Pedagogical interventions for ESL learners with communication disorders at primary school level in Goa, India

Abstract

A learner with communication disorders often finds it overly taxing and stressful to learn in a mainstream classroom environment. Anxiety, stress, nervousness, and phobias of social interactions, often, have a firm hold over learners struggling with communication disorders. Hence, it is of paramount importance to accommodate and nourish diverse learners, particularly those who require extra care and attention, as well as modifications in existing teaching methods to overcome impediments that obstruct their successful learning. The undertaken study aims to investigate pedagogical interventions for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners with communication disorders in select educational institutions at the primary school level in Goa, India. The study incorporates data from a fieldwork that involved visiting mainstream schools and special education institutes in South Goa, whereby qualitative interviews were conducted with mainstream English teachers, special educators, and speech therapists to gain insights and perspectives from eminent proponents of ELT and ESL pedagogy.