How is English L2 taught in a special needs’ classroom in Norway

Abstract

Very little is known about special needs education in terms of English learning in Norway. This paper examines how English L2 is taught in a special needs’ classroom in Norway. Ethnographic observation was conducted on a special needs’ class. In their ESL lesson. I observed four English lessons in its natural setting. Data was collected by ten pages of fieldnotes. The differentiation theories in the theoretical framework served as a basis to understand how English L2 can be approached in a special needs’ classroom.

The results of this study suggest that English is mainly taught through an oral approach. The content of the lessons is mainly based on oral activities or tasks done in plenary. The main form of differentiation was dividing the class into two separate groups depending on skill level and needs. The overt focus on oral activities and lack of texts suggest that there is little focus on reading and writing. This might implicate that there should be more focus on the basic skills writing and reading.

Overall, the findings of my study contribute to the research of how to teach English L2 to children with SEN. It is important for teachers to know how to properly educate children with SEN, and through this study we can gain some insight in how it could be done and what others are doing.