Since this is a joint project, it needs to be pointed out that the two candidates handed in two different travaux de candidature. The candidates shared the same group of subjects and drew from the same theoretical background knowledge. Each candidate analysed their own data and wrote their individual conclusions. One candidate focused on the analysis of the data collected using the German writing tests and the other candidate focused on the French data. The French data analysis can be found in appendix 12.

Since a combined conclusion seemed very interesting and would give the travail de candidature (TC) a wider scope, we decided to write one. The combined conclusion encompasses 3 chapters. Chapter 11 is a combined analysis of the findings of both candidates. The aim was to see whether the spelling strategies employed by dyslexics are language-dependent or not. Chapter 12 is a general discussion about elements discovered in chapter 11 from a more theoretical point of view. Moreover, other elements that are not directly related to the topic of this TC are also covered in this chapter because they seemed essential and noteworthy. Chapter 13 offers suggestions on how to improve a similar study in the future.

2. Methods

First, speech therapists were contacted to see whether they could aid us in our search for German writing tests appropriate to this study as speech therapists often work with dyslexic children and have had a lot of contact with dyslexia material. Secondly, parents of dyslexic children, écoles fondamentales as well as school superintendents and school teachers of the école fondamentale were contacted in search for suitable subjects. The students were expected to have dyslexic symptoms and to pertain to one of the aforementioned language groups. Furthermore, they were expected to be in cycle 4.1. as they would have had several years of German teaching and thus, an adequate level where dyslexia could be detectable using spelling tests.

The students took the writing tests and participated in a short interview to establish a personal profile concerning their language use, their attitude towards the different languages, studying and their school career. One parent of each child was also interviewed, using similar questions about themselves and their child. If the parents were not available for an interview, the teacher was interviewed about the parents and the child. The personal profiles were used during the analysis of the data to find possible interpretations for the results. The results of each subject were then compared to the results of the other subjects on an individual level, as well as grouped according to their language backgrounds.