HL2C-SLLAT Seminar: Judit Kormos (Lancaster University)

Title: Equitable access to language learning for neurodiverse students in classroom settings: Past achievements and future directions

Presenter(s): Judit Kormos (Lancaster University)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024, 12pm to 1pm

How to join: The seminars are free to attend. Simply sign up to the HL2C Mailing List or to the SLLAT mailing list to receive the link to join us via Microsoft Teams link. You do not need a Teams account to access the talk.

About: This is a joint event, co-organized by the Heritage Language 2 Consortium (HL2C) and the Second Language Learning and Teaching (SLLAT) Research Group.

Abstract:

In this presentation, which will be a trial run for my plenary talk at AAAL in Texas, I will give a narrative overview of the series of research projects I have conducted over the past 15 years to enhance neurodiverse students’ access to language learning and to promote inclusive language teaching and assessment practices. Research findings, derived from interviews, questionnaires, observational studies and the analysis of second language performance, yield insights into the complexities of cognitive and affective challenges neurodiverse students are confronted with. The studies also highlight that policy-level, institutional, curricular, and pedagogical factors and practices can constitute significant barriers for neurodiverse language learners. The talk will also describe how, based on these findings, I have initiated several teacher education programs on inclusive language teaching, and I will identify the measurable impact of these initiatives on language teachers. I will also summarize the results of our recent research projects in the area of accessible language assessment and the benefits of testing adjustments for test-takers with diverse cognitive abilities. The presentation will conclude with an action plan for future research and implications for inclusive multilingual pedagogies and educational policies.