INCLUSION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Persons with disabilities have been left aside in different processes including in the
education system. According to The World Bank (2021) “One billion people, or 15% of the
world’s population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher
for developing countries'' (par.1). In addition, it has been estimated that one in three
children who are not in a school have any kind of disability (Theirworld). For that reason,
more than an essential mainstay in the formation of different aspects of the human being,
the access to education and more to the foreing language learning represents a way
through which children with disabilities get better social and economic opportunities which
have been denied to them many times by the same fact of having special needs.

The fact that many of those people do not meet the expectations or reach a good level
even in their native language, does not mean that they do not learn anything. Foreign
language learning is not only about structures, pronunciation, spelling and so on, it is also
about culture and values, aspects which help to construct an identity. As persons with
disabilities, they perceive the world in a distinct manner and contribute to it like they can.
Regarding foreign language learning they will perceive the world through that language,
facing reality from another point of view, being participants of a community, impacting it at
the same time. It implies that possibly some attitudes, predispositions and perceptions
could begin to change, allowing them the familiarization with the foreign language. 

Therefore, to supply and satisfy their special education needs, strategies, curriculum,
syllabus, activities, materials, professional and material resources through which the
foreign language is taught and learned must be reformed. Along with those reforms, the
implementation of courses about how to teach children with disabilities within language
teacher training could be a significant factor in the improvement of the quality of education.
Despite the fact that many of them need more time, they have also the potential to get the
same opportunities as the rest of the people who do not have any disability because with
effort, discipline, and commitment all is possible

The World Bank. (n.d). Disability inclusion. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability

Theirworld. (n.d). Children with disabilities. https://theirworld.org/explainers/children-with-

disabilities