UNIT ONE

INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION

 WARM-UP
1. How would you explain the following expressions in English?
 Special education
 Exceptional students

2. What words/expressions would you use to describe a person without disabilities?

3. Watch the video Exceptional Children’s Week (available at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czKCy-GYHb0) and answer the following question:
 What are some general ideas expressed in the video?

*Read the text on pages 13 and 14

Vocabulary

 exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/ adjective – a term used to indicate both students with

disabilities and students who are considered gifted or talented
 students with special needs
 students with disabilities
 disability /ˌdɪsəˈbɪləti/ noun [countable] (plural disabilities) – limitation in
performance resulting from a physical or mental impairment
*as a matter of preferred terminology, an “individual with a disability” should
be used, rather than a “disabled individual”
Vocabulary

 average/typical rather than normal

 typical/typically developing students – students without disabilities (non-
exceptional students) who reach typical and age-appropriate developmental
milestones
 milestone /ˈmaɪlstəʊn -stoʊn/ noun [countable] – a significant stage in the
development of something
 developmental milestone - A set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that
most children can do at a certain age range
Vocabulary

 special education noun [uncountable] – 1. Generally, public education for a

student with a disability consisting of other than the regular curriculum. 2.
specially designed instruction which meets the unique needs of a child with
disability
 special education teacher rather than defectologist
 curriculum /kəˈrɪkjələm/ noun (plural curricula or curriculums) [countable] –
content of program of instruction detailing what students should learn, when they
should learn it, and how they should be taught
 instruction /ɪnˈstrʌkʃən/ noun [uncountable] teaching that you are given in a
particular skill or subject
 Vocabulary exercise 1
 Fill in the gaps with appropriate words/expressions:
1. As a __________, she works with __________.
As a special education teacher, she works with exceptional students/students with special needs/students with
disabilities.
2. Students in special schools follow a __________ which is different from regular.
Students in special schools follow a curriculum which is different from regular.
3. Special education is specially designed __________ that meets the needs of a child with a __________.
Special education is specially designed instruction that meets the needs of a child with a disability.
4. __________ students usually don’t have difficulties in reaching age-appropriate developmental
__________.
Typical/Typically developing students usually don’t have difficulties in reaching age-appropriate developmental
milestones.
Key to exercise III (p.14)

a) Teaching that you are given in a particular skill or subject a) Instruction

b) Different from average
b) Exceptional
c) Inability to do something
c) Disability
d) Chance to do something
d) Opportunity
Key to exercise IV (p.14)

 Ability  Disability
 Similarity  Difference
 Exceptional  Average
 Advantage  Disadvantage
 Grammar – Review
Present Simple and Present Continuous

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsYrTIndhI
Present Simple

 She lives in London.  Facts

 They usually take the bus to work.  Habits and repeated actions (with usually, often,
always, sometimes, rarely, etc.)

 She doesn’t like this kind of music.

 To talk about thoughts or feelings (what we like,
want, think or know)
 The film starts at 8:30.

 For the future, to talk about events on a timetable

Forms of the Present Simple

 POSITIVE:
I/you/we/they know
he/she/it knows

 NEGATIVE:
I/you/we/they do not know / don’t know
he/she/it does not know / doesn’t know

 QUESTIONS:
do I/you/we/they know
does he/she/it know
 Grammar exercise 1
 Put the verbs into the correct present simple form.
1. Julie __________ (not/drink) tea very often.
Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.
2. What time __________ (the banks/close) here?
What time do the banks close here?
3. Where __________ (Martin/come) from? – He’s Scottish.
Where does Martin come from?
4. What __________ (you/do)? – I’m an electrician.
What do you do?
5. It __________ (take) me an hour to get to work. How long __________ (it/take) you?
It takes me an hour to get to work. How long does it take you?
6. Look at this sentence. What __________ (this word/mean)?
What does this word mean?
7. What time __________ (the train/arrive)?
What time does the train arrive?
Present Continuous

 What are you doing now?  something happening at the moment of speaking

 Jim is staying with his parents this week.  something happening around now but not necessarily at this
exact moment

 Is your English getting better?

 changes happening around now

 I’m meeting some friends tonight

 fixed plan for the future

 You’re always buying new clothes! (you

buy too many)  with a word like always or continually, if we want to criticise
or complain
Forms of the Present Continuous
 POSITIVE
I am/’m starting
you/we/they are/’re starting
he/she/it is/’s starting

