Appropriate Strategies for Teaching English as a FL to Children with ADHD

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder that affects the development of different skills, including those necessary for English language learning in children. However, there are certain strategies that teachers can use to help these students. This research synthesis focuses on analyzing the most appropriate strategies to teach English to children with this medical condition, as well as discovering their advantages and disadvantages. This study was exploratory in order to obtain relevant and useful information about the topic. Twenty-one studies were analyzed according to different criteria such as the year of publication, the age of participants, the language of the study, the place where the study was conducted, among others. The studies were analyzed according to five categories. The most relevant results were that computer-based activities, body movement, and metacognitive strategies are the most appropriate to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to children with ADHD, since they help children to be better organized and achieve concentration in their daily routines. It was also visible that the main factor affecting the teaching process involving these children is the lack of knowledge teachers have on the subject. Consequently, the following research synthesis offers conclusions and recommendations on how to apply and select these strategies, which will undoubtedly be useful in EFL classrooms.