Breaking barriers: teaching EFL to

students with specific learning needs

Professional development program: Teaching English in Diversity

Embassy and Consulate of the United States in Ecuador through

the Inspira network

Cynthia Hidalgo Camacho

Universidad de Cuenca
 Providing access and Adapting teaching English for populations
with specific learning needs.
Our students may have diverse characteristics, including learning disabilities,
physical or emotional challenges, or other individual needs. The goal is to
provide tailored resources and accommodation to reach as many as possible
and help them learn.

Remember:
Education is a fundamental human right, and
providing equitable and inclusive quality
education is crucial for fostering peace and
sustainable development globally.
 Definition and Types of Specific Needs:
Specific needs refer to individual requirements or challenges that may affect a
student's ability to learn effectively within a traditional educational framework.
These needs can vary widely and may include physical, cognitive, linguistic,
emotional, or behavioral challenges. Common types of specific needs in the context
of EFL teaching include:

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Learning Problems
• Linguistic Challenges
• Cognitive Difficulties
• Behavioral Issues
You do not need to be a doctor or psychologist to be able to identify learning needs. As
a teacher, you cannot and should not attempt to diagnose a student as having
dyslexia, autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for example. But
what you do need to do, is to observe the student and identify their learning needs
regardless of the underlying impairment or other factor(s) causing them difficulties.
Therefore, being aware of a range of impairments, disabilities and difficulties is
important, as it is then easier for you to identify the student’s specific learning needs
and possibly refer them for further assessment with a social worker, counsellor, nurse,
doctor or psychologist (In our country: ficha de alerta, and then: report the case!)

Most learning needs can be met by any teacher who recognises the student’s
problems and changes their teaching methods to respond to the needs of the student.
It is every teacher’s responsibility to support the learning and development of their
students and to provide extra support if necessary.
Source: https://www.unrwa.org/sbtd
 Example of a case:
Esam teaches Grade 4 in Rimal Elem Co Ed School, Gaza.
Esam had a class of 35 boys who were lively, but mostly very interested in their work. He enjoyed
teaching them as they responded well to the variety of activities and strategies that he used. But one boy,
Tareq, was usually very quiet in class and often off-task. If any of the other boys told Tareq to get on with
his work or were cross with him, he reacted very quickly and often hit out for what were really only minor
comments. Esam spoke to the teacher who had taught Tareq the previous year and found out that he had
behaved in a similar way, but that the teacher just sent him out of the class to do his work until he had
calmed down. This teacher had not talked with Tareq much, except to make him apologise to the other
students when necessary and he also commented that Tareq's work was often unfinished and below the
level he could achieve.
Esam however wanted to do more for Tareq and so he looked at the school records to see if there was
any information that might help. He found a note from another colleague which said that Tareq’s father
had died when he was only four years old and that Tareq had behaved badly ever since. To find out more,
Esam asked the School Principal to arrange for a meeting with Tareq's mother. At the meeting, his mother
told Esam that she had been very distraught when her husband passed away and she had also had to go
out to work to feed the family. From this time onwards she noticed that Tareq gradually withdrew into
himself and lost friends, and his mother said she found it very hard to talk with him. She was pleased that
the teachers wanted to help with his schooling and behaviour.
After the meeting, Esam met the School Principal to talk more about Tareq. Together they drew up a list
of warning signs and barriers they had observed, and then thought about the corresponding learning
needs:
Source: https://www.unrwa.org/sbtd
Source:
https://www.unrwa.org/sbtd
 Children with difficulties in learning learn better through:
• practical examples;
• learning by doing;
• using pictures;
• using their senses – seeing, hearing, touching, smelling;
• modelling what others are doing;
• plenty of repetition;
• practising the same skill in many different ways;
• practising the same skill in many different situations (in different lessons, at home etc.)
• breaking a task into small parts;
• positive feedback and encouragement;
• completing tasks that they are able to complete and understand.
Source: https://www.unrwa.org/sbtd
 You can provide individual learning support in the following ways.

• Include the child in whole-group activities for example, a shy child could join in a whole-
class activity by pointing at a picture rather than answering by speaking out loud.
• Give work that matches children’s abilities and needs - for example, providing separate
exercises in which you have prepared activities according to the child’s needs and learning
targets.
• Give additional support at the end of the school day.
• Let the child sit in front so that you can observe them and help out when necessary.

Source: https://www.unrwa.org/sbtd
 You can provide individual learning support in the following ways.

• Have necessary learning aids, such as counters, pictures etc., available and ready to
use all the time.
• Give the child work on a sheet rather than writing it on the board. Reading and
following tasks from a personal sheet is much easier.
• Assign a peer to help those who are having difficulty.
• Make a few learning aids for activities so that a child can use them to work more
independently.
• Ask a family member to come to school to work with you to learn about ways they
could help the child.

Source: https://www.unrwa.org/sbtd
 ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• Characteristics: Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, difficulty in organizing tasks, easily distracted.

