

degree in English Studies to be able to start teaching English at university. Students choose

the English Language as their core subject and combine this with a secondary subject they

intend to teach. Teachers at University graduate with a Masters (Phil) degree which takes a

minimum of nine semesters (Magister Phil - Anglistik).

In the Czech Republic teachers at tertiary level need a Masters degree to start teaching and at

least a PhD degree to stay at university.

In Germany (Bavaria) the required qualifications for teaching English at college/university

are:

a language assistant is usually a native speaker who has a first degree (BA) plus some

language teaching credentials (such as a TESOL, the certificate awarded for "Teaching

English to Speakers of Other Languages").

a lecturer normally needs a PhD in English Literature;

a professor needs an additional qualification. This used to be the habilitation, a

postdoctoral degree. Now it can be a second book (monograph) or a previous post as a

Juniorprofessor (for which a PhD is needed).

In Hungary college/university teachers of English language and literature need university

level 5-year training. This training is no longer offered since the introduction of the Bologna

system. For students studying in the Bologna system English teachers need a MA degree (this

entails that they should also have a BA degree in English studies). University teachers on a

full salaried position need to hold a PhD.

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In Poland EFL teachers at tertiary level have either of the required qualifications:

MA graduates, English Philology, Applied Linguistics (including pedagogical course) – 5

years ( 3+2)

MA graduates in the English speaking country (including pedagogical course)

As for the UK universities are relevant only in as much if they run pre-sessional or

preparatory academic English courses for international students. Most tutors on these

programs have DELTA or an MA in language teaching.

2.1.1.5. Language schools

In the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland the required qualifications for teachers of

English differ at each language school. Language schools in these countries are autonomous

and can set their own criteria.

Most language schools in Austria also have their own selection criteria and assessment

procedures for teachers of English. Most language schools expect teachers to have a

pedagogical background or qualification as well as a solid knowledge of the English

language. A recognised teaching qualification is the CELTA course (Certificate in English

Language Teaching to Adults) which is a qualification for English teachers throughout

Europe.

In Germany a teacher of English working at a language school should:

have a certificate for teaching a foreign language e.g. CELTA, TESOL

and/or TEFL and/or have an academic degree or a business education

have experience teaching English as a foreign language

Language schools often favour English native speakers with teaching experience and qualified

native speakers who should work as freelance trainers or full-time teachers.

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In the UK language schools provide tuition to students aged 14 and above. Some come for

short summer courses and some take a whole year program leading to a IELTS exam and

granting access to university education. Teachers generally have DELTA, occassionally an

MA and sometimes just a CELTA.

2.1.2. Dyslexia as part of pre-service teacher training institutions

(PRESETT)

In each partner country, four teacher training institutions were selected for analysis, two in the

area of pre-service teacher training and two in in-service teacher training. The study

programmes at the institutions and syllabuses were analyzed. We were identifying the courses

or programmes dealing either with dyslexia in relation to foreign language teaching and

dyslexia in general. Also, we looked for other courses or seminars dealing with specific

learning difficulties (SpLD) or special educational needs (SEN). The results are presented in

the following subchapters.

2.1.2.1. Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language

teaching (PRESETT)

No such courses were offered in researched pre-service teacher training

institutions in Austria, Germany (Bavaria), Poland and UK.

The courses available in the Czech Republic and Hungary are presented in the table below.

Country Course Comments

Czech Republic Teaching English to

Children with Dyslexia

Optional course taught by an

American specialist. The

course was last offered in the

Fall 2010.

Hungary Language users with special Optional course for BA

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needs students in the second

semester of 2010/11. Apart

from dyslexia the course also

focused on hearing impaired

and visually impaired

language learners.

Dyslexic language learners A 30-hour course from 2007

to 2012 for pre-service

English teachers. This course

is based on the work of the

Equal Opportunities in

language Learning Research

Group which operated from

2007-2010 led by Judit

Kormos and Agnes Imrene

Sarkadi was teaching the

course from 2007 to 2010.

Table 2: Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching (PRESETT)

* It should be noted that apart from the two pre-service teacher training institutions, no other

teacher training institutions in Hungary offered courses on dyslexic language learners.

Some pre-service teacher training institutions included the topic of dyslexia and FL teaching

into their courses of ELT methodology. An example is the Czech course of ELT Methodology

2A in which teaching children with SLD was one of 10 topics in the syllabus of the course

offered in the 3rd semester of MA study programme for lower secondary teachers. In the

other Czech pre-service teacher training institution dyslexia was very briefly mentioned

in ELT Methodology for lower secondary teachers (without a specification in the syllabus) and

was a part of syllabus of ELT methodology for primary teachers.

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In Poland there were workshops offered within the course of Methodology of Teaching

English to Young Learners (2nd year of studies) where two 90-minute blocks were devoted to

basic information about dyslexia. The other Polish pre-service teacher training institution

offered a worshop within the course of Methodology of Teaching English to Young Learners

(2nd year of studies) – two 90- minute blocks were devoted to basic information about

dyslexia and each included a self – study task. There was a single workshop on dyslexia

offered within Language Didactics Course (2nd year BA studies; 60h).

The situation in the UK was analyzed in the PhD thesis by Anne Margaret Smith, who

conducted a survey and an interview study and found that no information is provided in UK

language teacher training institutions on dyslexia. In the UK MA level courses are quite short

and do not have a general educational psychology component and nor do most BA TESOL

courses. Unless someone does two separate degrees one in TESOL and another in special

education, they would not know much about dyslexia.

A quick search of the PgCE courses offered at UK universities has shown that teachers doing

a PgCE in Modern Languages (French, Spanish, Italian etc.) do not take any courses in

educational psychology. Optional sessions on additional needs in language learning are

occasionally offered (i.e. in Oxford).

2.1.2.2. Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (PRESETT)

No such courses were offered in the researched pre-service teacher training institutions

in most of the countries (the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary. Poland and UK).

The courses available in Austria are listed in the table below.

Austria The appropriate interaction

with dyslexic students - their

strength and weaknesses

University of Education in

Vienna.

Say goodbye to reading and

spelling errors


Vienna.

Table 3: Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (PRESETT)

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Only teachers working at state schools with a recognised national teaching qualification can

offer dyslexia support to students at state schools if they have attended an additional

qualification (or certificate) as certified dyslexia teachers.

At private institutions there is no pre-requisite to offer tuition or dyslexia training to students.

Each private institution has their own guidelines on the pre-requisites for a specialised

dyslexia training programme for tutors/trainers.

In Poland, workshops were offered within a Psychology Course (1st year of studies)

in researched institutions.

In the UK when doing their PgCE future core curriculum teachers at primary level learn about

specific learning differences and the legal regulations and actions that need to be taken if they

suspect a student has SpLD. This mainly pertains to English as the student’s first language

though. Therefore it is not really relevant for the current project.

From the perspective of our project it is very interesting that there is currently a petition being

circulated in the UK (more than 9, 500 signatures at the moment) requiring that dyslexia

training should be mandatory in Initial Teacher Training. The petition initiated by British

Dyslexia Association proposes that Initial Teacher Training course providers should be

required to deliver mandatory and consistent dyslexia awareness sessions. They also claim

that all teachers should be trained to understand dyslexia, its impact on learning and what

constitutes dyslexia friendly practice. Teachers should be aware of when to signpost learners

for assessment and when to provide appropriate intervention.

2.1.2.3. Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (PRESETT)

These courses may not be directly linked to dyslexia or foreign language teaching. We wanted

to include them in the research, however, to give a richer picture of the situation in teacher

training, specifically in pre-service teacher training institutions.

There were no courses of this type at the researched institutions in Austria, Germany

(Bavaria) and the UK.

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The courses available in the other countries are presented in the table below.


Austria Introduction to the method

of analysising individual

learning processes


Vienna

Integration of students with

autistic perception


Vienna

Czech Republic Special Education 2 Provided within the masters

study programme for primary

teachers. It is specifically

aimed with regard to foreign

language teaching.

Special education 1 1 required lecture plus

seminar (1 semester).

Teaching children with SLD

is one of 20 topics in the

syllabus.

Special Education for

teachers

Required course. Teaching

children with SpLD is one of

13 topics.

Specific learning and

behavioral difficulties.

Optional course.

Hungary At risk learners - students

with specific learning

disability in secondary

education.

