Language Learners with Special Needs

This book provides new and important insights into the subject of language learners with special needs from a number of perspectives, especially on topics related to learners' personal experiences of language learning. People with special needs are given a 'voice' which is imperative and very worthwhile, reflecting current approaches to understanding so-called "impairment" or "difference" in many other fields of study. -- Irene Walsh, Dept of Clinical Speech & Language Studies, Trinity College Dublin Many people with physical or learning disabilities would like to master a second language. Yet, as the Editors explain, existing methods and materials are usually geared at the needs of the more able majority, and little attention is devoted to those with special needs. This collection of research studies from five different countries put the spotlight on this latter group of potential learners by drawing attention to the fact that in order for them to succeed, they would need "different methods and materials, differently prepared teachers, more guidance and a much more supportive learning environment". Creating equal educational opportunities for all is a goal that every applied linguist would surely subscribe to and therefore I applaud this pioneering volume for contributing to the process of putting language education within reach for people with disabilities. -- Professor Zoltan Dornyei (University of Nottingham)