DEVELOPMENT OF READING LITERACY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND ATTENTION DEFICIT AND HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER CHILDREN

Abstract

"The main purpose of the article is to discuss how children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) develop reading literacy in a foreign language. Usually, foreign language methodologies and instruction in foreign language education are specifically designed for the majority of learners who have the capacities and abilities to comprehend a foreign language and learn it. The majority also masters competencies necessary for reading comprehension enhancement. However, there are learners with neurodiversity who need special attention when acquiring a foreign language. In the real school settings, very little attention is devoted to such learners. This study stands on the presumption that individual differences are a natural part of foreign language education and every single individual has specific desires and needs when foreign language learning is concerned. ADHD foreign language learners are defined as having low levels of attention, low communication skills, low literacy, and difficulties to concentrate (Hawkins, Gathercole, Astle, 2016). The research was designed as a case study of an 11 years-old English language learner diagnosed with ADHD. The article presents selected data gained from a research project that took two years of examination. Specifically, it emphasises the ability of the selected ADHD learner to devote his attention to reading in a foreign language at the English language lessons after the intervention was introduced. The first part of the article defines characteristics of ADHD learners from a neurological and psychological points of view. Then the approach we selected for the intervention was a specifically designed set of strategies grounded in the strategies of drama games, multisensory approach to teaching foreign language and Total Physical Response (TPR), all characterised as non-traditional approaches to foreign language instruction. The second part of the article presents selected research data. The case study research was conducted in an average size public school in the south of Slovakia. Based on the results we tend to have strong conviction that non-traditional classroom management together with the selected intervention approach introduced in the research study stimulated higher interest of the selected learner to read and respond to the text interactively. The tools of Grammar Test, Observation and Semi-structured interview also served to investigate the selected variables. The object of research was carefully selected and all the research data were kept fully confidential."