Last offered in autumn 2010

(no syllabus or course

description is available).

Poland Basics of psychology for

teachers

Two-semester course for

EFL pre-service students,

teaching dyslexic students as

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part of the syllabus - during 2

meetings.

Educational Psychology

Course

1st year of studies; 60 h. One

workshop only concerned

students with ADHD

(Attention Deficit and

Hyperactivity Disorder), no

focus on dyslexia.

Psychology course Two semester course – 60h

for EFL pre-service students,

2nd year BA studies, no

mention of dyslexia.

Pedagogy course 60 h for 1st year MA

students, no mention of

dyslexia.

Table 4: Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (PRESETT)

2.1.3. Dyslexia as part of in-service teacher training institutions

(INSETT)

2.1.3.1. Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language

teaching (INSETT)

No such courses were offered in researched in-service teacher training

institutions in Austria and Poland.

The courses we found in the other countries are presented in the table below:

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Country

Course

Comments

Czech Republic Specific nature and

possibilities of teaching

English to students with

SpLD

Offered by a regional centre for in-

service training. Usually focusing on

dyslexia and dysgraphia.

SpLD - teaching foreign

languages

The same.

Germany English: Difficulties in

Reading and/or

orthography in the

foreign language

English

For teachers of „Realschule

English: Learning with

specific development

disorders (focus on

dyslexia)

For teachers of „Hauptschule“

Hungary 5-hour training Based on the work of the Equal

Opportunities in Language Learning

Research Group, offered in 2011

UK Half-day workshops Provided by ELTwell, a private

company

.(http://www.eltwell.co.uk/index.html)

Table 5: Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching (INSETT)

2.1.3.2. Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (INSETT)

No such courses were offered in researched in-service teacher training institutions in the

Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

http://www.eltwell.co.uk/index.html

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The courses we found in the other partner countries are presented in the table below:


Austria Dyslexic and Dyscalculia

Training

Academy for Dyslexic

Therapy, Dyscalculia

Therapy and Coaching for

Learners

Interdisciplinary

Educational Training

Course for Dyslexia

Therapists

Realized at the Austrian

Association for Dyslexia

Dyslexia or Dyscalculia

Distance Learning Course

Offered at the Dyslexia

Research Centre

Germany Dyslexia Therapy Additional qualification for

educators and

psychotherapists.

In-service courses for

teachers and medical doctors.

Institute for Orthography and

Language Skills

UK National Dyslexia - SpLD

Specialist Teacher Training

Certificate courses for

practicing teachers and

diploma level courses are

being designed.

Dyslexia Action UK.

Certificate Courses in the

Teaching of Children with

Dyslexia.

Dyslexia Action UK.

Table 6: Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (INSETT)

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2.1.3.3. Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (INSETT)

No courses in inservice-teacher training that are not listed under other headings were found

in Poland and the UK.

The courses found in the other countries are listed in the table below.

Country

Course

Comments

Czech Republic Specific nature of SpLD

at lower secondary level

a four-hour course aimed at

SpLD but not with regard to

foreign language teaching)

Preventing low achievement

and SpLDs at pre-school

age.

Five-hour course for pre-

school teachers

Developing sensual

perception with pre-school

children to prevent SpLDs

Six-hour course for pre-

school teachers

Restless child - a problem

called ADHD

Part of the course is devoted

to SpLD including dyslexia

as an accompanying feature

of ADHD/ADD.

Specific learning and

behaviour difficulties,

possible remedies

Six-hour course dealing with

SpLD in general.

How can we diagnose SpLD

at pre-school age?

Six-hour course for pre-

school teachers.

Germany Training Courses for school

psychologists

All school types.

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Training Courses for

counsellors

Secondary schools.

Relevant Intervention

Approaches to Social

Anxieties

All school types.

Theory and Practice of

Integrative Learning

Therapy

Correspondence courses.

Hungary Catering for individual

differences in the classroom

30-hour course.

Student with social,

behavioural and learning

difficulties

30-hour course

Table 7: Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (INSETT)

As for Poland, we checked the courses offered by the institutions devoted solely to in-service

teacher training, such as local and national methodological centres:

National level: Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji (ORE) (Centre for Education Development):

http://www.ore.edu.pl/

ORE provides up-to-date information on the legal educational status of students with SEN

(including dyslexia), organizes courses and offers numerous downloadable materials on how

to enhance the effectiveness of education with regard to students with SEN, including specific

difficulties in learning to read and write – dyslexia. It needs stressing though that the actions

undertaken by ORE refer more generally to SEN (with dyslexia included as part of SEN) and

are not specifically directed to foreign language teachers but to teachers in general. All

materials and courses are in Polish.

National level: Polskie Towarzystwo Dysleksji (PTD) (Polish Dyslexia Association):

http://www.ptd.edu.pl/

http://www.ore.edu.pl/

http://www.ptd.edu.pl/

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PTD provides information on the legal educational status of students with dyslexia, organizes,

workshops, courses and conferences on how to enhance the effectiveness of education with

regard to students with dyslexia. Again, no courses are offered specifically to teachers of

English as a foreign language. All materials and courses are in Polish.

Regional level: Wojewódzki Ośrodek Metodyczny (WOM), Opole (regional methodological

centre): http://www.wom.opole.pl

School support system for SEN students – workshops (14 hours) for teachers but not

specifically for foreign language teachers. The aim is to develop teachers' skills to

recognize and understand the needs of SEN students and to develop school support

documents.

2.1.4. Legal documents providing for dyslexia and dyslexic students

2.1.4.1.Dyslexia in legal documents and ministerial regulations

In Austria there is no specific legislative document for the assessment of dyslexic students in

any type of school.The most important document for the assessment of dyslexic students is

the legislation of the performance appraisal, which emphasizes that correct spelling should not

be the only criterion when assessing students and it is listed as the fourth most important

assessment criteria. The document also emphasises the importance of oral exams. Dyslexic

students can still pass their exams if they perform satisfactorily in oral exams despite

performing poorly in written exams. The Ministry of Education provides recommendations

and guidelines on the assessment of students with dyslexia. Recommendations differ for each

county in Austria. Recommendations from the ministry of education include the allowing

dyslexic students additional time at exams, the use of dictionaries and electronic language

aids, for example, electronic spell checks. There are no ministerial regulations or documents

concerning language exams.

In the Czech Republic Act No. 561/2004 Coll. on all levels of education (esp. Section 16

http://www.wom.opole.pl/

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Education of Children, Pupils and Students with Special Educational Needs) states that

the special educational needs of children, pupils and students shall be catered for by the

school. Children, pupils or students with special educational needs shall be entitled to an

education the content, form and methods of which correspond to their educational needs and

possibilities, to the providion of conditions enabling such education and on the advisory

assistance of the school. When admitting disabled pupils and students, and pupils and students

who are disadvantaged in terms of health conditions, and when such pupils and students

complete their education, adequate conditions corresponding to their needs shall be specified.

The head teacher may, in exceptional cases, prolong the length of secondary and tertiary

professional education, however not more than by two years, for individual disabled pupils or

students.

Ministerial regulation 72 on providing advisory services in schools and 73 on education of

pupils and students with SEN and talented pupils and students guarantee supportive measures

for children with any special needs (including dyslexia) – supportive measures are defined as

special textbooks, didactic materials, services of pedagogical-psychological centres, providing

a specialized teacher, decreasing the number of students in a classroom or other measures

considering special needs of a particular student. The document is valid for all types of

schools.

In Hungary students with special educational needs can study in special institutions or

together with other students (Education Act, 1993, 30. § (2) )

The Education Act (1993) is the most relevant source of information concerning the rights of

Hungarian dyslexic students. However, it is confusing that the word dyslexia itself is not used

in the act. We can read about the rights of students with special education needs and about the

rights of students with social, behavioural and learning difficulties (this term refers to

students who have either social, behavioural or learning difficulties, and not to students who

have the three difficulties at the same time) It is a highly controversial question in Hungary

whether there are dyslexic students among students with learning difficulties. (Before 2007

the diagnosis of students with learning difficulties often contained the word dyslexia, and

student with learning difficulties were eligible for the same governmental financial support as

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students with special educational needs (the financial support was given to the school not to

the student). Since 2007 students with social, behavioural and learning difficulties are no

longer eligible for extra governmental financial support, and the distinction between the two

categories is emphasized. However in public education students with social, behavioural and

learning difficulties are entitled to the same accommodations as students with special

educational needs. In terms of English, it means that students belonging to both categories can

be exempted from the evaluation of their foreign language studies. Even if we agree with the

claim that students with learning difficulties are not dyslexic, as language teachers we cannot

turn a blind eye to the difficulties of these students and we cannot ignore the fact that these

students have indeed great difficulties since they are often exempted from the evaluation of

their foreign language.

