Country Studied: Turkey
Area of Focus: Dyslexia
Types of learning difficulties the Case Study is supporting:
- Reading and writing difficulties
- Social or emotional difficulties
- General or specific learning difficulties
Aims and objectives of Case Study
Even though dyslexic students account for a significant percentage of the whole student body in Turkey, research on dyslexic students attempting to learn foreign languages is limited. This case study was designed with a view to better understand how said pupils can become more efficient English learners. The aim is to see how some techniques work with a dyslexic foreign language learner as well as to explore each technique’s impact on the language learning process. Furthermore, it seeks to establish how effective positive teacher support and motivational strategies are.
The present case study can aid both foreign language teachers in their lesson plans and behaviors to accommodate students’ individual needs and dyslexic students in understanding their ability in acquiring English provided their teacher adopts a more supportive attitude.
Short description of Case Study
This case study was conducted on a sole student in Turkey. At the time, Deniz was a 14-year-old primary school student with diagnosed dyslexia and ADHD. He was even medicated so as to reduce his distractibility and hyperactivity. Deniz attended a regular school and therefore received English lessons as planned. However, he expressed a hatred towards the language on account of his severe problems in learning it.
Three different specialists from a state university in western Turkey observed and assessed Deniz in a six-week period. Along with his regular English lessons at school, he also had private tutoring twice a week at home by the researchers. Multisensory tools were used while the specialists supported and encouraged Deniz in multiple degrees each week.
The lessons contained a variety of learning goals (grammar, syntax, reading, spelling, speaking) which were introduced in a variety of ways, with an emphasis on multisensory approaches.
3 Key learning Principles that were used in this Case Study to support learners with LD
- During the second and third week, a researcher sat close to Deniz during lessons at school. The researcher assisted him and encouraged him to participate. In doing so, Deniz, even though was reluctant at first, started showing signs of confidence and he was finally able to raise his hand and participate. At the end of the six-week period, he even helped a classmate form a correct sentence.
By being there to intervene in the learning process, the researcher answered Deniz’s questions and therefore he was able to understand the lesson for a change. This resulted in Deniz showing an interest on what was being taught. Also, by encouraging him, the researcher boosted Deniz’s confidence, which led him from disliking English to actually liking it.
- During the private lessons, the teacher used multisensory tools. The use of a computer and more specifically interactive Power Point presentation was employed on multiple occasions. Also, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic pathways were put to use. All showed that a dyslexic learner can rely on such approaches since they form associations between senses and phonological, grammatical, vocabulary aspects. Additionally, the use of technology worked motivationally and boosted Deniz’s self-esteem. These methods are not only useful in their success in helping learn a foreign language. They are also entertaining, which is something that young learners with difficulties always appreciate and look for in a lesson, let alone in one they have difficulty.
- Tutoring lessons were of great help. The teacher was able to individualize the lesson to cater to Deniz’s specific educational needs and therefore go with the pace his learning abilities demanded. Dyslexic pupils often require the help of a special educator so as to assist them with keeping up. It is not a matter of inability to learn rather than a matter of how they can learn. And since teachers are not always adept at creating inclusive lesson plans, an extra help by someone who can adjust the progress to the pupil’s needs is always welcome. No doubt, it only leads to positive results. In addition, by tutoring Deniz, the teacher encouraged him in every step of the way and complimented him on every success. By putting Deniz’s feelings first, the researcher established a great relationship with him and most importantly helped build his confidence.
Strategies used as part of Case Study
- Adapting instruction to various learning styles .
- Creating a positive and supportive classroom environment.
Results and impact
The researchers collected data through multiple sources: observation, interviews, documents (assignment sheets, exam papers).
The findings showed that Deniz’s primary issue lay with his need of appreciation by the teachers. Prior to the study, on account of his difficulty in reading and writing English, he hated the lesson. Also, not only his performance was extremely poor, but he also lacked confidence and stayed inactive during classes. He perceived himself as less capable and therefore had a negative attitude towards the learning process. However, it all shifted when teachers began complimenting his successes and encouraged his participation. He then started actively taking part, not even minding if he made mistakes. This boost in his confidence also helped him with the actual learning process. He became capable of forming simple sentences reading correctly, comprehending texts and spelling. All those things he could not even imagine doing before the intervention.
Additionally, this case study comes once more in favor of multisensory tools and their use. It has been proven time and time again that pupils with learning difficulties benefit greatly from multisensory approaches and this study is not any different. The results indicated that the visual, auditory, kinesthetic methods that were employed so as to enhance the learning process did in fact work and bore positive results. Once again, this goes to show that learners with difficulties can and do learn provided they are presented with efficient teaching methods that take their difficulties into account.
Why can this Case Study be useful for the project research?
The present case study can be useful for this project research on two counts.
- As a teaching approach for special education teachers. In school environments where there can be supportive special education teachers within the classroom, the approach the researchers used to be next to the student and support him whenever needed could become an example of how to motivate young learners and encourage them to participate in the foreign language lesson. By not only assisting when needed, but also boosting learners’ confidence, we ensure those pupils that the lack of self-esteem derives from bad teaching methods and not from lack of actual ability. Being there, right by their side, to explicitly explain and assist when they find difficulties and by motivating them into participating, we can create more self-reliant pupils who will be aware of their potential instead of just trying to skip lessons and eventually giving up all efforts.
- As a potential research project on how teachers’ positive attitudes matter. As showcased by this study, pupils need their teachers’ special attention to recognize their worth. Oftentimes, pupils with learning difficulties give up on learning foreign languages because they consider themselves incompetent. This is where teachers’ positive reinforcement should come into play. By complimenting their progress and being there to congratulate not only their successes but also their efforts, they completely change their whole behavior towards the learning process. It is important to remember that we are dealing with small children who very often seek their teachers’ approval, otherwise they consider themselves as failures. This particular study is evidence of how much the way teachers behave matter.
Transferability
This case study can very easily be transferable and applicable to any school environment within Europe and beyond. All dyslexic students share similar characteristics and therefore the method which was used for Deniz’s assessment as well as his training can be replicated to accommodate dyslexic pupils all over the world. This is a descriptive study with an aim to deeply understand the participant’s experiences and difficulties without generalizing to other populations. Nevertheless, we can safely assume that accommodating one’s needs, supporting them no matter what and complimenting their successes is a universally accepted and well-received concept.
Resources used as part of Case Study
For the benefit of this study, multiple sources were used in the private tutoring sessions, mostly in a multisensory framework.
From songs and funny videos so that the pupil can distance himself from his unwillingness to learn English, to flashcards, Power Point and even sand to help him form letters, words and eventually sentences.
All in all, Deniz enjoyed the use of Power Point and of various multisensory approaches.
Critical issues
What the entire case study teaches us is that students’ attitude towards the learning process should be assessed and taken seriously. Their unwillingness to participate should not be disregarded as something common but more like something that affects their whole performance and must be altered. Certainly, the educators who are placed next to the pupils must be people with patience and special education knowledge. They also need to be encouraging and, in a way, to become the pupils’ personal cheerleaders. Otherwise, if they are there just to correct them and show them what is wrong and what is right, they will fail to make them believe in themselves.
Any additional learning that we can take from this Case Study, example:
The use of supportive special education teachers within the classroom should be mandatory. Also, private tutoring should be taken into serious consideration. Both of these ideas can be proven beneficial as they pay special attention to the individual’s progress, and it is adjusted according to each pupil’s specific educational needs. In that way, we ensure everyone is taught adequately so that we have visible positive outcomes.
