Pupils with specific learning difficulties in Heterogeneous Foreign
Language Classes in the Primary and Lower-Secondary School
This text should provide you with guidance and concrete advice for work with
learners with specific difficulties that they experience in different areas of FL
learning. You may leave out paragraphs 1, 2, 4, 12, 13, 16, 18 (numbering of
paragraphs starts on p. 2)
During the educational process about 3-4% of pupils are disadvantaged by specific
developmental learning difficulties (SLD) which complicate the learning process based
on common teaching methods.
“A specific learning difficulty can be defined as: an unexpected and unexplained condition,
occurring in a child of average or above average intelligence, characterized by a significant
delay in one or more areas of learning.” (Selikowitz 1998, p. 4).
In this section we are going to deal with the special educational needs of learners caused by
dyslexia. This term refers to literacy-related specific learning difficulties and is frequently
used to cover also dysgraphia and dysorthographia. (Matějček 1993, p.87). However, it is not
uncommon that dyslexias are accompanied also by some other SLDs (e.g. hyperactivity).
Therefore, the terms dyslexia and specific learning difficulties (SLD) are going to be used in
this section interchangeably.
Peer (1996, p.7) describes dyslexia as „Organising or learning difficulties affecting language
and working memory skills. Fine co-ordination skills may be affected in some cases. It is
independent of overall ability and tends to be resistant to conventional classroom teaching.
When untreated, there are significant limitations in the development of some or all of speech,
reading, spelling, writing and sometimes numeracy – which may lead to secondary
behavioural problems – but other areas of ability are unaffected.”
Peer stresses that “dyslexic people are not suffering from a ‘disease’. Clearly, therefore,
dyslexia cannot be ‘cured’. However, with knowledge and understanding immense progress
can be made and strategies acquired so that a dyslexic person can learn effectively and
reach his innate potential” (ibid. p.7).
As dyslexia is related to acquisition of literacy, its symptoms usually become apparent
during the first years of schooling, when some pupils experience a variety of serious problems
in initial writing and/or reading in their mother tongue and there is marked discrepancy
between their oral and written ability. In this situation the child´s parents should be advised to
approach the special educational consultancy (Speciální pedagogicko-psychologická
poradna”), where the child´s difficulties are diagnosed and official recommendations for
special teaching and remedial training issued.concerning remedial training (in Britain these
materials are referred to as a Statement).
However, as Šigutová (2004, 169) points out, some forms of mild dyslexia may become
apparent only at the outset of foreign language instruction, for which most foreign language
teachers are not sufficiently. It goes without saying that they should also have some idea of
remedial techniques helping dyslexics with reading and writing in Czech.
1
Manifestations of SLD in foreign language learning
It is important to stress here that with appropriate guidance these difficulties can be
considerably reduced
 reduced ability to follow written/verbal instructions
 difficulty in pronunciation or repeating what the pupil hears
 difficulty in responding in oral communication (slow reaction time)
 hesitant and laboured reading aloud
 reading comprehension problems
 difficulty in copying, spelling a word several different ways
 laboured writing and poor standards of written work
 difficulty in transferring skills (using words/structures in a different context)
 difficulty in memorizing, difficulty in retaining and recalling knowledge
 low self-esteem (the child is unwilling to respond, although s/he knows the answer)
 tendency to give up when problems occur
 lack of learner autonomy - difficulty in working without constant teacher input/control
This does not mean that each learner with SLD will have all of the difficulties listed above;
different learners will have different “clusters” of difficulties and their learning should be
guided accordingly. Therefore it is important that the language teacher is acquainted with the
recommendations, as well as the underlying theory.
Specific learning difficulties in the light of the communicative approach
1 As Sheils (1988, p.3) points out, “A communicative approach is essentially learnercentred… Learners´ communicative ability, i.e their ability of independent negotiation of
meaning, is developed through their involvement in a range of meaningful, realistic,
worthwhile and attainable tasks, the successful accomplishment of which provides
satisfaction and increases their self-confidence”. I consider the highlighted words as crucial
for success with SLD learners in foreign languages.