The category of students with special needs are defined as the following:

"Students with special needs are

a. students with physical, sensory, mental disabilities, speech impediment, autism, students

with multiple disabilities and students with permanent and severe disorder of the development

of cognitive functions

b . students with severe disorder of the development of cognitive functions.

(Educational Act,. 121. §(1).29. a) and b)

"permanent and severe disorder of the development of cognitive functions" and "severe

disorder of the development of cognitive functions" refers to dyslexia, but the law does not

state it explicitly. Moreover, it is often debated how the two categories can be distinguished in

a valid way, and it is often questioned how scientific these categories are.

At Hungarian universities a language exam is a graduation requirement. According to the

2006 (IV. 05.) Governmental decree 18. §, dyslexic language learners can be exempted from

the oral or the written part of the language exam (as a graduation requirement) if she is unable

to pass that exam part because of her disability (according to this legal document dyslexia is a

disability).

Complete exemption is also possible according to the Higher Education Act (2005) 61 §, 1).

When it is warranted, disabled students can be exempted from the foreign language

graduation requirement. (According to the Higher Education Act dyslexic students belong to

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the category of disabled students.)

The New Higher Education Act which will come into force in September 2012 states that

disabled students can be exempted from the language exam graduation requirement (49, 8§).

Higher education institutions give extra points for language exams at the entrance exam,

therefore dyslexic language learners without language exam are at a disadvantage. According

to the current legal regulations about higher education, disabled students get extra points at

the entrance exam in higher education. This way a dyslexic student may lose some points

because s/he does not have a language exam, but s/he also get extra points because s/he is

dyslexic.

It is not yet known if this practice changes from September 2012 or not.

Language exam centers should provide equal opportunities for disabled exam takers by

providing appropriate circumstances for them: 137/2008. (V. 16.) governmental decree about

language exams. However it is not defined what the appropriate circumstances are for

students with different kind of disabilities. (A list of recommendations for language exam

centers was prepared by Judit Kormos and Agnes Imrene Sarkadi in 2008 about

accommodations for dyslexic exam takers).

On the basis of the diagnosis issued by the National Committees for Assessing Learning

Abilities and Rehabilitation (in case of students with special educational needs), or by

educational counsellors (in case of students with social, behavioural and learning difficulties).

the head of the school can exempt the students with special educational needs and students

with social, behavioural and learning difficulties from the assessment of certain subjects or

from certain parts of school subjects ( in case of language learners it means they can be

exempted from spelling, or from the assessment of their written/oral performance). This

section of the Education Act also states that if a student is exempted from the the assessment

of certain subjects or from certain parts of school subjects , she should take part in individual

therapy to overcome her difficulties. (Unfortunately most of the cases these lessons only focus

on native language skills and do provide help to overcome difficulties in foreign language

learning).

It should be noted that a new Education Law was accepted in December 2011. It will come

into force in September 2012. This legal document does not speak about exemption from

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assessment but about alternative verbal assessment instead of marks, and only in case

of students with special educational needs(and not in the case of students with social,

behavioural and learning differences). It does not list partial exemption from school subject

and accommodations at school leaving exams are not mentioned either. We presume there

will be a number of amendments to the Education Act before it comes into force, and the

rigths of students in need of special attention will be discussed in more detail. However, if

students with social, behavioural and learning difficulties should indeed be assessed the same

way as other students, and students with special educational needs should be given verbal

assessment, it means that our project will be extremely important for Hungarian language

teachers, who will have to face the challenge of teaching and assessing formerly exempted

dyslexic students. The studies focusing on exemption indicated that teachers ,and student

often interpret exemption from assessment as an exemption from teaching, studying (Sarkadi

& Kormos, 2010).

In Germany (Bavaria) “The Promotion of Students with Special Learning Difficulties” was

released on November 16, 1999 and amended on February 25, 2000 by the Bavarian Ministry

of Education.

This ministerial regulation deals with the definition and specification of difficulties in the

field of reading and spelling, the diagnosis, the assistance measures and the assessment of

students with dyslexic problems. Specific information given in this document will be referred

to in the following subchapters.

In Poland several ministerial regulations concerning educating students with SEN and

organizing psychological-pedagogical help for them were introduced by the Polish Ministry

of Education in 2010.

The most important one (November 17, 2010, Dz. U. Nr 228, item 1491) concerns the

conditions and ways of assessing, classifying and promoting students as well as conducting

external examinations in public schools. This particular document:

refers to all types of schools,

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introduces a new definition of SEN,

specifies the time when an opinion stating specific difficulties in learning

has to be issued by the psychological-pedagogical centre (dyslexia has to

be diagnosed no sooner that at the end of the third grade of primary school

and no later than by the end of six grade of primary school)

makes all teachers obliged to individualise their work with SEN students

during both compulsory and facultative classes

makes all teachers obliged to accommodate educational requirements

towards individual developmental and educational needs and psycho-

physical abilities of all SEN students who are granted psychological-

pedagogical help

describes new competences of headmasters with reference to

accommodating the conditions of external exams (headmasters choose

from the list of possible accommodations provided by the director of

Central Examination Commission and grant them to individual SEN

students depending on their needs).

Another regulation concerns assistance and supportive measures granted to children with

special educational needs (SEN) ( November 17,2010, Dz. U. Nr 228, item 1487).

This act guarantees free supportive measures in cooperation with parents, pedagogical –

psychological centres and other institutions. It may take the form of:

therapeutic classes

compensatory, remedial classes

other.

The act also guarantees early diagnosis, planning and carrying out supportive actions for SEN

students.

The written opinion/diagnosis issued by the pedagogical-psychological centre is a basic

document that allows teachers to accommodate and adjust the requirements to fit the specific

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needs and learning abilities of a particular student. It may be issued no earlier than at the end

of the third grade of primary school and no later than by the end of primary school.

This written opinion also legitimises accommodating teaching methods as well as the

conditions for taking class tests and school-leaving exams. It applies to all types of schools.

The situation in the UK is specific as English as a second/foreign language teaching is not

part of the curriculum.

In the UK the relevant documents are Department for Education and Science (DES)

(1981) Education Act. London: HMSO and Disability Discrimination Act. (2005) London:

HMSO.

Most relevant duties of schools and education providers are to:

mesh with existing development plans of schools and post-16 institutions to take

account of the particular barriers to achievement for disabled children and young

people

provide a framework to consolidate education provision for disabled children and

young people

help widen participation and retention in further and higher education

create an emphasis on equality of opportunity for disabled children and young

people and give greater imperative to schools and local authorities to implement

the planning duties imposed by the SEN and Disability Act 2001

lead to an increase in the representation of disabled people in the teaching

profession and the retention of staff who become disabled

encourage education institutions to think and plan strategically about other

disabled stakeholders, including parents and people using school premises, as well

as promoting greater knowledge and understanding of disability amongst all

learners with benefits to society at large.

Schools had to prepare an accessibility plan based on the new law.

Some other relevant documents in the UK are:

Department of Education and Science (2001) Guidance to Support Pupils with Dyslexia and

Dyscalculia (No. DfES 0512/2001) London: HMSO

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In 2009, a review of the situation of dyslexic students was carried out and action was

proposed. Sir Jim Rose’s review on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia

made the following conclusions and recommendations:

Training 4000 specialist teachers in dyslexia over the next two years;

Boosting early identification (eg. from Year 1) and effective intervention for pupils

with dyslexic difficulties;

Making provisions for dyslexia awareness training for existing teachers;

Putting more special educational needs training into initial teacher training courses;

Acknowledging the need for specialist teachers and 1:1 interventions for severely

dyslexic pupils;

School should build a positive dialogue with parents and provide relevant information

for them;

Schools should provide support for children with dyslexia at transfer to secondary

school;

Continuing Helpline advice for parents and teachers.

Access arrangements are provided in exams (see the specifications of the Office of

Qualifications and Exams Regulations (http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/).

