Special Needs


	MFL & INCLUSION

SPECIAL NEEDS

Learning and teaching

This section of the site focuses on support in modern languages for children with particular needs. There are separate pages on support for children on the autism spectrum, those with dyslexia , hearing impairments and children who experience difficulties in speech, language and/or communication. There are also pages on visual impairment and Down's syndrome.

Support for other special needs, or special needs generally, are noted below. Please let me know if you have found other good sources of advice or materials which could be added to the lists.

My own thoughts about the benefits and practicalities of offering MFL to school students with special educational needs can be found in Workshop 3 and in various items on the page that asks Why?

27.2.09 Memory issues

Foreign language learning makes heavy demands on pupils' ability to remember vocabulary. This is challenging for all pupils. but for those with limited or impaired 'working memory' the problem will be particularly acute. They will already have difficulty in understanding and remembering what they have to do, even if instructions are given in their L1; understanding and remembering language and instructions in L2 will inevitably compounds their difficulties. Yet few MFL teachers are familiar with learning difficulties involving impaired memory. Here are two links which may begin to raise awareness of the special problem such children face.

Memory issue 'hits 10% of pupils'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7267352.stm
Making 'working memory' work in the classroom Research by TP Alloway
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/wml/Early%20Years.pdf

12.12.08 DCSF Key Stage 2 Framework for languages Part 3: Section 4: Inclusion - languages for all

Considers:

- teaching and supporting children with Special Educational Needs
- identifying an supporting linguistically able children
- teaching and supporting pupils for whom English is an additional language

Some quotations:

"It is important that all children, including those with special educational needs, linguistically able children and children who are learning English as an additional language are integrated into language lessons and that their particualr learning needs are fully supported."

"Evidence suggests that children can operate in a new language at the same conceptual and linguistic level as in their own language; this ease of transference promotes general linguistic development." Go here and scroll down to find Part 3 Section 4 for download.

http://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/policy_and_research/policy_and_reform/key_stage_2_framework.aspx


	Responding to pupils' needs when teaching MFL Official advice from England on how to modify the MFL curriculum and improve access for pupils with learning difficulties: http://www.nc.uk.net/ld/MFL_respond.html


	Special Educational Needs in Europe The Teaching and Learning of Languages Insights and Innovation European Commission, January 2005 The full 208-page report and a 6-page summary can be found at this address: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/special_en.pdf. For extracts and items by educators working in Scotland, see below:

	Extracts from EU report Special Educational Needs in Europe: The Teaching and Learning of Languages: Insights and Innovation.

	Modern Languages for All: The Challenge for Schools and Education Managers - H McColl

	Communication and Interaction Difficulties - V Wire

	Cognition & Learning Difficulties - M Crombie


	LangSEN: Languages for people with Special Educational Needs This Council of Europe project, launched in 2004 and due to report in 2007, has been abandoned due to the ill health of the project leader.


	LINGO: 50 ways to motivate language learners This EU study is available to download at http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/key/studies_en.html It includes an account of the ALLEGRO project (Access to Language Learning by Extending to GRoups Outside) (page 9). ALLEGRO's own website is at: http://www.allegro-lingua.net Lingo also includes the LISTEN & TOUCH project (page 34) which created learning and training materials to make it easier for blind and visually impaired people to learn English as a foreign language. The project website offers a downloadable publication: Methodology of teaching a foreign language to the blind. Go to http://www.listenandtouch.org


	ALDICT: Access of Persons with Learning Disabilities to Information and Communication Technology The ALDICT project has developed an e-mail client based on symbol communication sets. Users with intellectual or learning disability can compose and send symbol messages in an entirely graphic environment. The recipient receives the message in his/ her symbol set and language. Read about the project here: http://www.inclusion-europe.org/aldict/


	Inclusion classes in USA, Austria and Italy An account by Marianna Buultjens of her visits to schools in three countries. From the Newsletter of the Scottish Sensory Centre. http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/resources/general/internat.html


	State of New Jersey advice on making adaptations for pupils with learning difficulties and those who are gifted: http://www.state.nj.us/njded/frameworks/worldlanguages/chap12.pdf


	Mobility International USA Empowering people with disabilities around the world to achieve their human rights through international exchange and international development. http://www.miusa.org/


	QCA Website http://www.qca.org.uk/6166.html The aim of these pages is to answer queries about inclusion and to provide links to guidance materials and other related information.

Valerie Nicholls uses Montessori approaches to early language learning and uses similar approaches with children who have learning difficulties. Two articles about her methods can be downloaded from her Amstramgram website.