2 If we want to enable learners with specific learning difficulties (henceforth SLD) to be
willingly involved in communicative foreign language lessons, some of the principles of
communicative language teaching have to be adjusted in order to compensate for their
specific difficulties
3 According to the recommendations of communicative language teaching at the initial stage
focus should be on the oral mode of language, while postponement of exposure to the written
mode(especially with young learners), is seen as desirable. However, if some learners´
difficulties are related to a) reduced auditory perception or b) restricted memory capacity,
this approach may put them at a disadvantage In addition to that, since the “cluster” of
dyslexia-related symptoms varies from one learner to another, the multisensory method is
strongly recommended by many authors (Selikowitz, 1998), since it supports learning by
involving as many senses as possible. Hence, parallel use of the written mode (the visualgraphic), if introduced with consideration, may be supportive to learning. This is because the
written word may aa) compensate for auditory perception deficit (assisting the development
of acoustic discrimination between similar phonemes), and bb) provide support to storage of
the vocabulary learnt between two lessons. Naturally, this applies only to short words with
easy spelling, where interference between the oral and written mode can be kept under
control.
2
4
It is not easy to achieve correlation between the general recommendations of
communicative language teaching, principles of work with SLD learners in foreign languages,
and the feasibility of steps to be taken to facilitate their learning in view of real time that a
concrete SLD learner needs for foreign language learning. We have to bear in mind that
within the overall framework of the school curriculum all content subjects represent an
increased leaning load as well. Still, realistic ways have to be sought how to apply the general
recommendations concerning the treatment of
SLD learners in foreign languages
appropriately (Zelinková 2005; Šigutová 2004, 169-175).as well as the instructions of the
Czech Ministry of Education, to the day-to-day classroom practice.
5 Pupils´first encounters with English in the primary school
When children start learning a foreign language (in our case English) in the primary school
they are for some time exposed just to its oral form.With regard to vocabulary and
phraseology the primary teacher focuses on the “here and now”, on things that surround the
learners, that they use or play with, starting with the Total Physical Response; natural
acquisition of language is combined in with some focused playful training of pronunciation
and basic structures - an approach usually referred to as the Initial Oral Course (although its
roots can be traced back to Comenius).
During the learners´ first encounters with the written mode the words that have already
been learnt orally are joined to their written counterparts. And many teachers fail to realize
how intricate this transition in English is - this is the first time that even bright and brave
SLD learners may become seriously demotivated.
6 The totally different relationship between the spoken and written form of language in
English comes as a shock to all Czech learners and if spelling is not trained with
consideration all young beginners may be overwhelmed. Most of them, however, will
gradually learn to cope with the graphic mode somehow. However dyslexics, who may still be
struggling with literacy-related skills in their mother tongue, will find it much more difficult.
The strategies that they had learnt to use in their remediation sessions to cope with reading
and writing in Czech are not applicable to English! It is indisputable that, unless they are
helped to cope with its spelling, they will feel lost .and, as a result, they will not be able to
keep pace in a heterogeneous class.
7 Initial reading and writing in English
Efficient teaching and learning of the basics of literacy in English as a foreign language
consists in helping learners to find regularities in the “chaos” of English spelling – following
the tried and tested approaches used in English schools (Gross 1996).
8 TEACHING SPELLING
It is not sufficient to observe just the principle “teach learners to spell only familiar words”,
i.e. those that they know and can pronounce. Gradation of difficulty in introducing beginners
to English spelling is of utmost importance as well. Thus the teacher should consider the
overall level of difficulty that the spelling of each word represents:
 its length (how many syllables it consists of);
 sound - letter correspondence (how many graphemes represent one phoneme);
 frequency and range (should productive or just receptive command of its graphic form be
trained?)
 its length (how many syllables it consists of);
 sound - letter correspondence (how many graphemes represent one phoneme);
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
frequency and range (should productive or just receptive command of its graphic form be
trained?)