2.1.4.2. Assessment of students with dyslexia in legal documents

In Austria there is no specific legislative document for the assessment of dyslexic students.

The most important document for the assessment of dyslexic students is the legislation of the

performance appraisal, which emphasises that correct spelling should not be the only criterion

when assessing students and is listed as the fourth most important asessment criteria. The

document also emphasises the importance of oral exams. Dyslexic students can still pass their

exams if they perform satisfactory in oral exams despite performing poorly in written exams.

The ministry for education provides recommendations and guidelines on the assessment of

students with dyslexia. Recommendations differ for each county in Austria.

Recommendations from the Ministry of Education include the allowing dyslexic students

additional time at exams, the use of dictionaries and electronic language aids, for example,

http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/

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electronic spell checkers.

In the Czech Republic the students must be assessed in compliance with Act No. 561/2004

Coll. on all levels of education (esp. Section 16 Education of Children, Pupils and Students

with Special Educational Needs).

When evaluating pupils and students with special educational needs the nature of their

disability or disadvantage must be taken into account. The assessment types include

classifying grade (mark)

verbal assessment (must be recommended by the pedagogical

psychological centre, asked for by the legal representative and approved by

the head of the school

combination of the above mentioned types

with regard to a pupil with a learning disability the head teacher shall

decide on using verbal evaluation upon the request of the pupil’s statutory

representative.

The educational results of pupils attending special basic schools shall be evaluated verbally.

In school leaving exams the students are entitled to get extra time when needed.

In Germany, as far as foreign languages are concerned, the students’ evaluation will focus on

oral activities. The students‘ reading and spelling should not be evaluated. Dyslexic students

will be allotted up to 50% more time for their assessment.

The balance weight of oral and written performance in students with dyslexia is 50%

oral/50% written performance. For other students it is 33% oral/66% written performance.

The mark of an unannounced test will not be included in the scoring of oral examination (3.2.

“Fremdsprachen” –“Foreign languages”).

As for school leaving exams, the marks on the certificate at graduation of a certain school will

be in accordance with the legal requirements stipulated in the regulations of that particular

school. On the certificates it will be mentioned that the orthography was not under review due

to the dyslexia diagnosis. Therefore before the upper level at Gymnasium or at the latest

before entering the 9th grade at Realschule dyslexic students have the possibility to notify in

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writing that they will not receive any assistance measures and any compensation for

disadvantages in the remaining period of school years as well as in the school-leaving/final

exam.

According to “Dyslexia-Edict” in Bavaria (“Legasthenie-Erlass Bayern”) the teachers of

foreign languages should have in view that:

they should allow dyslexic students up to 50% more amount of time for

completing their tasks

they should focus on oral assessment (the dyslexic students are exempted

from written assessment, such as dictations; voluntary participation on

written tests will be verbally assessed).

they must provide supplementary assistance to dyslexic students.

they should not mark dyslexic students‘ reading and spelling.

In Hungary according to the Education Act (1993. 30. § (9) if a student is exempted from a

school subject which is the compulsory part of the school leaving exam, she is permitted to

chose a subtitute subject at the school leaving exam. Extra time should be provided and

technical aids can be used (computer, calculator). Written tasks can be substituted by oral

tasks and vice versa. For a more detailed account of the situation in Hungary see chapter

2.1.4.1.

In Poland the Ministry of Education issued regulations concerning conditions and ways of

assessing, classifying and promoting dyslexic students. (April, 30, 2007, Dz.U. 83, item 562

with the recent changes on November, 17, 2010, Dz. U. Nr 228, item 1491).

Teachers of all school types are obliged to accommodate and adjust their requirements on the

basis of the written opinion from the pedagogical-psychological centre to match the individual

needs and learning abilities of a student with special educational needs.

School headmaster has the right to dismiss a student with a diagnosed deep developmental

dyslexia from second foreign language classes.

The list of possible accommodations for SEN students at school-leaving exams is provided by

the director of the Central Examination Commission. There are four such exams: after

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primary school, after lower secondary school (gymnasium), after higher-secondary school

(lyceum) – ‘matura’ exam and an exam confirming job qualifications. Headmasters choose

from the available accommodations and grant them to SEN students depending on their needs

and the type of exam.

Possible accommodations include:

marking the answers to closed questions on the exam sheet instead of on

the answer sheet,

extended time,

noting down the answers on computer – only in the cases where poor

graphic level of writing makes it impossible to read the answers to the

exam questions,

using the help of assisting teacher who notes down the answers to open

questions (only in the case only in the cases where poor graphic level of

writing makes it impossible to read the answers to the exam questions),

using the help of assisting teacher who once reads aloud all the 250 word

and longer passages which constitute the bases for the exam tasks to a

given student before the student gets to work (only in the case of severe

dyslexia which makes reading and hence understanding of the reading

passage impossible)

applying specific criteria for assessing the answers to open questions

(applies to Polish, foreign languages and mathematics).

UK

Each high-stakes commercial language exam has its own access arrangements in the UK (e.g.

Cambridge ESOL exams, Trinity exams, Pearson Educational exams). These exam

arrangements are based on the specifications of the Office of Qualifications and Exams

Regulations (http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/). A brief list of available accommodations that

pertain to any exam taken under the auspices of Ofqual including school leaving (GCSE and

A level exams) as well as professional qualifications exams is the following:

alternative accommodation (away from centre)

http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/

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computer reader

examination on coloured/enlarged paper

extra time of up to 25 per cent

extra time of up to 25 per cent with supervised rest breaks

extra time over 25 per cent

live speaker for pre-recorded examination components

modified papers

oral language modifier

practical assistant for practical assessments

practical assistant for written papers

reader

scribe/voice activated computer system/voice input system

sign language interpreter

supervised rest breaks

transcript.

Understandably, some of these do not refer to language exams as they would be considered

modifications that change the underlying construct that is being measured in the exam. High-

stakes language proficiency examinations offered in the UK vary quite considerably in the

kind of accommodations they offer though.

2.1.4.3. Dyslexia in national curricula

In Austria there is no specific legislation for the assessment of dyslexic students in the

national curricula. The most important document for the assessment of dyslexic students is the

legislation of the performance appraisal. This legislation highlights that the correct spelling of

words should not be the only or main criteria when assessing students. The correct spelling of

words is listed as the forth most important criteria in the assessment of students.

In the Czech Republic, RVP – the Framework Educational Programme is the national

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curriculum binding for all types of schools. It aims to provide students with key competences

and for that it assumes using various teaching methods and techniques to ensure lifelong

learning of a student. The key competences include communicative, problem-solving,

learning, work, social and civil competences. Different categories of learners with SEN

(including dyslexia) are specifically mentioned in the curriculum. Teachers should respond to

individual needs of the pupils, to the current state of their knowledge and provide them with

effective support. However, the formulation is vague and overly general.

School education programmes based on the Framework Educational Programmes are

designed by schools. The teachers who develop and follow school educational programmes

should, according to the Ministry of Education, educate the pupils so that they are able to

benefit from their individual capacities, to base the education on the prevailing interests,

capabilities and limits.

There is no national curriculum in Germany. Education policy in Germany is one of the main

tasks of the 16 partly sovereign constituent states. For Bavaria there is one regulation

(“Dyslexia-Edict”in Bavaria =“Legasthenie-Erlass Bayern”).

This Dyslexia-Edict basically distinguishes between three different type sof dyslexia: “

“Legasthenie“ (dyslexia) where about 4% of the students are concerned, “Lese – und

Rechtschreibschwäche“ (temporary dyslexia) with about 7-10 % of the students concerned

and “Allgemeine Lese- und Rechtschreibschwäche bei sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf“

(dyslexia due to general special needs). The statements in this publication will refer to the part

of the regulation dealing with dyslexia.

In Hungary the 2/2005. (III. 1.) decree of the Ministry of Education contains directives on

how to apply the national curricula in case of students with special educational needs. The

decree lists dyslexia among disabilities related to speech, it states that in case of dyslexic

language learners auditive methods should be favoured, it states that these students should

attend speech therapy.

Another section of the same decree classifies dyslexia as a disorder resulting from atypical

psychological development (together with ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia). This section also

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states that auditive methods should be favoured in language teaching. The decree does not

contain any directives in connection with students with social, behavioural, and learning

difficulties.