Special Needs and a second language can be found here: http://www.amstramgram.co.uk/article02.PDF

Widening Horizons: why foreign languages are good for children with communication difficulties can be downloaded in two parts:
http://www.amstramgram.co.uk/article05.pdf
http://www.amstramgram.co.uk/article06.pdf


	Using symbols Do you use symbols with your students? Do you use also use symbols for foreign language learning? The stories here (French, German, Spanish and Dutch) are long and quite advanced, but they may give you some ideas about how you could use symbols to support foreign language learning in your own context. http://www.symbolworld.org/learning/languages/index.htm


	Assisting Students With Foreign Language Learning Difficulties in School Advice by L Ganchow and E Schneider from the International Dyslexia Association's website: http://www.interdys.org/npdf/flang.pdf


	Using rhyme, rhythm and rap with special needs Early Language Learning bulletin. Issue 11, Spring 2004. This is an article, on page 5, contributed bya teacher in a special school: http://www.nacell.org.uk/home/Bulletins/ell11.pdf

Making independent language learning accessible to disabled university students

This Guide to Good Practice provides details of design and provision of resources as well as technological aids, lists of contact organisations and useful websites.

It includes the following downloadable appendices:
Appendix 2: The current state of electronic mobility devices and electronic orientation aids for blind and partially sighted people
Appendix 3: Case study 1 - Gita Ganger, partially sighted university language student
Appendix 4: Case study 2 - Clare Mar-Molinero, partially sighted member of university language staff
Appendix 5: Accessibility and the language learner with dyslexia.

http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/goodpractice.aspx?resourceid=1411

Some links to wikispaces that have things to say about second language learning for students with learning difficulties:

http://ld-at-lab.wikispaces.com/Second%20language

http://languagelinks2006.wikispaces.com/Special+Needs


	A World Awaits You An online journals full of firsthand accounts by people with disabilities about their success in international exchange programs and their advice for others: http://www.miusa.org/ncde/away/index_html


	23.1.08 English without Frontiers This EU funded project offers a curriculum (method, syllabus and materials) for teaching English as a Foreign Language to adult learners with intellectual disabilities or learning difficulties. The curriculum was developed by an international consortium as part of the Barrier-Free Language Learning project to demonstrate that adult learners with intellectual disabilities can and want to learn foreign languages. Even if the materials themselves are not of interest to you, there is plenty of good advice on screen that can be applied in teaching any language. http://www.englishwithoutfrontiers.com/


	5.7.08 E-twinning A school in South West France for pupils with special needs is keen to set up an email link link with a UK school for their 6ème and 5ème SEGPA pupils. If you are interested, please email wendy.grantham@wanadoo.fr with details of your school, location and ages of pupils you wish to involve.


	8.7.08 SEN Teacher website provides cost-free teaching & learning resources for students with special needs and learning disabilities. Not a lot on language learning, though some resources are adaptable: http://www.senteacher.org/Home/


	14.7.08 Teacher Training Resource Bank: SEN Portal Extension to the materials on the http://www.sen.ttrb.ac.uk portal: These new materials, training resources developed for ITT providers within England, are designed for use with trainees undertaking 3 and 4 year primary undergraduate courses. They were launched in hard copy on June 18th at the ‘National Conference for the dissemination of training resources for special educational needs (SEN) and disability in three- and four-year primary ITT courses’. Online versions will be available on the SEN portal soon. The training resources have been developed by The Institute of Education, University of London, to enable trainee teachers to undertake more in-depth study of teaching pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. There are eighteen sessions, each with a number of activities. Titles of sessions include a diverse range of topics such as “removing barriers for disabled pupils”, “learning and teaching for dyslexic pupils” and “working in partnership with parents/carers”. The sessions can be delivered ‘off -the-shelf’ in sequence or used flexibly on a ‘pick and mix’ basis to complement providers’ own materials and meet their particular needs. These materials contain written training materials together with associated Powerpoint presentations.


	5.10.08 Language Learners with Special Educational needs: an international perspective Edited by Judit Kormos, Judit (2008) Published by multilingual Matters. For more information go to: http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781847690890


	29.10.08 TTRB Special Education Needs is a sub-portal of the Teacher Training Resource Bank for all involved in teacher training and aims to support the development of effective practice in relation to pupils and young people experiencing barriers to learning. http://www.sen.ttrb.ac.uk/


	17.12.08 The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has just announced newly revamped webpages for disabled candidates. The pages provide information about assessment arrangements for candidates with additional support needs. Related links include Guidance for candidates, parents and centres, using sign in SQA exams, digital question papers, and EAL. http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/14977.html


	14.1.09 CALL Centre Scotland (Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning) Specialist expertise in technology for children who have speech, communication and/or writing difficulties. Here, you will find information and resources on how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can make a major impact on the education of children and people with special educational and communication needs. Find their new website at: http://www.callscotland.org.uk/Home/


