Dyslexia and English as a Foreign Language in Norwegian Primary Education - A Mixed Methods Intervention Study

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how specific teaching accommodations affect English as a foreign language (EFL) learners with dyslexia in Norwegian primary education. A single-group intervention tested a range of multisensory techniques, evaluating changes in spelling performance before and after the program. Data also came from a pupil evaluation questionnaire and a teacher interview following the intervention. Results show substantial pre- to post-test score differences, individual variability, and comorbid disorders that may influence effectiveness. All pupils reported motivation gains and a more positive attitude toward learning EFL, supported by the special education teacher, and the paper provides targeted didactic recommendations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Dyslexia and comorbid conditions

Dyslexia and EFL learning needs

Norwegian EFL context and research gap

Purpose of the intervention study

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1459](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1459) Dyslexia and English as a Foreign Language in Norwegian Primary Education: A Mixed Methods Intervention Study Christopher Flaten Jarsve1 and Dina Tsagari*2 • Τhe current study explored the effect of specific teaching accommodations for English language learners with dyslexia in a Norwegian primary school. Specifically, this single group intervention project investigated the impact of a range of multisensory techniques on spelling skills and motivation. Participants included a special education teacher and five dyslexic pupils from the fifth and sixth grades. Pre-and post-tests were administered to observe development in spelling, while data were also collected via a pupil evaluation questionnaire and a teacher interview after the intervention. The findings revealed that the intervention was quite successful. The group exhibited substantial differences in mean scores between the pre-and post-test. However, there were individual differences in scores and comorbid disorders appeared to impact the effectiveness of the intervention. Nonetheless, all of the pupils reported gains in their motivation and improvement in their attitude towards learning English, which was confirmed by their special education teacher. The paper concludes by offering specific didactic suggestions regarding accommodations for English language learners with dyslexia. Keywords: dyslexia, English as a foreign language, intervention, multisensory learning approach 1 Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. 2 *Corresponding Author. Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway; [dina.tsagari@oslomet.no](dina.tsagari@oslomet.no). 156 dyslexia and english as a foreign language in norwegian primary education Disleksija in angleščina kot tuji jezik v norveškemosnovnošolskem izobraževanju: intervencijska študija kombiniranega raziskovalnega pristopa Christopher Flaten Jarsve in Dina Tsagari • Ta študija je preučevala učinek posebnih učnih prilagoditev za učence angleškega jezika z disleksijo v norveški osnovni šoli. Natančneje, enoskupinski intervencijski projekt je raziskoval vpliv nabora veččutnih tehnik na črkovanje in motivacijo. Udeležence predstavljajo specialni pedagog in pet učencev petega in šestega razreda z disleksijo. Pred-in potesti so bili izvedeni z vidika opazovanja napredovanja črkovanja pri učencih, pri čemer so bili podatki zbrani tudi prek vprašalnika za ocenjevanje učencev in intervjuja z učiteljem, ki je sledil fazi intervencije. Ugotovitve so pokazale, da je bila intervencija precej uspešna. Pri izbrani skupini so bile zaznane bistvene razlike v povprečnih rezultatihpred-in potesta, vendar pa je prišlo tudi do posameznih razlik v rezultatih, pri čemer se zdi, da pridružene motnje vplivajo na učinkovitost intervencije. Kljub temu so vsi učenci poročali o povečanju motivacije inizboljšanju odnosa do učenja angleščine, kar je potrdil tudi njihov specialni pedagog. Na koncu članka so podani konkretni didaktični predlogiglede prilagoditev za učence angleškega jezika z disleksijo. Ključne besede: disleksija, angleščina kot tuji jezik, multisenzoren pristop k učenju Introduction Dyslexia refers to “difficulty in learning to read and write by the methods normally used in the classroom” (Montgomery, 2017, pp. 1–2) . This statement implies that if appropriate teaching methods are offered, the difficulties can be remedied. Moreover, dyslexia is a universal condition independent of the language one speaks, e.g., dyslexia has been observed in writing systems with ideographs, such as Chinese, in addition to alphabetic systems, like Norwegian and English (Montgomery, 2017) . Dyslexia can be comorbid with other neurodevelopmental disorders (Snowling et al., 2020): developmental language disorder (DLD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Touret

FAQs

What was the focus of the intervention study?

The study focused on the effect of specific teaching accommodations for EFL learners with dyslexia, testing multisensory techniques aimed at spelling skills and motivation.

How were outcomes measured before and after the intervention?

Pre- and post-tests were used to observe changes in spelling. Additional data were gathered through a pupil evaluation questionnaire and a teacher interview after the intervention.

What did the findings show about spelling and motivation?

The intervention was reported as quite successful, with substantial group-level differences in mean spelling scores between pre- and post-test. Pupils also reported improvements in motivation and attitude toward learning English.

Oct 15, 2026

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