The school curricula should contain a teaching program for the development of the students

with special educational need which is appropiate considering the disability and the severity

of the disability. 2/2005. (III. 1.) decree of the Ministry of Education.

The school curricula may provide extra time for fulfiling the requirements of a certain grade

than the duration of the school year.

In Poland there is a very general statement included in the core curriculum for primary

schools that assistance and pedagogical-psychological support must be provided for students

who need it in order to meet the requirements of primary level.

Teachers of all school types are obliged to accommodate and adjust their requirements on the

basis of the written opinion from the pedagogical – psychological centre to match the

individual needs and learning abilities of a student with special educational needs

Students with diagnosed developmental dyslexia have the right to take the school leaving

exams in the form that was recommended in the written opinion from the pedagogical –

psychological centre. They have the possibility to write in capital letters or take the exam in a

separate room. Extra time may be provided. For students with poor graphic level of writing

that makes it impossible to read the answers to the exam questions a computer may be

provided.

2.1.4.4. Documents provided by pedagogical-psychological centres (e.g. individual

education plan)

In Austria the guidelines from the Ministry of Education make recommendations that class

room teachers should individualise the curriculum towards the abilities of dyslexic students.

In most counties remedial courses are available to support dyslexic students but this is not

compulsory.

The assessment of dyslexic students is generally undertaken by a school psychologist. Pupils

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are often referred to the school psychologist by classroom teachers. There are no national

guidelines for the assessment of dyslexic students by school psychologists. Only if a student

has been assessed as being dyslexic by a school psychologist, recommendations are made to

classroom teachers to adapt their teaching and assessment methods to the needs of the

dyslexic student, according to the recommendations of the ministry of education, for example,

the allowance of additional time at exams, more emphasis on oral assessment or exams, etc.

In the Czech Republic, if a student is included in a state/standard school, they have their

individual plan (regulation 73/2005 Coll.), which includes the data on the pupil/student,

diagnosis and activities suggested for the individual learning areas.

A child is sent for diagnostics to a pedagogical psychological centre by their class teacher

(who suspects the child has SLD). Head teachers may, after receiving in writing the

recommendation of a pedagogical-psychological centre, in the case of a minor pupil with

special educational needs or being extraordinarily gifted, at the request of his/her statutory

representative, or in the case of a pupil who is of legal age or a student with special

educational needs or being extraordinarily gifted, at his/her own request, permit education

according to an individual educational plan. With regard to secondary or tertiary professional

education head teachers may permit education according to an individual educational plan

also on the basis of other serious reasons.

The organisation of teaching and learning then demands special management: special

approaches, tempo, individual approach, preference of oral methods, decreased number of

students in the classroom, mutual communication between the school and the family, and

using didactic tools.

In Germany a diagnostics certificate issued by a paediatrician and adolescent psychiatric

specialist, a socialpaediatric centre or authorised trained specialists (professional

paediatricians, psychotherapists for children and young people) in collaboration with the

school psychologist who is in charge of the validity of all documents is required. The school

psychologist analyses the records and informs the school of the final decision;

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dyslexia diagnosis is valid throughout the period of time allocated for each

school type;

in case of transfer the documents should be reissued or must be validated;

after an appropriate amount of time (Kultusministerium suggests the 8th

form) the parents can request a new examination which can be followed by

new recommendations;

the students have the possibility to decide by themselves on admission to

upper level schools.

In Hungary National Committees for Assessing Learning Abilities and Rehabilitation

diagnose students with special educational needs, educational counsellors diagnose students

with social, behavioural and learning difficulties.

In their recommendations, they refer to the accommodations provided by the educational act.

In Poland the Ministry of Education issued regulations concerning assistance and supportive

measures to children with special educational needs (SEN) ( November 17,2010, Dz. U. Nr

228, item 1487).

All school teachers have the obligation to observe and identify the educational needs of their

students. If a particular student requires special support and assistance, the school headmaster

appoints a team of teachers and specialists whose task is to establish the type and scope of

support necessary for the student. Then the school headmaster together with the team of

teachers and specialists decides on the ways to accommodate the teaching requirements for

the particular student including time, additional meetings with teachers and specialist,

compensatory classes etc.

Several documents are introduced in the new regulation, for example:

Karta Indywidualnych Potrzeb Ucznia (Card of the individual student‘s needs); Plan Działań

Wspierających (PDW - Supporting activities plan); Indywidualny Program Edukacyjno

Terapeutyczny (IPET - Iindividual educational-therapeutic program). These documents are

prepared by the team who plan and coordinate psychological-pedagogical help support for a

given student. Specialists working in pedagogical-psychological centre are invited by

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headmasters to become members of such teams together with teachers, special teachers and

parents.

In the UK certified experts provide recommendations for the kind of allowance the student

needs, including accommodations and support in exams, academic progress and assessment.

Certified psychologists are allowed to diagnose dyslexia and SpLDs. Only experts who hold a

Practicing Certificate in Assessment are allowed to submit relevant documentation for

Disabled Student Allowances. In primary and secondary schools, teachers prepare the school-

based documentation before the official diagnosis. They also prepare the individual education

plan in the public school system.

2.2. Questionnaire survey findings

2.2.1. Respondents’ background

The first set of items in the questionnaire focused on collecting information about

demographic characteristics of the respondents, namely about the types of schools

respondents teach at, number of years in teaching, age of their students, country in which they

teach or are doing their teacher training courses. The following tables sum up the results of

this part.

TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

I teach at (more than one answer is possible)

Answer Options Response

Percent Response

Count

primary school 36,7% 151

lower-secondary school 34,2% 141

upper-secondary school 35,0% 144

college, university 16,5% 68

language school 20,1% 83

answered question 412

skipped question 2

Table 8: Level of schools respondents teach at

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Table 8 shows that most respondents teach at primary and secondary schools but we also have

respondents who teach at tertiary level or at language schools. It should be noted that some

respondents teach at more than one institution.


I have been teaching for


Percent Response

Count

less than 2 years 14,6% 60

3 -5 years 18,2% 75

6 -10 years 16,7% 69

more than 10 years 50,5% 208


skipped question 2

Table 9: Number of years in teaching

Table 9 shows the length of the respondents’ teaching practice. More than 50% of the

respondents have been teaching for longer than 10 years which indicates that we have a large

proportion of experienced teachers in the sample.


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


Percent Response

Count

up to 5 years 4,1% 17

6 -10 years 25,7% 106

10 -15 years 45,6% 188

15 -19 years 44,7% 184

20+ years 30,3% 125


skipped question 2

Table 10: Age of students taught by respondents

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Most of our respondents teach students between the ages of 10 to 15, i.e. the age when foreign

language learning is compulsory in all partner countries.

TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES I have taught / am going to teach English next year (more than one answer is possible)


Percent Response

Count

in classes where there are no dyslexic students 27,4% 113

in classes where some of the students are dyslexic 63,8% 263

in classes specialized for dyslexic students 2,2% 9

in classes with students who are exempted from assessment because they are dyslexic

6,3% 26

dyslexic students in one-to-one sessions 5,6% 23

I do not yet know what classes I will teach next year 28,2% 116


skipped question 2

Table 11: Presence of dyslexic students in respondents’ classes

A great majority of the respondents stated they teach or are going to teach in mainstream

classes where there are some dyslexic students. The second largest group (over a hundred of

respondents) believes there are no dyslexic students in their classes, which is a very

interesting finding that can be interpreted as an indication of a lack of ability to identify

dyslexia.

2.2.2. Respondents’ knowledge and experience with dyslexia

The second set of questions aimed at finding information about the actual knowledge and

experience the respondents have with dyslexia, about the ways in which they approach

dyslexic students in their language classes and about their knowledge and practical use of

different kinds of accommodations in teaching and assessment that the students with dyslexia

are entitled to. It also served to identify the pre-service and in-service training they were given

on teaching dyslexic individuals. A detailed overview of all the answers is available in

Appendix V.

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Chart 1: Item analysis

Chart 1 shows the percentages of respondents’ answers to particular questions. More than

80% of the respondents agreed with items 5 and 11 (adding responses of “definitely true of

me“ and „mostly true of me“) stating that they would appreciate more information about

teaching methods and if these were available, they would definitely use them. In item 20 three

quarters of respondents were interested in further training in the field of teaching English to

dyslexic students. Almost 70% of respondents in items 6, 7, 14 and 15 claimed they were

aware of the difficulties dyslexic students are facing in foreign language learning. They stated

they were able to define the term dyslexia and would allow for extra time in writing tasks and

assess dyslexic students orally.

