Special Education and Language Acquisition

Graduate

The relationship between language acquisition, perceived learning dis/abilities, and special education support has been the subject of ongoing debate. Key topics linked to this debate include: language impairment, needs assessment, access to support, method of support, program design, and disproportional representation. These matters have significant implications for language learners, educators, and program developers alike. Those involved in teaching-learning an additional language, whatever that language might be, face a number of important questions, including: What is language impairment? How should the needs of language learners be assessed? Who should access support? What should that support look like? What should inclusion look like in a language learning setting? Why have language learners been disproportionally represented in some special education programs? As these questions indicate, language learning is complicated, and is intertwined with a number of social justice issues. In this course, students will critically examine a range of current research, and draw 138 Winter 2027 Academic Calendar conclusions about the discourse on the relationship between language acquisition, perceived learning dis/abilities, and special education support.