Abstract:

The main purpose of the article is to share the data based research investigating English language education of ADHD learners from a creative drama strategies perspective. Usually the methods and instructions of 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. However, there are learners with a neurodiversity who need special attention. In the real school settings, very little attention is devoted to such learners. A little attention is also devoted to such learners in the scientific environment. This study stands on the presumption that individual differences are a natural part language learning and every single individual has specific desires and needs when foreign language learning is concerned. ADHD foreign language learner is 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 (Fabiano, Pelham, 2003). The article presents selected data gained from a research project that took three years of examination. Specifically, it emphasises the ability of the selected ADHD learner to use new English language units in the designed context and the ability to operate correctly in the language during the selected school sessions. The first part of the article defines basic characteristics of ADHD learners and specifically designed strategies characterised as a non-traditional approach to teaching foreign languages. 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 the strong conviction that non-traditional classroom management together with interactive communicative approach based on the strategies built on creative and educational drama the selected learner was able to use the language units correctly. The research sample was carefully selected and all the data kept fully confidential.

Keywords:

Foreign Language Education, ADHD Learner, Creative Drama Strategies.