The lowest number of respondents agreed with the statement in item 19 which means that the

respondents were not familiar with the accommodations dyslexic students are entitled to in

taking foreign language proficiency exams. Almost an equally low percentage agreed with the

statements in items 3, 4 and 9, i.e. respondents have not developed their own techniques for

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teaching English to dyslexic students, have not learnt how to teach English to dyslexic

students, and did not know how to develop learning strategies of their dyslexic students (see

Chart 1).

Construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed using factor analysis (see also Appendix

III). The analysis divided the items into five interrelated categories that are presented in

Table 12:

Category 1: Familiarity with

dyslexia:

9) I know how to develop learning strategies of my dyslexic

students.

10) I know how to assess my dyslexic students.

16) I know how to apply the principles of multisensory

learning.

17) I am familiar with the accommodations dyslexic students

are entitled for in English language lessons.


are entitled for at the national school leaving exams.


are entitled in taking foreign language proficiency exams.

Category 2: Needs for further

training/information

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.

11) If there were materials on the language teaching methods

helping dyslexic students, I would read them.

20) I am interested in further training in the area of teaching

English to students with dyslexia.

Category 3: Dyslexia in TT

2) I learnt about dyslexia during my studies at

college/university/other teacher training institutions.

4) I learnt about how to teach English to dyslexic students in

my courses at college/university teacher training institutions.

7) I can define the term ’dyslexia’.

Category 4: Accommodations of

dyslexic students in practice

13) I do not assess the spelling of dyslexic students.

14) I provide extra time for dyslexic students do a written task.

15) If it is necessary I assess my dyslexic .

Category 5. Experience with

dyslexic students

1) I often encounter dyslexic students in my daily work.

3) I have developed my own techniques for teaching English

to dyslexic students

8) I can recognize a dyslexic student in my English language

class.

12) I know what to do if I think that one of my students is

dyslexic.

Table 12: Five categories of factors

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All the data were also analysed by the method of statistical dispersion and the obtained

results were related to independent variables, namely to the country and the number of years

of teaching practice.

As for the differences between the researched countries, they were first related to the total

score of all 20 questionnaire items. Then the differences between the countries were also

related to their scores in the five categories which resulted from the factor analysis.

Chart 2: Influence of individual countries on the respondents’ knowledge and experience with

dyslexia

When evaluating the influence of individual countries on the respondents’ knowledge and

experience with dyslexia, no significant differences betwen particular countries were

identified. (F = 0,91; p = 0,48)1.

1 F expresses the value of the dispersion analysis and p the level of importance. If p is less than 0,05,

we can consider the difference as significant.

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When evaluating the influence of particular categories, no significant differences among the

individual countries were found in Category 1 (Familiarity with dyslexia), Category 2

(Needs for further training / information ) and Category 5 ( Experience with dyslexic

students).

The high scores of all the countries achieved in Category 2 can be interpretted as an indication

of the need to access further resources related to the teaching of dyslexic students, for

example more information about teaching methods.

In case of Category 3 (Dyslexia in teacher training) we identified a significant difference in

the results between the Czech Republic and Germany (F = 3,66; p < 0,01), with the highest

score achieved by the Czech respondents and the lowest by the respondents from Germany.

With regard to the results of the desk research, this difference is not surprising. There were no

courses related to dyslexia in general or in foreign language teaching in the researched pre-

service teacher training institutions in Germany. On the other hand, many Czech

respondents were graduates from one of the researched universities where there were

a number of courses dealing with dyslexia (even if mostly on a general level, not specifically

focusing on foreign language teaching and learning)..

Also in Category 4 (Accommodation of dyslexic students in practice), a significant

difference (F = 2,35; p < 0,05) was found, this time between Hungarian respondents (highest

score) and German respondents (lowest score). The results may be explained by the fact that

many Hungarian respondents were familiar with the accommodations as they had attended

a course offered by Hungarian members of the consortium (see the findings of the desk

research, namely chapter 2.1.2.1.

Another variable that was analysed was the length of teaching practice of the respondents.

The method of statistic dispersion revealed a significant difference when related to the score

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of all the 20 items of the questionnaire (F = 3,97; p < 0,01). Post-hoc test revealed

a difference between teachers teaching less than two years and teachers teaching 3-5 years

and also teachers teaching more than 10 years. The highest score was achieved by the group

of teachers teaching the shortest and the lowest score by the teachers teaching the longest (see

Chart 3).

Chart 3: Influence of length of teaching practice on respondents’ knowledge and experience

This finding can be considered very important from the point of view of the current project as

it indicates that teachers with the longest teaching practice (probably qualified earlier) were

not informed about dyslexia during their pre-service training whereas the teachers with

a relatively short teaching practice (probably qualified recently) had at least some encounter

with these issues during their pre-service training. We may also assume that the ability to

accommodate dyslexic learners in the foreign langauge classroom does not develop

automatically with the length of teaching practice, in other words, it is not intuitive. Thus the

need to develop high quality training materials is well justified.

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2.2.3. Further training

The third set of items focused on the respondents’ interest in further training related to

dyslexia and the needs of FL teachers, which such a training should address, including its

format, content and particular topics teachers expressed their interest in. More than 95

respondents claimed they are interested in further training in the area of teaching English to

students with dyslexia.


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).


Percent Response

Count

nature of dyslexia 29,2% 106

learning difficulties associated with dyslexia 53,7% 195

the problems dyslexia causes in language learning 71,6% 260

the assessment of dyslexic learners in the language classroom

64,7% 235

how dyslexia is diagnosed 35,5% 129

accommodations the students are entitled for in high-stakes exams

29,5% 107

language teaching techniques that assist dyslexic language learners

84,6% 307

general teaching and classroom management tips for teaching dyslexic language learners

79,3% 288

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

4,4% 16


18


skipped question 51

Table 13: Prefered topics in the training course/materials

Table 13 shows the preferences of the respondents in terms of the topics. The topics that

scored significantly higher than others included language teaching techniques that assist

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

dyslexic language learners and the problems dyslexia causes in language learning. The

preferred topics are those that have a direct connection with the activities of the teacher in the

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foreign language classroom. Teachers want to understand what the problems of dyslexic

learners are and want to be able to find suitable techniques to accommodate the needs.


An ideal format of familiarizing myself with the methods of teaching a foreign language to children with specific learning difficulties is:


Percent Response

Count

printed self-study materials 16,5% 60

an online learning course 11,6% 42

online resources that I can use for self-study 30,3% 110

face to face training workshop 41,6% 151


skipped question 51

Table 14: Format of the training

Table 14 shows that the two highest scores were achieved by face to face training workshop and

online resources that can be used for self-study.


In a training course I would find the following useful (please tick the topics you would find relevant, more than one answer is possible).


Percent Response

Count

brief lectures 48,8% 177

reading articles 31,1% 113

reading book chapters 17,9% 65

reading online resource materials 39,7% 144

watching videos of classrooms 65,8% 239

listening to/reading interviews with dyslexic learners 50,1% 182

listening to/reading interviews with teachers of dyslexic learners

55,9% 203

learning how to design language teaching materials for dyslexic learners

76,9% 279

evaluating language teaching materials designed for dyslexic learners

43,3% 157

designing lesson plans for classes of dyslexic learners

59,0% 214

evaluating lesson plans for classes of dyslexic learners

31,7% 115


skipped question 51

Table 15: Course content

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Three prominent areas were identified in terms of the preferences related to the materials used

in the course, namely learning how to design language teaching materials for dyslexic

learners, watching videos of classrooms and designing lesson plans. The results showed the

respondents’ need not only for ready-made materials but for a thorough understanding of the

principles of their design (see Table 15).

However, even though the preference for certain items is observable, the respondents were

generally interested in most of the items. This is important for the course structure and

content.

The last question in the questionnaire concerned the interest of the respondents in learning

more about the project and in the teacher training materials – outcomes of the project. 95% of

the respondents expressed their interest, which is a very positive result from the perspective of

our project.

3. Conclusions and implications for the project

As for the findings of the desk research in project partner countries, it is obvious that the

opportunities for training dealing with dyslexia in foreign language learning provided on

either a pre-service or in-service level are rather scarce and do not correspond with the current

trends as described in the legal documents and ministerial regulations issued in partner

countries.