9 With regard to the objective intricacy of English spelling, it ís advisable to help learners
notice whatever differences between Czech and English usage of the letters of the alphabet
(some of them are included in the methods used in English primary schools)
Here are some spelling rules:
 “no English word ends in v or j “ or “in i (except foreign words, e.g. taxi, spaghetti, ski)”;
 “a silent e at the end of a word makes the vowel in front of it say its alphabetical name
(except for come, done…”.- Gross 1996, 188-189). - To Czech learners words like name,
home, etc. look like two-syllable words!
 Many English words start with y (a letter designating a vowel is pronounced as a
consonant – difficulty in dictation)
 spelling – pronunciation relationships g regularities: game, gold, guide;
but: g+e, g+i/y (gentle x get; giant x gift).
 j x g.
 the post-vocalic r (car) is not realized in standard British English pronunciation
10 In our schools some teachers tend to pay excessive attention to the training and testing of
spelling (which is just a language element) at the expense of the skills. We often see that as
soon as the children are exposed to written language, the spelling of every word is often
treated in the same way. Thus, as concerns spelling, our teachers seem to be more strict than
those teaching native English children.
Remember that when Czech children are learning to read and write in their mother tongue
they do not start with words like hrst, spřáhnout, but proceed, as we are advised by
Comenius, “from the easiest to the more difficult”
.
11 Therefore in the English lessons the teacher should
 Start with three-letter and four-letter “phonetically regular” words.
 introduce consonant digraphs (shop, chips, this, wish);
 common vowel digraphs (book, see;)
 common polysyllabic words (open, animal, umbrella); show how to divide the more
difficult ones into syllables (weather, teacher;)
 Bring the learners´ attention to the most frequent polygraphs (consonant clusters) and
make them notice the order of consonants: night (but tenth),
suffix –ing (but
foreign).
 Later pay attention to the spelling–pronunciation relationships of common suffixes
and endings: mention, future, dangerous, kindness (Gross, ibid.).
12 What criteria does the Common European Framework of Reference set with regard to
spelling? According to the descriptors for Orthographic Competence at Proficiency Level
A1: the learner “can copy familiar words and short phrases...”. (there is no mention of
writing the words out of memory!); Level A2 : “Can write with reasonable phonetic accuracy
(but not necessarily fully standard spelling) short words that are in his/her oral vocabulary.”
(Council of Europe 2001, p.118).
It follows from the above that productive command of the spelling of familiar words should
be trained with consideration
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All that has been said so far describes an approach that is beneficial for all learners, not just
for dyslexics. What follows are some recommendations focused at work with SLD learners.
13 Simultaneous Oral Spelling – SOS
This is a specialised method used successfully with native English dyslexic pupils
(Pumfrey, Reason 1995:122).
The student suggests, or the teacher chooses, a word he wants to learn
1. “The word is written correctly for him (or made with plastic script letters).
2. The student says the word.
3. He then writes the word himself, saying the alphabetic name of each letter of the word as it
is written” (spelling letter-by-letter might be contaproductive for foreign learners).
4. He says the word again. He checks to see that the word has been written correctly. This is
important, as backward readers are often inaccurate when they copy. “
The teacher (or helper) is advised to repeat steps 2 to 5 twice or more, covering the stimulus
word as soon as the student feels he can manage without it. The student practices the word in
this way for several consecutive days.
14 How to deal with copying in English
When they start learning a foreign language in the primary school, many SLD pupils may
still have difficulties in exact copying in their mother tongue. They may leave out (or add)
letters, write them in a wrong order, leave out a line, etc. Here is some general advice for
copying in a foreign language:
 Make sure that pupils are never asked to copy what they cannot say or do not understand.
 Do not use blackboard for longer pieces of writing to be copied, if necessary give learners
individual model handouts instead, definitely to dysgraphics.
 Read aloud for the learners the text being copied from blackboard, using a pointer
 Reduce excessive copying, produce gapped texts instead.
 Last but not least: do not ask SLD pupils to copy new vocabulary from the board into
their notebooks - they will definitely make some mistakes and then will learn the wrong
spelling of all these words. They should get vocabulary slips to stick in their notebooks
Never make them copy phonetic transcription, it is a meaningless activity for most of
them, especially dysgraphics .
