Experiences of a dyslexic child in an English as a foreign language class

This qualitative study investigates and reveals the difficulties experienced by a dyslexic 7 year-old child learning English as a foreign language in a state elementary school. Aiming to advance the understanding of challenges dyslexics experience in English as a foreign language classes, a qualitative case study was designed. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that a dyslexic child struggles with linguistic difficulties, such as pronunciation, spelling, reading and writing. In addition, short and long term memory are impaired, which causes problems concerning word finding, memorization and naming objects. Contrary to the findings of most research, the participant of this study was found to be highly motivated towards learning English and that she had positive affectivity due to her personality. This study is expected to contribute to the teaching of English language to elementary school children with dyslexia and serve as a means to increase service quality of foreign language classes offered for dyslexic children.