At the same time, when studying legal documents we identified a trend to accommodate

dyslexic learners in the classroom, both in terms of instruction and assessment in every

partner country. Interestingly enough, the accommodation that should be provided to dyslexic

learners were specified in the area of assessment whereas the description of accommodations

in the methods of instruction often remained on a rather general level (eg. in Czech Republic.)

Even if the status of dyslexic learners in the legal documents is not always perfectly

unambiguous (the example of a somewhat problematic approach is Hungary) or not clearly

defined on a national level (eg. in Austria), in most countries the legal documents recognize

the special educational needs of dyslexic learners.

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It is obvious that the declaration of the policy in educational documents cannot automatically

guarantee the implementation of the policy in the classroom. Thus the need for an appropriate

framework for teacher training on both pre-service and in-service levels appears to be very

urgent. Without such a framework and suitable teaching materials it is very difficult for

teachers in partner countries to comply with the policies formulated in national educational

documents. Therefore, the planned development of a training course and materials for

teachers that are rooted in the research findings appears to be highly appropriate.

The lack of courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching and those

dealing with dyslexia in general were identified in most of the researched countries especially

in the area of pre-service teacher training. In in-service teacher training the situation was

slightly better but still far from satisfactory. Most courses we found in the available study

programmes and syllabuses concerned specific learning difficulties or other special

educational needs on a rather general level, mostly without a focus on foreign language

teaching.

The results also indicate that the members of the consortium are experienced in the issues of

dyslexia in foreign language teacher training. In several countries the most relevant courses

offered to teacher trainees were either designed by some members of the consortium (esp. in

Hungary) or implemented at partner institutions (esp. in Czech Republic and Poland).

The second part of the research, the questionnaire survey, clearly confirmed the need for a

teacher training framework and materials focusing on foreign language teaching to learners

with dyslexia.

The questionnaire, in terms of its structure, administration and subsequent data analysis

proved to be a reliable tool which helped us to reveal important facts.

We analyzed the data collected from 375 respondents, mostly from the six partner countries

but also from elsewhere. The research sample can be considered well distributed and

representative. The questionnaire respondents almost equally represent teachers of primary,

lower secondary and upper secondary schools.

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A great majority of the respondents teach or are going to teach in mainstream classes where

there are some dyslexic students. The second largest group (over a hundred of respondents)

believes there are no dyslexic students in their classes, which in the view of other

questionnaire items can be interpreted as a lack of ability to identify dyslexia. A similar

percentage (approx. 20%) of the respondents also claimed that they do not encounter dyslexic

students in their classes, a statement that corresponds to the result in the previous item.

As for the knowledge of dyslexia and its impact on foreign language teaching and learning

and familiarity with suitable accommodations, the majority of the respondents stated that their

pre-service and in-service teacher training did not equip them with the necessary information

about dyslexia and did not teach them what a suitable approach to dyslexic students should

look like.

Most of the respondents showed various degrees of, rather on the lower scale, confidence,

knowledge and experience when indentifying, teaching and assessing dyslexic individuals.

95% of the respondents are interested in getting further information and training in teaching

English to dyslexic students.

Implications for the project

Both parts of the research confirmed the need to develop a course and materials that are

planned in the current project.

Course framework as a flexible system

The course should be created as a flexible system that can be appropriated by teacher trainers

in different contexts and can be used in different modalities including a face-to-face course

(prefered by a majority of participants), an online course or a blended course.

The materials should be suitable for both pre-service and in-service training as both of these

levels were identified as equally important in both parts of the research. It is also very

important to include notes for teacher trainers.

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Target groups

The course should be relevant for teachers from all types of schools (primary, secondary,

tertiary and language schools). The majority of our questionnaire respondents came from

primary and secondary schools but we also had teachers from tertiary sector or language

schools who were interested in the project outcomes. Reaching tertiary teachers is especially

important in Hungary where a language exam is part of graduation requirements at

universities.

At the same time, materials should be available for independent self-study which is a format

preferred by quite a large percentage of the survey respondents.

Types of tasks and materials

The effort to develop a course rooted in sound research with a solid theoretical background

should be combined with a careful planning that would respect the respondents’ preferences

to acquire knowledge, skills and competences that have a direct impact on their classroom

practice. As mentioned in the questionnaires, the teachers prefer a hands-on approach to

training. They want to observe and analyse classroom practices, share experience and develop

and evaluate materials for the lessons. The input preferences include short lectures, reading

articles and listening to experienced teachers.

Reading book chapters and journal articles scored lowest among the course format

preferences, which means the place of these materials in the course will have to be justified

and accompanied with tasks raising the teachers’ awareness of the impact of the gained

knowledge on their teaching practice.

Availability of course materials

The respondents who expressed their interest in the course materials do not only come from

the six project countries (who will most probably have access to printed materials) but also

from other countries. Thus the website with available materials appears to be an ideal format

for these individual respondents, not to mention its role in the dissemination of the project

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results and materials. The website should also contain materials for teacher trainers who will

be able to offer their own face-to-face training courses.

Apart from teachers in distant localities the website will also be an important source of

materials for in-service teachers who very often lack relevant training and are too busy to get

engaged in online courses.

Exploitation and dissemination

The results of both parts of the research are also beneficial in providing contacts for the

course exploitation and dissemination. The desk research helped us identify relevant pre-

service and in-service teacher training institutions that should be approached in partner

countries when disseminating the project results. Through the questionnaire survey we also

gained a database of more than 200 teachers interested in further information about the

project and the course and their email contacts.

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List of tables and charts

Table 1: Number of respondents from individual countries

Table 2: Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching (PRESETT)

Table 3: Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (PRESETT)

Table 4: Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (PRESETT)

Table 5: Courses dealing directly with dyslexia in foreign language teaching (INSETT)

Table 6: Courses dealing with dyslexia in general (INSETT)

Table 7: Other courses dealing with SpLD or SEN (INSETT)

Table 8: Five categories of factors

Table 9: Level of schools respondents teach at

Table 10: Number or years in teaching

Table 11t 3: Age of students taught by respondents

Table 12: Presence of dyslexic students in respondents’ classes

Chart 1: Item analysis

Chart 2: Influence of individual countries on on the respondents’ knowledge and experience

with dyslexia

Chart 3: Influence of length of teaching practice on respondents’ knowledge and experience

Table 13: Prefered topics in the training course/materials

Table 14: Format of the training

Table 15: Course content

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Appendices

List of appendices

Appendix I: Template for desk research

Appendix II: Needs analysis - questionnaire

Appendix III: Factor analysis

Appendix IV: Distribution of data

Appendix V: Needs analysis – overview of results

APPENDIX I - Template for desk research

COUNTRY:

Required qualification of teachers of English

Primary

school*

Lower secondary (age

of Ss)*

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Upper

secondary

(age of Ss)*

College, university

Language

school

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1. Dyslexia as part of teacher training Courses focusing on dyslexia, SLD and related fields of study

Courses dealing directly

with

dyslexia

in FL teaching

Pre-service TT

Institution I

Pre-service TT

institution II

In-service TT

institution 1

In-service TT

institution 2

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Courses dealing

with dyslexia

Pre-service TT

institution I

Pre-service TT

institution II

In-service TT

institution 1

In-servis TT

institution 2

Courses dealing

with SpLD (including

dyslexia)

Pre-service TT

institution I

Pre-service TT

institution II

In-service TT

institution 1

In-service TT

institution 2

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Courses related to the

field of study (SEN)

Pre-service TT

institution I

Pre-service TT

institution II

In-service TT

institution 1

In-service TT

institution 2

Other courses where

dyslexia is part of the

syllabus/course content

Pre-service TT

institution I

Pre-service TT

institution II

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In-service TT

institution 1

In-service TT

institution 2

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3. Documents providing for dyslexia and dyslexic students

A. Dyslexia in ministerial regulations and documents*** Types of schools

(inclusive,

special and other)

Assessment

School-leaving exams

Language kams

B. Education Act

Types of schools

(inclusive,

special and other)

Assessment

School-leaving kams

Language kams

C. National curricula

Types of schools

(inclusive,

special and other

Assessment

School-leaving exam

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Language exam

D. School curricula

Types of schools

(inclusive,

special and other

Assessment

School-leaving exam

Language exam

E. Docs. provided by ped.-ps. centres (e.g. individual education plan)

Types of schools

(inclusive,

special and other)

Assessment

School-leaving exam

Language exam

F. Other kinds of documents related to dyslexia

Types of schools

(inclusive,

special and other)

Assessment

School-leaving exam

Language exam

*please, provide a brief summary of the primary and secondary school system as it might vary from

country to country

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**please add sample course annotations or syllabuses or their summary (if they are in national

languages); please, enter the name of the course/annotation in the table and insert the full

syllabus/summary in the appendix

***please specify the type of document and quote (or paraphrase) the provision it makes for dyslexic

students and the particular areas (inclusive or special schools, assessment, exam administration etc.).

