Dyslexia in Slovenian pupils studying in the English language

Among the specific learning difficulties in schools, the best known and most common is dyslexia. Dyslexia hinders the students' literacy and language skills. However, it is an even greater barrier for those students who are taught in schools where the language of schooling is not their mother tongue. As an international language, English is becoming increasingly common in the Slovenian environment. There are several international schools in Slovenia where lessons are held in English. International schools are attended by children of foreigners who have temporarily immigrated to Slovenia due to their work obligations and Slovenian children of wealthy parents. There are also students with specific learning difficulties, which include dyslexia. Students with specific learning difficulties are taught in English as a foreign language and their specific needs are very often linked only to deficits in the English language, and dyslexia, which is a specific learning problem, remains hidden (Limbos in Geva, 2001, v Geva, 2014). The empirical part of this master thesis is a multiple case study. Qualitative comparative methods and descriptive analyses were used for the statistical analysis of the obtained information and data. The impact of dyslexia on English language education was tested on a specially selected group of students with dyslexia aged 10-14 years. The mother tongue of all dyslexic students involved is Slovene, while English is their language of instruction. The aim of my master's thesis was to find out how dyslexia affects language learning if English is the language of schooling. The results of the research will help to understand the specific needs and difficulties and challenges of dyslexic students learning English as a language of schooling, which is neither their mother tongue nor the language of their environment. Based on the results of the research, we have found an answer to how we can provide the holistic treatment and help and support that dyslexic students need. SNAP assessment, and Dyslexia Portfolio showed that the weakest skills of dyslexic students are reading and writing. They therefore need more time and practice to follow the lesson. We identified their strong areas, the compensatory strategies they use, and found that due to the influence of English in the school environment, the students perceive English as their stronger language. Various studies show how dyslexia is presented in different environments and in different languages and how the results and findings of the research contribute to the learning outcomes of students with dyslexia in English as the language of instruction and at the same time as a foreign language