15 Reading and writing as skills
Although the development of reading comprehension is found quite difficult by many SLD
pupils, sufficient attention should be paid to its systematic development, since literacy in a
foreign language is a necessary precondition for the learners´ future language development.
This means that the teacher should offer systematic guidance in helping these pupils find
efficient strategies, keeping the reading load at an appropriate level at the same time.
With regard to writing, the teacher should remember that this is not one of the major aims
when working with SLD pupils, but a worthwhile activity to consolidate work covered. It
needs to be stressed that comprehensibility is much more important than accuracy.
16 Training reading
Oral reading (reading aloud) of a text in English is a challenge even for native English
schoolchildren. Thus it is no wonder that it is found difficult by many Czech learners, not just
dyslexics. As many authors suggest (Šigutová, 2004), dyslexics should not be asked to read
aloud in front of class unless they volunteer (they may have trained it at home and would like
to experience success)
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Recommended techniques during the lesson
 Choral repetition after tape (or teacher) with visual support of text;
 Choral reading of text – like choral repetition, it provides an opportunity for all
learners who are shy to perform in front of whole class for guided oral production;
 In pair or group work individual reading of dialogues that have been practised.
16a Remedial techniques
Gross (1996) points out that “Whereas children with SLD who have only regular classroom
teaching and no special help with their reading have been found to fall progressively .behind
their peers,…..those who do get help in the form of a structured multisensory teaching
programme can make better-than-average progress (ibid, 173). The following techniques
may be useful for English as a foreign language as well.
16 b Shared reading – the adult reads “to the child, who is encouraged to follow the print by
running a pencil or finger under the words, stopping for the child to read back” (a part of
what s/he has followed), supplying a word if the child gets stuck (ibid. 168-169)..
Paired reading
Reading material: anything that the child chooses (or agrees upon with the helper)
 “The helper and child begin by reading simultaneously, with the helper pointing to the
words as s/he goes along.
 When the child feels able to read a little on his/her own, s/he gives an agreed signal..
 The child reads alone until s/he (makes a mistake or) gets stuck. The helper then gives
the correct word; the child repeats it and the helper joins in again until the child
repeats it and the helper joins in again until the child next signals a wish to read
independently.” (Gross 1996, 168).
This should be done regularly, preferably several times a week, for 10 -15 minutes until the
learner gains the basic reading and text-processing habits. The helper can be any person with
a reliable enough proficiency in English (even a classmate)
The use of taped reading material (i.e. a tape and text) or a CD Rom is advisable as well,
although it lacks the interactive aspect.
Supporting reading comprehension
17 Textbook-related problems with reading
In order to be able to facilitate foreign language learning it is necessary to evaluate textbook
components in the light of SLD learners´ needs:
Because of their difficulties with space orientation they may have problems with
 the layout of some pages, the organization of matching exercises, confusion over
which visual accompanies which activity.
 pages set out in columns, which is found unusual by Czech pupils .
 different types of typeface (also “handwritten”); the speech bubbles, small, close print
Practical tips to facilitate orientation in text and text processing
 Use reading frames (or make learner follow the text with a finger); orange or red
transparencies are also useful to make texts more distinct
 If necessary, provide graphic modification of text to be read:
numbering of lines/speech bubbles, use of different colours for each line;.
enlargement of text; you may have to retype the text using more learner-friendly
typeface.
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18 Facilitating reading comprehension
Take inspiration from all reading-related textbook exercises, for many of them a set of
supplementary materials involving manual manipulation with text elements will be
beneficial:
 Key vocabulary on cue cards Once the initial presentation of the text has been completed
the pupils may be able to attempt the whole exercise.
 Sequencing and matching activities are more easily managed if each element (sentence or
paragraph) is placed on a card. The cards can then be moved around until the correct
version is found. This method avoids the problems caused when a pupil has to reorder a
lengthy sequence on a worksheet!
