Do inclusion practices for pupils with special educational needs in the English as a foreign language class in Israel reflect inclusion laws and language policy requirements?

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe study of additional languages is mandatory for all pupils in most European countries. Usually, the first foreign language is English. This is due to the status of English as a global language. According to inclusion laws, pupils with special educational needs (SEN) should be taught in regular classes with support services by teachers with special education training. Often, however, foreign language teachers lack training and do not know how to adapt teaching methods for pupils with SEN in the regular language learning class. In this study, 109 elementary school teachers filled out questionnaires examining practices and attitudes about inclusion of pupils with SEN in the English as a foreign language (EFL) class in Israel. Findings indicated that pupils with SEN are included in regular EFL classes, taught with the same materials as the class, usually by teachers with no specialised training and no teaching assistants. Teachers are not always encouraged to take in-service courses on how to teach these pupils. No significant difference were found between teachers with and without special education training regarding inclusion practices, but slight differences were found with regards to attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with SEN. The majority of teachers felt that pupils with SEN should be taught in special education settings with specialised materials, and not in the regular education class. These findings raise questions regarding the efficacy of inclusion laws and language learning policies.