 NEGATIVE
I am not/’m not starting
you/we/they are not/’re not/aren’t starting
he/she/it is not/’s not/isn’t starting

 QUESTIONS
Am I starting
Are you/we/they starting
Is he/she/it starting
 Grammar exercise 2
 Put the verbs into the correct present continuous form.
1. You ___ (work) hard today.
You are working hard today.
2. Why are all these people here? What ___ (happen)?
What is happening?
3. Let’s go out now. It ___ (not/rain) any more.
It isn’t raining any more.
4. I want to lose weight, so this week I ___ (not/eat) lunch.
I want to lose weight, so this week I’m not eating lunch.
5. What ___ (Brian/do) these days?
What is Brian doing these days?
6. The population of the world ___ (increase) very fast.
The population of the world is increasing very fast.
7. He ___(have) dinner with Kate next Friday.
He’s having dinner with Kate next Friday.
 Present Continuous
• The water is boiling. Can you turn it off?
• Let’s go out. It isn’t raining now.
• What are you doing?
• The population of the world is increasing very
fast.
Present Simple
• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
• It doesn’t rain very much in summer.
• What do you usually do at weekends?
• Every day the population of the world increases
by about 200 000 people.

TEMPORARY SITUATIONS PERMANENT SITUATIONS

 I’m living with some friends until I find a place  My parents live in London.
of my own.  John works hard most of the time.
 You’re working hard today.
 Grammar exercise 3
 Put the verbs into the correct form, present simple or present continuous.
1. Julia is very good at languages. She ___ (speak) four languages very well.
She speaks four languages very well.
2. Hurry up! Everybody ___ (wait) for you.
Everybody is waiting for you.
3. A: ___ (you/listen) to the radio? B: No, you can turn it off.
Are you listening to the radio?
4. The Nile ___ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
The Nile flows into the Mediterranean.
5. Rachel is in London at the moment. She ___ (stay) at the Park Hotel. She always ___ (stay) there when she’s in
London.
She’s staying at the Park Hotel. She always stays there when she’s in London.
6. Normally he ___ (finish) work at five, but this week he ___ (work) until six?
Normally he finishes work at five, but this week he’s working until six.
7. I ___ (always forget) people’s names and it’s very irritating.
I’m always forgetting people’s names and it’s very irritating.
 State verbs
 State verbs are nearly always used in a simple rather than a continuous form.
• Verbs of thinking (e.g. believe, think, understand, know, seem, mean)
• E.g. I think you’re wrong.
*think is not a state verb when it means the action – I’m thinking about my holiday.
• Verbs of emotions (e.g. like, love, hate, wish, want, hope)
• E.g. I like French films.
• Verbs of possession (e.g. belong, have, own, contain, cost)
• E.g. She has three sisters.
*have can be continuous when it does not mean ‘possess’ – We’re having lunch right now.
• Verbs of the senses (e.g. see, hear, taste, smell, feel)
• E.g. Do you see anything you want to buy here?
*see can be continuous when it means ‘meet’: Are you seeing John tonight?
*listen to, watch, and look at are not state verbs and can be continuous
 Grammar exercise 4
1. Don’t put the dictionary away. I _______ (use) it.
I’m using it.
2. Don’t put the dictionary away. I _______ (need) it.
I need it.
3. Who’s that man? What _________________ (he/want)?
What does he want?
4. Who’s that man? Why _________________ (he/look at) us?
Why is he looking at us?
5. Alan says he’s 80 years old, but nobody ________ (believe) him.
Alan says he’s 80 years old, but nobody believes him.
6. She told me her name, but I ___________ (not/remember) it now.
She told me her name, but I don’t remember it now.
7. I _______ (think) you should sell your car.
I think you should sell your car.
8. I _______ (think) of selling my car.
I’m thinking of selling my car.
 Key to exercise VI (p.15)
1. Usually, we are/are being unable to identify the exact reason why a person is exceptional.
Usually, we are unable to identify the exact reason why a person is exceptional.
2. Scientists are constantly making/constantly make progress in preventing some disabilities.
Scientists are constantly making progress in preventing some disabilities.
3. The exceptional learner is/is being different in some way from the average.
The exceptional learner is different in some way from the average.
4. Scientists are trying/try to determine the causes of some disabilities.
Scientists are trying to determine the causes of some disabilities.
5. Exceptional and non-exceptional learners also have/are having some things in common.
Exceptional and non-exceptional learners also have some things in common.
6. An exceptional learner needs/is needing special education and treatment.
An exceptional learner needs special education and treatment.