Croatian English as a foreign language teachers’ knowledge about dyslexia and teaching students with dyslexia: is their practice inclusive and dyslexia-friendly?

Resumen

Dyslexia is a frequent language-based learning difficulty, and therefore, it may significantly affect learning an additional language. Students with dyslexia often struggle in a language classroom if the teacher does not alter teaching approaches and provide adequate accommodations. In the present study, we investigated the teaching practices of 16 Croatian primary and secondary school English as a foreign language teachers to see whether they are inclusive and dyslexia-friendly. The analysis of qualitative data collected through an in-depth interview, which, among others, included situational tasks, suggests that participants used inclusive practices only to some extent and their use varied depending on the phase of education (primary or secondary school). The results thus corroborate the findings of previous studies with a similar research focus. The paper also discusses participants’ beliefs about accommodations and teaching approaches that are recommended for students with dyslexia.