Page 19 - ELG1704 Apr Issue 446

IATEFL NEWS NEWS

Set students

up for life

All teachers can have a lasting impact on students with special needs

nglish language teach- This is going to be a great platform Ms Unlu, who is also aca-
ers cannot afford to to disseminate information and to demic director at Bloomsbury
ignore the issues of share experiences.’ International language school in
special needs and In British state schools, un- London, added, ‘I got involved
Einclusion, whatever der-identification of special-needs in [the group] because I moved
context they work in and how- English as an additional language away from private EFL teaching
ever long they spend teaching (EAL) learners was still an issue, and went into Esol, and there
individual children, a UK-based she said, and students’ education it’s always been part of what they
expert has said. Even teachers could be held back by a reluctance do. When I went back into the
who see learners in summer to diagnose. private sector I was very keen
schools for just a few weeks can And staff in schools where learn- to raise awareness of it. It’s not
still have a lasting impact on ers attended for short periods – such just asylum seekers and refugees
learners with special needs if as a three-week summer school – – anyone can have a special
they are properly equipped, said could have more of an impact than educational need.’
special educational needs con- they might think, she said.
sultant Anne Margaret Smith. Anne Margaret Smith ‘If we can find a way of making
In only a short time, teachers awareness of SEN and inclusion those three weeks really valuable
can have an influence on stu- in the English-teaching world, for the learner, helping the learn-
dents with learning differences, and demand was rising for re- ers find better ways that suit them,
and teach them strategies that sources and training. Dr Smith, that could be something that
could ‘set them up for the rest of who runs the ELT well consul- sets them up for the rest of their 15–20%
their education’, she said. tancy, said: ‘In my work I’ve education. It could be introducing of the population has a
She spoke as the new special found a lot of people looking for some memory strategies or raising language-based learning
disability
interest group on inclusive more resources, materials to help awareness of phonological issues,
practice and special educational people with specific learning and it might just make a difference 70–80%
needs (SEN) she helped to found differences, from dyslexia to sen- to the way they continue to learn
prepared to hold its first pre-con- sory impairments. I really think when they leave the school.’ of students receiving special
needs support have deficits
ference event at this month’s that the time is right for this Dr Smith stressed that the in reading.
Iatefl annual gathering. Speaking special interest group and I’m increased interest in special needs
to the Gazette, Dr Smith said really delighted that Iatefl gave issues was taking place worldwide. 10%
there was already a growing us the green light to go ahead. A Mooc (massive open online of people are estimated to
course) set up by Lancaster Univer- have some form of dyslexia.
sity and Future Learn, which tack-
HIGHLIGHTS les dyslexia and foreign language 700 million
teaching, now attracts 17,000
people a year from every country children and adults world-
wide are estimated to be
Some highlights from the programme at the Inclusive in the world bar North Korea, she dyslexic.
Practices and Special Educational Needs special interest said. Iatefl’s Chile branch is also
group Iatefl pre-conference event: due to hold a dyslexia conference 4–5%
• Storymaking and storytelling for people with special this May. Varinder Unlu, acting will have severe dyslexia.
needs. co-ordinator of the new Iatefl
• Inclusion through the teacher’s eyes, a Czech case study. special interest group, added that (Source: International Dys-
lexia Association)
• Workshop: Improving self-esteem in the inclusive the relative lack of regulation in
classroom. EFL schools and the image that
English language teaching is ‘not 1%
• Talk: Are we ready to promote inclusion? Strategies
for promoting inclusion and understanding learners with taken seriously … something you of the world’s population is
estimated to have autistic
Asperger’s disorder do to travel’ had meant there had
not been a strong enough focus on spectrum disorder (Source:
special needs in the sector. The Autism Society)
20 April 2017

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