The Influence of Technology in Educating English Language Learners at-risk or with Disabilities: A Systematic Review
Abstract
With the development of technology, the quantity and quality of electronic devices for students learning English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) are on the rise, especially since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. To facilitate practices in English language education for students with special needs, the researchers conducted a systematic review of the empirical studies of technology tools for ESL/EFL students with learning difficulties published in the previous two decades. This paper presents the study selection process and findings of the review based on 16 peer-reviewed journal articles and one book chapter. The paper reveals the frequent mental and physical difficulties of English language learning and the typical technology tools employed in and out of class. More importantly, this paper discusses the roles of these technology tools in students’ English language acquisition, specifically their effects on student learning outcomes and the students’ perceptions toward them. With limited primary sources, this paper calls for more attention to the use of technology in English language learning of ESL/EFL students identified as at-risk and with learning disabilities and raises some implications for future research and instructional practices.
Downloads
References
Akpan, J. P., & Beard, L. A. (2013). Overview of assistive technology possibilities for teachers to enhance academic outcomes of all students. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1(2), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2013.010211
Alemi, M., & Bahramipour, S. (2019). An innovative approach of incorporating a humanoid robot into teaching EFL learners with intellectual disabilities. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-019-0075-5
Alison, C., Root, J. R., Browder, D. M., & Wood, L. (2017). Technology-based shared story reading for students with autism who are English-language learners. Journal of Special Education Technology, 32(2), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643417690606
Al-Maroof, R. S., Salloum, S. A., Hassanien, A. E., & Shaalan, K. (2020). Fear from COVID-19 and technology adoption: The impact of Google Meet during Coronavirus pandemic. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1830121
Alnahdi, G. (2014). Assistive technology in special education and the universal design for learning. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 13(2), 18–23. http://www.tojet.net/articles/v13i2/1322.pdf
Andujar, A., & Nadif, F. Z. (2020). Evaluating an inclusive blended learning environment in EFL: A flipped approach. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(5-6), 1138–1167. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1774613
Artiles, A., & Klingner, J. (2006). Forging a knowledge base on English language learners with special needs: Theoretical, population, and technical issues. Teachers College Record, 108(11), 2187–2194. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810610801102
Baca, L., & Cervantes, H. (1989). The bilingual special education interface. Charles Merrill.
Campbell, M. L., & Mechling, L. C. (2009). Small group computer-assisted instruction with SMART Board technology. Remedial and Special Education, 30(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193250815048
Chai, Z., Ayres, K. M., & Vail, C. O. (2016). Using an iPad app to improve phonological awareness skills in young English-language learners with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31(1), 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643416633332
Chiang, H., & Liu, C. (2011). Evaluation of the benefits of assistive reading software: Perceptions of high school students with learning disabilities. Assistive Technology, 23(4), 199–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2011.614673
de Valenzuela, J. S., & Niccolai, S. L. (2004). Language development in culturally and linguistically diverse students with special education needs. In L. Baca & H. Cervantes (Eds.), The bilingual special education interface (4th ed., pp. 125–161). Merrill.
Echevarria, J., & McDonough, R. (1993). Instructional conversations in special education settings: Issues and accommodations. National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0tq0d304
Evmenova, A. S., & Behrmann, M. M. (2014). Communication technology integration in the content areas for students with high-incidence disabilities. Assistive Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Application, 1, 26–53. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4422-9.ch003
Fawcett, A. J., & Lynch, L. (2000). Systematic identification and intervention for reading difficulty: Case studies of children with EAL. Dyslexia, 6(1), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1099-0909(200001/03)6:1<57::aid-dys163>3.0.co;2-w
Ganschow, L., & Sparks, R. (2001). Learning difficulties and foreign language learning: A review of research and instruction. Language Teaching, 34(2), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444800015895
GarcÃa, S. B., & Tyler, B.-J. (2010). Meeting the needs of English language learners with learning disabilities in the general Curriculum. Theory Into Practice, 49(2), 113–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841003626585
Guardino, C., Cannon, J. E., & Eberst, K. (2013). Building the evidence-base of effective reading strategies to use with deaf English-language learners. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 35(2), 59–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740113506932
Hebebci, M. T., Bertiz, Y., & Alan, S. (2020). Investigation of views of students and teachers on distance education practices during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science (IJTES), 4(4), 267–282. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.v4i4.113
Hecker, L., Burns, L., & Katz, L. (2000). Benefits of assistive reading software for students with attention disorders. Annals of Dyslexia, 52(1), 1–17. http://doi.org/ 10.1007/s11881-002-0015-8
Hoover, J. J. & Collier, C. (1989). Methods and materials for bilingual education. In M. Baca and H. T. Cervantes (Eds.), The bilingual special interface (pp. 231–255). Merrill.