 Train learners in the use of the basics of the skimming and scanning techniques
(highlighting key words/phrases)
 Provide basic (step-by-step) training for using simple dictionaries and make them
available during all reading work.
19 Writing
Remember that meaningful writing does not start with a paragraph of a text, not even with a
full sentence – learners can be asked to label things in classroom, write short notices on
stickers (e.g. Closed; Back in 10 minutes.), write simple titles below pictures.
Keep writing to minimum – reduce unnecessary copying; texts can be produced without
being written down in full (by hand):
 Use gapfilling techniques to produce text.
 Physical manipulation of textual material - „cutting and sticking“ by pupils
themselves (with handwritten additions, where necessary).
 Creating text from words or chunks on cards according to a picture.
 Encourage a mixture of written and pictorial respells from group or project work.
 Wherever possible the use of the computer is strongly recommended to reduce the
strain of handwriting.
The pupils should be asked to produce mainly simple texts corresponding to (their!) real-life
use. Make sure that a clear model is always introduced and pupils know how to modify it
(e.g. description of a place).. If pupils are able to produce simple comprehensible texts and
exchange short written messages it will boost their self-confidence and they will stop using
avoidance strategies.
20 Homework (and support from parents or friend)
The primary function of homework in a foreign language is to provide reinforcement of
learning, i.e. an opportunity for practice and revision of what was covered at school (PollockWaller, 1994, p. 158). It contributes to the efficiency of learning, since it increases the
frequency of learners´ contact with the foreign language and thus counteracts extinction
(forgetting), the rate of which is represented by a steep downward curve.
However, for some learners , homework in a foreign language may be an harmful activity
resulting in incorrect learning. While during practice at school the teacher provides
guidance and can intervene in the process of learning, with homework it is only the product
for which the learner receives delayed feedback – the whole homework may be red with the
teachers´ corrections!. Therefore, when planning the lesson, the teacher should also consider
the follow-up activities to be assigned for homework, scrutinizing the skills involved and
anticipating the learners´ difficulties.
What has been said so far applies to all learners. In the light of the needs of pupils with SLD
it is clear that for many of them even what seems to be easy homework might be an
overdemanding task. Thus written homework requiring even a short paragraph of free
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expression may represent for the child with SLD (or even for a slow learner) too many diverse
subtasks, as a result of which the final product is chaotic and disappointing. Therefore, ways
should be sought for facilitation of the task, e.g. by providing a gapped text, or a text some
parts of which should be substituted by chunks that are provided on cards or elicited by
prompts, etc. It is also important that the child finds the homework activity enjoyable or at
least meaningful.
Some teachers tend to associate the idea of homework mainly with some written assignment,
since there is clear evidence of work having been done. This, however, is discriminatory not
only for pupils with SLD, but for all pupils in whose learning styles graphic skills do not play
a dominant role. Below are some examples of homework that is more suitable for SLD pupils.
21 Pupils could be asked to:
 teach the new words to a member of the family
 practise a role-play with a friend or member of the family
 listen again to a tape recording of a role-play, new vocab, repeating with or after …
 record themselves, e.g. a role-play
 sing a song with a friend or for a member of the family
 describe a picture to a member of the family
 play with picture-and-word cards (on reverse sides)
 with the help of a member of the family look up in the dictionary a word that is needed
(e.g. for the activity above)
 make sentences using a substitution table or colour-coded word cards.
 find background information on the internet
The time in the lesson and way in which homework is set is also of great importance and for
children with writing problems a slip of paper from the teacher with specification of the task
is the best solution.
22 The points above have also included support or help from other family members. As
research and case studies prove, the pupils with special needs whose parents show interest in
their work and cooperate with their child´s school find it easier to cope with their learning
difficulties. However, some teachers point out that this support may be somewhat
problematic, especially in cases where the parents´ command of the foreign language does not
set a good model (pronunciation) or where the parents ask the child to do inappropriate
practice tasks (e.g. translation or excessive reading aloud). However, if the parent or family
member follows the advice of the teacher, there is quite a number of ways in which they can
be helpful.