• Strategies: Break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks; provide clear instructions; incorporate
movement breaks; use visual aids; establish routines and schedules, computer-based activities, sketch-
notig.

• Try the 1-2-3-4-5 method:

Take a deep breath at 1, and think of:
1 thing you can see
2 thigs you can touch
3 things you can smell
4 things you can listen
5 things you can taste

Kormos, J., & Smith, A. M. (2023). Teaching languages to students with specific learning
differences (Vol. 18). Channel View Publications.
 ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity Hyperactivity and impulsivity
• a) Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat;
• b) Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected;
• c) Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate
• d) Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly;
• e) Is often ‘on the go’ or acts as if ‘driven by a motor’;
• f) Often talks excessively;
• g) Often answers before questions have been completed;
• h) Often has difficulty awaiting turn;
• i) Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. butts into conversations or games).

Kormos, J., & Smith, A. M. (2023). Teaching languages to students with specific learning
differences (Vol. 18). Channel View Publications.
 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

Characteristics:
• Difficulties in social and communicative interactions
• Difficulties in establishing and maintaining social relationships
• Difficulties in using means of non-verbal communication
• Difficulties in coordinating movement
• Resistance towards changes in daily routine
• Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli

Strategies:
Provide a structured and predictable environment; use visual supports such as visual schedules and
cue cards; offer clear and concrete instructions; minimize sensory distractions.
Allow individual work when possible.
Linguistic Challenges:
Difficulty in language acquisition, limited vocabulary, grammatical
errors, pronunciation issues.

Strategies:
Scaffold language learning activities; use repetition and reinforcement
techniques; incorporate real-life contexts for language practice;
provide opportunities for language production through pair or group
work; use simplified language, visual support, modeling, drilling,
language buddies, use of technology.
 Linguistic Challenges
Some of these challenges include:
a.- Dyslexia: primarily affects reading and spelling abilities
b.- Dysgraphia: learning difference that affects writing skills.
c.- Language Processing Disorder (LPD): LPD affects the ability to understand and
express language effectively. Individuals with LPD may have difficulty processing and
interpreting spoken or written language
d.- Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): APD affects the processing and
interpretation of auditory information (difficulty distinguishing between
sounds, recognizing speech in noisy environments, and understanding rapid
speech or complex auditory instructions)
e.- Pragmatic Language Disorder: involves challenges with social communication
and language use in social contexts (difficulty understanding and following
social rules and conventions, interpreting nonverbal cues, maintaining
conversations, and adjusting their language appropriately)
Learning Problems (Reading Processes and
Learning to Read and Writing Processes and
Learning to Write)

Difficulty in acquiring and processing information, challenges in reading,

writing, or mathematical reasoning.

Strategies:
Differentiate instruction to accommodate diverse learning styles; provide
multisensory learning activities; offer additional support through peer
tutoring or individualized instruction; use assistive technology tools; positive
reinforcement, communication with parents and school members to
understand the learning problems and how that affects EFL learning
Cognitive Difficulties:
Challenges in reasoning, problem-solving, memory, or executive functioning: time
managing and organizational issues.

Strategies:
Break tasks into smaller steps; provide explicit instruction and modeling; use
mnemonic devices and memory aids; offer opportunities for repeated practice and
reinforcement.
Visual scaffolding, structured routines, hands-on activities, flexible assessment
(according to the professionals’ suggestions), positive reinforcement., use of some
technological tools
Behavioral issues can include: disruptive behavior, defiance, aggression, withdrawal,
difficulty in self-regulation, depressive and anxiety disorders, self-esteem issues, eating
and sleep difficulties, difficulties in socializing, developing friendships, bullying and
even delinquent behavior.
Strategies:
Establish clear expectations and consequences; employ positive behavior reinforcement
techniques; provide opportunities for self-expression and self-regulation strategies;
foster a supportive and inclusive classroom environment.
Also Consider: Behavioral contracts, visual cues to remind students expectations,
schedules, etc, structured activities, behavioral redirection, developing conflict
resolution skills, agreements, the behavior traffic light (green, red and yellow colors to
identify behaviors etc.)
Impact of these specific learning differences on L2 learning
• Cognitive factors such as phonological short-term memory, phonemic awareness,
and processing speed play a crucial role in the successful acquisition of both L1
literacy skills and L2 competence
• Emotional factors like motivation, language learning anxiety, and self-confidence
significantly influence language learning outcomes
• Instructional factors, including teachers' behavior, instructional methods, and
attitudes towards these students have a profound impact on the motivation and
language learning attitudes of dyslexic students.
• Language learning anxiety is often higher in dyslexic students, influenced by factors
such as assessment focused on accuracy and spelling, negative teacher attitudes,
and lack of adjustments
• Working memory limitations associated with Specific learning differences can pose
challenges in creating cohesive texts in another language
• By creating supportive environments, providing necessary accommodations, and
fostering positive relationships, these learners can be empowered to overcome
challenges and achieve success in language acquisition.
Kormos, J., & Smith, A. M. (2023). Teaching languages to students with specific
learning differences (Vol. 18). Channel View Publications.