Giving Students a Voice: Dyslexia and Language Learning Experiences from Childhood to Adulthood in Greece

Abstract

This paper investigates the language learning experiences of Greek students in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Data were gathered from interviews with four students currently enrolled in higher education programs. The interviews focused on their language experiences and struggles from childhood to adulthood, teachers, peer relations and family. Data were analyzed using IPA. Findings indicate participants’ negative language learning experiences underwent changes in the course of their learning history. Their perceived struggles were more intense in primary school, yet they also had to negotiate a range of L1 and L2 obstacles in secondary and tertiary education. Teachers from the private sector emerged as the decisive factor in participants’ ability to overcome dyslexia-related difficulties and cope with the fierce competition of the Greek nationwide university entrance exams. Private sector teachers were also identified as the main factor for overcoming dyslexia-related difficulties in EFL. It is hoped that offering an account of their experiences will facilitate our understanding of dyslexia and the potential for inclusion for Greek dyslexic students across educational levels.