As a pivotal element in the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report (UN 2022) – which identifies seventeen goals to be achieved by 2030 to reach global progress – the concept of inclusive education has gained increasing prominence. In fact, according to the UN fourth goal, inclusive and equitable education should be ensured and lifelong learning opportunities should be promoted for everyone. In this context, the study of foreign languages can be extremely challenging for students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) that particularly affect the acquisition and application of skills such as reading and writing, and make language learning one of the most critical tasks (Daloiso 2012; Melero Rodriguez et al. 2018). Educators and higher education institutions also face a challenge since they should be able to respond to their students’ needs, removing barriers to learning while allowing access to knowledge for all learners (Rose, Mayer, Hitchcock 2005). Drawing on such assumptions, a case-study was conducted among Italian university students with SLDs, with the aim to identify approaches and teaching strategies to foster effective language learning in English classes. More specifically, in order to explore questions related to the overlapping fields of ELT, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and SLDs, the study involved 82 university students with SLDs who were randomly assigned either to an experimental group (EG, n = 41) and received English lessons designed according to their individual needs and based on some specific teaching strategies, or to a control group (CG, n = 41) who received conventional English lessons. Results suggest that the students in the EG who benefited from a variety of support strategies and approaches were able to significantly improve their foreign language skills, with no need to resort to dispensary measures. Such data paves the way for increased awareness of the potential of differing approaches to ELT in relation to students with SLDs and the urge to further implement inclusive education within the Italian university context, involving both learners and educators.
Inclusive Education and English Language Teaching (ELT) in the Italian University Context: A Case-Study
Nisco, M. C.
;Tafuri, D.
2026-01-01
Abstract
As a pivotal element in the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report (UN 2022) – which identifies seventeen goals to be achieved by 2030 to reach global progress – the concept of inclusive education has gained increasing prominence. In fact, according to the UN fourth goal, inclusive and equitable education should be ensured and lifelong learning opportunities should be promoted for everyone. In this context, the study of foreign languages can be extremely challenging for students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) that particularly affect the acquisition and application of skills such as reading and writing, and make language learning one of the most critical tasks (Daloiso 2012; Melero Rodriguez et al. 2018). Educators and higher education institutions also face a challenge since they should be able to respond to their students’ needs, removing barriers to learning while allowing access to knowledge for all learners (Rose, Mayer, Hitchcock 2005). Drawing on such assumptions, a case-study was conducted among Italian university students with SLDs, with the aim to identify approaches and teaching strategies to foster effective language learning in English classes. More specifically, in order to explore questions related to the overlapping fields of ELT, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and SLDs, the study involved 82 university students with SLDs who were randomly assigned either to an experimental group (EG, n = 41) and received English lessons designed according to their individual needs and based on some specific teaching strategies, or to a control group (CG, n = 41) who received conventional English lessons. Results suggest that the students in the EG who benefited from a variety of support strategies and approaches were able to significantly improve their foreign language skills, with no need to resort to dispensary measures. Such data paves the way for increased awareness of the potential of differing approaches to ELT in relation to students with SLDs and the urge to further implement inclusive education within the Italian university context, involving both learners and educators.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
