FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL TRAINING NEEDS ON INCLUSIVE PRACTICES AND DYSLEXIA: THE DYSTEFL2 PROJECT’S FINDINGS

The paper discusses the findings from the initial - needs analysis - phase of the Erasmus+ project – ‘DysTEFL2 – Dyslexia for teachers of English as a foreign language’. DysTEFL2’s (www.dystefl.eu) objectives involve the exploitation of the DysTEFL professional development course for EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers on inclusive practices for students with specific learning differences and dyslexia and include the organisation of specialized courses on dyslexia and inclusive practices for in-service EFL teachers in the project partner countries - Poland, Greece and Slovenia.

The needs analysis stage of the project involved two tasks: conducting a desk research and a survey on the European EFL teachers’ professional development needs with regards to the application of inclusive practices towards learners with SpLD (specific learning differences) and dyslexia. The desk research concerned verifying the availability of teacher training courses on teaching foreign languages to students with learning differences in the DysTEFL2 project partner countries. It also involved analysing the relevant documents, legal acts, ministerial regulations regarding the rules, requirements and characteristics of the learning outcomes of professional teacher training and the way they are confirmed and certified. The survey related to teachers' preferred types of learning events, modes of course delivery, course providers, course content as well as ways of confirming and certifying the learning outcomes.

Desk research findings confirmed that teacher training opportunities with regard to the application of inclusive practices towards students with specific learning differences are extremely scarce and that the DysTEFL course could fill in this gap. Vast majority of 552 teachers from several European countries who participated in the survey admitted that they had not attended any specialized courses on dyslexia and teaching EFL to students with dyslexia and that they have no formal, certified qualifications in this respect. Majority of teachers expressed anxiety and worries concerning their limited ability to apply inclusive practices towards SpLD learners and found managing the inclusive classroom challenging. Almost all respondents expressed readiness to take part in the training on effective teaching techniques and inclusive teaching practices, to gain knowledge and skills to be able to successfully recognise and cater for the specific learning needs of their learners with dyslexia. The vast majority of teachers expressed the need for basic knowledge and skills necessary to teach EFL to learners with dyslexia, they would appreciate either intensive face-to-face courses (e.g. requiring about 25-50 contact hours) or on-line courses organized by university departments in cooperation with experienced teachers. The majority of teachers would appreciate receiving confirmation of the learning outcomes achieved upon completion of the course and a formal certification.