Raymond (1997) stresses the role of the parent also as a connecting link between school
and the child´s work at home. The parent should check whether the child understands what
s/he is supposed to do, that homework does not build up and that the child does not feel
overloaded: „If your child is completely unable to achieve something, explain it clearly to the
school, but ideally, extract at least part of the task....“, p. 53. The parents are also advised to
keep record of their child´s personal progress.
23 Individual Education Plan.
Statemented (i.e.diagnosed) SLD learners are entitled to an Individual Education Plan
Although, according to the regulations of the Czech Ministry of Education (and
recommendations of the Special Education Consultancy), they have a right to restricted and
modified syllabus (with preference of the oral mode) they still have to learn ways of coping
with English spelling, as well as with the reading and writing skills. Otherwise they would not
be able to put their command of English to “realistic and worthwhile use” in all of its domains
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(Sheils 1988, p.3). This is really a difficult task for the teacher to deal with. In this context
Gross (1996) recommends a “contract” between the learner and teacher (as a facilitator). With
regard to learning spelling it may consist in an agreement on concrete words that the pupil
will try to learn to spell correctly within a given time limit. The words chosen should be
related to a meaningful context or situation, and their usage in the written form should be
worthwhile (why should e.g. exact spelling of numerals be drilled at all?). If the learning
load agreed upon is realistic (i.e. feasible for the learner) it will provide an opportunity for
her/him to experience success, which is the basic principle of remediation techniques. Similar
and even more important short-term individual contracts should be focused on the
development of the SLD learner´s reading comprehension. This approach may be quite
motivating if the “English across the curriculum” or CLIL approach is used in the school.
Needless to say that systematic leaner training, i.e. helping the individual SLD learner to find
the best suitable learning strategies is of utmost importance.
24 Allowances for SLD learners. (tzv.”úlevy”)
As concerns writing (and also reading), all sources suggest that SLD learners should be given
more time or shorter tasks for written work (whether for exercises or tests). However if, in
the course of the lesson, they spend more time on one activity, they are left out during the
following one that the rest of the class is involved in, because they are still occupied with
the previous task. If they get a shorter practice task (i.e. to write just a half of the exercise)
they have had less practice. Therefore the tasks should be adapted to overcome the learners´
difficulties (i.e. handwriting), providing maximum opportunity for focused practice at the
same time
25 Assessment, testing and marking
As you know, in all official documents the use of the oral medium is stressed for testing.
(when vocabulary is tested in the lesson in writing or when there are other written tasks),
according to the general recommendations SLD learners may be tested orally instead or may
or do some less demanding alternative task. The use of verbal assessment is strongly
recommended, since marks mean little to the child, unless accompanied by a comment which
highlights both the strengths of his/her work and how it might be improved.
Assessment. The teacher should consider under what conditions the targets included in the
lesson are attainable, or how they could be modified for SLD learners and adjust assessment
accordingly. The most learner-friendly approach, at least to all young learners, is contïnuous
assessment. In addition, it is also the most fair in the light of the multiple intelligences theory!
26 Classroom testing. Despite the general recommendations SLD learners cannot be
assessed in a heterogeneous class only on grounds of their oral production. Since the results
of tests and examinations may have a negative influence on their motivation, differentiated
(not mechanically abridged or reduced) test tasks should be used. Marking should always be
done on a positive basis.
In oral skills the smallest step forward in terms of (e.g. understanding instructions, recalling
vocabulary, reacting in simple conversational exchanges) should be recognized.
In written work highlighting what was done well and comments.on progress made are very
important for boosting the learner´s self-confidence (these should be marked in a different
colour than corrections – colour coding). As for errors in written work, many authors believe
that red has a punitive function and recommend the use of green. It goes without saying that
all of the teacher´s notes and comments should be clear and legible!
Different criteria should be applied to different forms of writing, e.g. a dialogue could be
marked on the basis of how it would sound rather than on its accuracy, whereas we might
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insist on correct spellings when copying signs or notices (remember the criteria of
communicative language testing).
