to Learners with Special Educational Needs

Pokrivčáková, S. et al. (2015). Teaching Foreign Languages to Learners with Special Educational Needs:
e-textbook for foreign language teachers. Nitra: Constantine the Philosopher University. 128 p.
ISBN 978-80-558-0941-0
5 Teaching English as a foreign language
to learners with ADD and ADHD
Mária Babocká
DOI: 10.17846/SEN.2015.81-90
Objectives of the chapter
to define the basic terms connected to EFL teaching of ADD and ADHD learners;
to explain the differences between ADD and ADHD learners;
to provide a basic framework for classroom management which can help teachers working
with ADD and ADHD learners;
to provide some practical examples and activities suitable for learners with these disorders.
Terminology and literature review
Primary and secondary EFL teachers are often called upon to work with mixed-ability groups.
Nowadays, more and more often, inclusive education means that differences between learners
are very large, as learners with special education needs are integrated into EFL classes. From a
teacher’s viewpoint, it can then become difficult to manage the classroom to ensure the progress
of different kinds of learners. The crucial questions are as follows:
- How to teach and manage both kinds of learners (with and without special education needs)
in order to achieve education objectives?
- How to manage both kinds of learners so that all the students can experience their own
learning progress?
In this chapter, we will focus on two education disorders: ADD and ADHD.
ADHD is the acronym for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. As the name suggests, the
condition entails inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADD means Attention-Deficit
Disorder. At first glance children with this syndrome are not hyperactive, but only have
problems with concentration. However, as Anderson (2015) states, this was never the intended
application of the term; in fact, it was used to describe the same disorder until 1987: “Before
that, say in 1980, a child would be diagnosed with ADD, either with or without hyperactivity. But
starting in the early 1990s, that child would be diagnosed with ADHD.” In this chapter, we will
mainly use the term “ADHD learners.”
We differentiate three general types of ADHD learners:
Inattentive: These children have problems with concentration. In the EFL classroom, they
have difficulties in sustaining attention when working on some education tasks, listening to
the teacher’s instructions, or completing tests. They are easily distracted and very sensitive to
all visual and aural stimuli, which often causes problems with self-regulation.
Hyperactive/Impulsive: The symptoms of hyperactivity can be defined as “commonly
occurring, minor motor activities that are performed at abnormally high intensity and high
frequency levels” (Hughes, Cooper, 2007, p. 4). In other words, these children are extremely
restless and can be a handful for teachers – they tend to constantly walk around, jump, climb,
talk, tap their fingers, or stamp their feet. Meanwhile, impulsive children are impatient; in the
classroom, when they know a correct answer they just blurt it out, ignoring the teacher’s
instructions. They also have problems in waiting their turn in games, activities, discussions
and conversations. This can cause a lot of problems, particularly in EFL lessons, where the
practice and production of new language are realized through communicative group work,
pair work, cooperation, and problem-solving activities. In these cases, improper management
of collective activities can negatively affect both the ADHD learner and his/her classmates.
Combined: These children show all three symptoms – inattention, impulsivity and
hyperactivity – in their classroom behaviour (Hughes, Cooper, 2007).
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