	21.2.09 National Curriculum (2008) Making the most of the new curriculum to support both gifted and talented students and those with SEN, in languages. http://www.all-nsc.org.uk/files/langsinc.pdf

4.3.09 New Jersey World Languages Curriculum Framework
http://www.state.nj.us/education/frameworks/worldlanguages/
See, in particular:

Chapter 12: Instructional adaptations for students with diverse needs. In two parts: 1. Adaptations for students with disabilities. 2. Adaptations for exceptionally able (gifted) learners

Appendix C: Methodology for innovative instruction

Appendix D: Instructional strategies

Appendix E: Graphic organizers

21.3.09 John Bald's language blog: Practical help with literacy and foreign languages
Also covers EAL and special needs generally
http://www.johnbald.typepad.com/language/

See, in particular, John's comments on comments on Working Memory and Learning http://johnbald.typepad.com/language/languages/ and French Spelling Unpacked (in 3 parts) http://johnbald.typepad.com/language/french-spelling-unpacked/


	10.4.09 Provision of Modern Foreign Languages for lower achievers and pupils with special educational needs in secondary schools In England, Scotland and the Czech Republic (Thesis submitted In fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of M.Litt to the University Of Glasgow Faculty of Education, May 2008.) Mary Clare McEachern - Kelly http://theses.gla.ac.uk/218/01/2008McEachern-KellyMlitt.pdf

24.4.09 Making your teaching inclusive
Detailed information and advice from the Open University for those teaching disabled students at tertiary level.

Barriers to learning
http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/index.php

Preparing to teach inclusively
http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/preparing-to-teach-inclusively.php


	18.5.09 Language Learning Disabiliities: Theoretical and Practical Tools for English Teachers in Finnish Upper Secondary School A 2005 thesis by Katriina Viskari for the Department of Languages University of JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland. The introduction is in Finnish, the main paper is in English. https://jyx.jyu.fi/dspace/bitstream/handle/123456789/7414/URN_NBN_fi_jyu-2005164.pdf?sequence=1


	5.6.09 A blog from the University of Cordoba about teaching English as a foreign language to students with hearing and visual impairments and other special educational needs. It focuses on understanding the needs of students and provides links to other sites that propose strategies for meeting those needs. http://blindanddeafenglishstudents.blogspot.com


	17.6.09 For a comprehensive list of resources for all SEN areas, see the National Grid for Learning's Inclusion website: http://inclusion.ngfl.gov.uk/index.php?i=1


	28.6.09 Two articles on the links between SEN and 'gifted and talented' Identifying children who are gifted or talented: http://www.teachingexpertise.com/e-bulletins/links-between-sen-and-gifted-and-talented-6636 Supporting gifted and talented children: http://www.teachingexpertise.com/e-bulletins/links-between-sen-and-gifted-talented-part-2-6706


	29.7.09 Latin for students with Learning Disabilities A short paper from the University of Colorado, US that includes reasons why Latin is a viable choice for students with learning problems, a list of characteristics that describe the ideal teacher for students with learning disabilities (not just languages - so may be of more general interest), and The Organizational Characteristics of an Ideal Latin Class are Appropriate for LD Students (which, again, may have more general application). http://www.camws.org/cpl/educators/LatinforLDbrochure.pdf


	14.9.09 Foreign language learning and Special Needs Children Some useful links on early learning benefits: http://www.cal.org/earlylang/benefits/special_needs.html


	17.9.09 Book: Worlds apart? Disability and Foreign Language Learning. Ed, Barberi, Hamilton and Sutherland. (Yale University, 2008). See overview in Google books. The Foreword on the 'intersections' between disability and language learning is interesting, and available to read online. Many other pages can be previewed online.


	22.9.09 HandsOnScotland: a toolkit of helpful responses to encourage children and young peoples' emotional well being http://www.handsonscotland.co.uk


	26.10.09 Gifted and talented - National Curriculum Making the most of the new curriculum to support both gifted and talented students and those with SEN, in languages http://www.all-nsc.org.uk/files/langsinc.pdf


	27.11.09 Books for all: Accessible curriculum materials for students with ASN http://www.booksforall.org.uk/Home/


	30.11.09 Latinteach Another blog dedicated to the teaching and learning of Latin, including views on teaching Latin to students with learning difficulties. http://latinteach.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html


	3.2.10 Online communities Seventeen online communities are listed on the National Grid for Learning website to support practitioners who work with learners with individual learning needs. Find the list here: http://inclusion.ngfl.gov.uk/index.php?i=240


	* * STAR REFERENCE * * For a wealth of practical information on teaching foreign languages to learners with disabilities, see David R Wilson's website: http://www.specialeducationalneeds.com Resources include case studies, advice on ICT solutions, and an extensive bibiliography with - in the latest edition I have seen - 1631 items from around the world. Well worth a visit!


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