27 Providing feedback
Pupils like to know what their achievements are and we should try to give them as much
positive feedback as possible. If our objectives are realistic it ought to be possible to
demonstrate progress. The following ideas are suggested:
 Give short, simple tests based on small chunks of work when the pupils know the
work well. Tests can be turned into various games, e.g. O´s and X´s.
 Talk to the pupils about the objectives and help them to recognize their
achievements (use the European Modern Languages Portfolio).
 Exchange information about pupils´ progress or problems with other colleagues,
especially with the mother tongue teacher.
28 Some comments on the production of supplementary materials for SLD learners in
heterogeneous classes
 Preparation of worksheets with the help of the computer gives the teacher an
enormous opportunity for producing tasks tailored to the needs of each individual varied according to the types of his/her learning difficulties, graded (the number and
place of gaps in the same text can vary from copy to copy, etc); the tasks for the
development of reading comprehension or writing can be differentiated.
 If gapped worksheets are to have some specific learning (not just time-saving)
value, their production involves quite a lot of qualified, even sophisticated decisionmaking: which words to leave out with regard to the goal of the exercise (which skill
or language element do I want to practise or test?) and to the needs of a particular
learner (is it too difficult or perhaps too easy for her/him?) The same applies to
gapped words for training spelling (What makes the spelling of this word difficult?
Which letters do I intend to leave out and why?The same applies to processing pages
copied from the textbook in current use because of the graphic problems they pose.
 Differentietd instructions can be produced for group work (or roleplay) with tasks
focused at worthwhile participation of learners with different abilities.
 The use of colour-coding. In most present-day (foreign language?) textbooks
systematic colour-coding is used as a sort of signposting to facilitate learners´
orientation in different components in each unit. Colour can also be used as a tool of
multisensory approach for presenting, discovering and practicing language structure,
where each element of a given structure has a designated colour (e.g. auxiliary verbs –
base forms of lexical verbs – suffixes; nouns – determiners). If this system is observed
systematically it provides a good picture of how various structures operate. As for
practising, if respective words (and suffixes) are written in colour on separate cards
(and there is a choice of interchangeable lexical words) learners can be asked to
produce meaningful sentences following an example. Since they are handling “pieces
of language” manually (tangible grammar), yet another sense is involved in learning,
which may reinforce acquisition of the structural rules.
29 Survey of basic principles of the most suitable approaches to teaching a foreign
language to SLD learners:
 Stimulating and challenging activities in a safe environment
 Language for enjoyment - incorporate pupils´ individual interests
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
Clear, unambiguous materials Use multisensory approach to reinforce comprehension,
build up systematic sign language for the most common instructions.
 If you ask pupils to copy language from the board (e.g. vocabulary) you should check
whether your handwriting is fully legible for them. If not, they will learn mistakes
when practising at home.
 Short term/attainable/realistic goals
 Tackle things in a very structured way with small steps; use of colour-coding
 Need for instant reward – find each learners´ strengths
 Don´t force the less able pupils to respond
 Flashcards, language master pictures with words, word cards
 Retain the same set of pictures throughout
 Repetition without boredom; limited vocabulary: repetition using mime and games
 Card games (vocabulary, irregular verbs)
 Songs, old tunes with new words
Source: Language and Special Needs. CILT National Conference, London, May 1992
Glossary
allowances (for SLD learners)
at-risk learners
BDA - British Dyslexia Association
disabilities
fine motor skills
Individual Education Plan
learning support teacher
letter - sound correspondences
literacy
special educational needs
special educational consultancy
úlevy (pro žáky s SPU)
poruchy
jemná motorika
individuální výukový plán
vztah písmeno – hláska
gramotnost
speciální vzdělávací potřeby
(speciální) pedagogicko psychologická
poradna (PPP)
specific (developmental) learning difficulties/ specifické (vývojové) poruchy učení
(SLD)
(SPU)
spelling
pravopis slova (“jak se slovo píše”)
reading frame/grid
čtecí okénko
remediation
reedukace
sight word
sound
hláska
spatial orientation
prostorová orientace
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