****please, consider the following questions: Do language exam centers provide any

accommodations for dyslexic students? Is language exam an entry or a graduation requirement in

higher education? Can dyslexic language learners be exempted from this requirement?

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APPENDIX II - Needs analysis - questionnaire

Dear Colleague,

We would kindly like to ask you to complete a questionnaire, the aim of which is to map the

current situation in teaching English to students with specific learning difficulties. In our

project we focus on dyslexic students, who constitute one of the largest groups of learners

with specific learning difficulties. This questionnaire will be used as an important source of

information for DysTEFL - Dyslexia for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

international project which aims at increasing the effectiveness and the quality of teaching

English to students with specific learning difficulties.

The questionnaire is anonymous and the information provided in the questionnaire will be

used exclusively for the purposes of this project. Information gained from this questionnaire

will be summarized and no individual results will be reported. The data gained here will be

stored securely. If you would like to receive information about the project and the teacher

training materials we will develop, we ask you to give us your email address at the end of this

questionnaire.

Thank you for the time and effort you invest in completing our questionnaire.

9 January 2012

DYSTEFL CONSORTIUM

Project N° 518466-LLP-1-2011-PL-COMENIUS-CMP

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication

[communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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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

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15 -19 years

20+ years

4. I have taught / am going to teach English next year (more than one

answer is possible)

in classes where there are no dyslexic students

in classes where some of the students are dyslexic

in classes specialized for dyslexic students

in classes with students who are exempted from assessment because

they are dyslexic

dyslexic students in one-to-one sessions

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).

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Part B. In this part we will ask you to consider a number of statements referring to working

with dyslexic language learners.

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

1 = definitely not true of me

2 = partly true of me

3 = also true and not true of me

4 = mostly true of me

5 = definitely true of me

= not applicable

1. I often encounter dyslexic students in my daily work.

1

definitely

not true

of me

2 partly

true of

me

3 also

true and

not true

of me

4 mostly

true of

me

5

definitely

true of

me

X not

applicable

1

2. I learnt about dyslexia during my studies at college/university/other

teacher training institutions.

1 2 3 4 5 X

2

3. I have developed my own techniques for teaching English to

dyslexic students

1 2 3 4 5 X

3

4. I learnt about how to teach English to dyslexic students in my courses at

college/university/teacher training institutions.

1 2 3 4 5 X

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1 2 3 4 5 X

4

5. I feel the need for more information on the language teaching

methods to be successfully applied with dyslexic students.

1 2 3 4 5 X

5

6. I am aware of the difficulties dyslexic language learners experience

in learning English as a second/foreign language.

1 2 3 4 5 X

6

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7. I can define the term ’dyslexia’.

1 2 3 4 5 X

7

8. I can recognize a dyslexic student in my English language class.

1 2 3 4 5 X

8

9. I know how to develop strategies of my dyslexic students.

1 2 3 4 5 X

9

10. I know how to assess my dyslexic students.

1 2 3 4 5 X

10

11. If there were materials on the language teaching methods helping

dyslexic students, I would read them.

1 2 3 4 5 X

11

12. I know what to do if I think that one of my students is dyslexic.

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1 2 3 4 5 X

12

13. I do not assess the spelling of dyslexic students.

1 2 3 4 5 X

13

14. I provide extra time for dyslexic students do a written task.

1 2 3 4 5 X

14

15. If it is necessary I assess my dyslexic .

1 2 3 4 5 X

15

16. I know how to apply the principles of multisensory learning.

1 2 3 4 5 X

16

17. I am familiar with the accommodations dyslexic students are

entitled for in English language lessons.

1 2 3 4 5 X

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1 2 3 4 5 X

17


entitled for at the national school leaving exams.

1 2 3 4 5 X

18


entitled in taking foreign language proficiency exams

1 2 3 4 5 X

19

20. I am interested in further training in the area of teaching English to

students with dyslexia.

1 2 3 4 5 X

20

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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 familiarizing myself with the methods of teaching

a foreign language to children with specific learning difficulties is:

printed self-study materials

an 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

the problems dyslexia causes in language learning


how dyslexia is diagnosed



general teaching and classroom management tips for teaching dyslexic

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language learners

other topic (please describe what other topics you would be interested

in)

other topic (please describe what other topics you would be interested

in)

3. In a training course I would find the following useful (please tick

the topics 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






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4. Thank you for completing our questionnaire.

If you are interested in learning more about our project and in the

teacher training materials we will design, please give your personal

details below:

Name:

Institution:

Email

Address:

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www.dystefl.eu

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APPENDIX III - Factor analysis

9 0,64

10 0,55

16 0,57

17 0,75

18 0,77

19 0,83

5 0,83

6 0,44

11 0,74

20 0,87

2 0,88

4 0,82

7 0,36

13 0,73

14 0,81

15 0,79

1 0,67

3 0,49

8 0,72

12 0,59

Eigenvalue 6,84 2,49 1,38 1,25 1,07

% of variance 34,19 12,44 6,88 6,27 5,34

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APPENDIX IV - Distribution od data

To measure goodness of fit of sample data the Kolmogorov-Smirnovov test was used the result of

which was d = 0,06; p = 0,15 which indicates a standard normal distribution of the data.

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APPENDIX V - Questionnaire results - overview

The five point scale represented the following anwers:

1- definitely not true of me

2- partly true fo me

3- also true and not true

4- mostly true of me

5- definitely true of me

X where none of the afore mentioned options were applicable.

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I teach at (more than one answer is possible)


Percent Response

Count

primary school 36,7% 151

lower-secondary school 34,2% 141

upper-secondary school 35,0% 144

college, university 16,5% 68

language school 20,1% 83


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I have been teaching for


Percent Response

Count

less than 2 years 14,6% 60

3 -5 years 18,2% 75

6 -10 years 16,7% 69

more than 10 years 50,5% 208


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


Percent Response

Count

up to 5 years 4,1% 17

6 -10 years 25,7% 106

10 -15 years 45,6% 188

15 -19 years 44,7% 184

20+ years 30,3% 125


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


Percent Response

Count

in classes where there are no dyslexic students 27,4% 113

in classes where some of the students are dyslexic 63,8% 263

in classes specialized for dyslexic students 2,2% 9

in classes with students who are exempted from assessment because they are dyslexic

6,3% 26

dyslexic students in one-to-one sessions 5,6% 23

I do not yet know what classes I will teach next year 28,2% 116


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An ideal format of familiarizing myself with the methods of teaching a foreign language to children with specific learning difficulties is:


Percent Response

Count

printed self-study materials 16,5% 60

an online learning course 11,6% 42

online resources that I can use for self-study 30,3% 110

face to face training workshop 41,6% 151


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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).


Percent Response

Count

nature of dyslexia 29,2% 106

learning difficulties associated with dyslexia 53,7% 195

the problems dyslexia causes in language learning 71,6% 260


64,7% 235

how dyslexia is diagnosed 35,5% 129


29,5% 107


84,6% 307

general teaching and classroom management tips for teaching dyslexic language learners

79,3% 288


4,4% 16


18


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In a training course I would find the following useful (please tick the topics you would find relevant, more than one answer is possible).


Percent Response

Count

brief lectures 48,8% 177

reading articles 31,1% 113

reading book chapters 17,9% 65

reading online resource materials 39,7% 144

watching videos of classrooms 65,8% 239

listening to/reading interviews with dyslexic learners 50,1% 182


55,9% 203


76,9% 279


43,3% 157


59,0% 214


31,7% 115


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For more information please consult: www.dystefl.eu © April 2012

http://www.dystefl.eu/

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