Huang, R., Spector, J. M., & Yang, J. (2019). Educational technology: A primer for the 21st century. Springer.
Jozwik, S., & Mustian, A. L. (2019). Effects of technology-supported language experience approach for English learners with exceptional needs. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 36(5), 418–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2019.1655690
Karvonen, M., Clark, A. K., Carlson, C., Wells Moreaux, S., & Burnes, J. (2021). Approaches to identification and instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are English learners. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 46(4), 223–239. https://doi.org/10.1177/15407969211040256
Knaak, T., Grünke, M., & Barwasser, A. (2021). Enhancing vocabulary recognition in English foreign language learners with and without learning disabilities: Effects of a multi component storytelling intervention Approach. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 19(1), 69–85.
Liontou, T. (2019). Foreign language learning for children with ADHD: Evidence from a technology-enhanced learning environment. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 34(2), 220–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2019.1581403
Ludwig, C. (2018). Using vocabulary apps to enhance students’ vocabulary knowledge. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 9 (3), 306–323. https://doi.org/10.37237/090305
Maxwell, L. A., & Shah, N. (2012, August 28). “Evaluating ELLs for Special Needs a Challengeâ€. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/evaluating-ells-for-special-needs-a-challenge/2012/08
Ortega, L. (2015). Research synthesis. In B. Paltridge & A. Phakiti (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 225–244). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Özgüç, C. S., & Cavkaytar, A. (2014). Teacher use of instructional technology in a special education school for students with intellectual disabilities: A case study. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 5(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.17569/tojqi.14394
Papadima-Sophocleous, S., & Charalambous, M. (2014). Impact of iPod touch-supported repeated reading on the English oral reading fluency of L2 students with specific learning difficulties. The EuroCALL Review, 22(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.4995/eurocall.2014.3639
Raskind, M. H., & Higgins, E. (1995). Effects of speech synthesis on the proofreading efficiency of postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 18(2), 141–158. https://doi.org/10.2307/1511201
Rivera, C. J., Mason, L. L., Moser, J., & Ahlgrim-Delzell, L. (2014). The effects of an iPad® multimedia shared story intervention on vocabulary acquisition for an English Language learner. Journal of Special Education Technology, 29(4), 31–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264341402900403
Rivera, C. J., Spooner, F., Wood, C. L. & Hicks, S. C. (2013). Multimedia shared stories for diverse learners with moderate intellectual disability. Journal of Special Education Technology, 28(4), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264341302800405
Savvidou, G., & Loizides, F. (2016). Investigating commercially available technology for language learners in higher education within the high functioning disability spectrum. In S. Papadima-Sophocleous, L. Bradley, & S. Thouësny (Eds.), CALL communities and culture – short papers from EUROCALL 2016 (pp. 413–417). Research-publishing.net. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2016.eurocall2016.598
Swanson, H. L., Sáez, L., & Gerber, M. (2006). Growth in literacy and cognition in bilingual children at risk or not at risk for reading disabilities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2), 247–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.98.2.247
Ting, K. (2014). Multimodal resources to facilitate language learning for students with special needs. International Education Studies, 7(8). https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v7n8p85
Wicha, S., Sharp, B., Sureephong, P., Chakpitak, N., & Atkins, A. (2012). An animated dictionary for hearing-impaired students in Thailand. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 12(4), 234–244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-3802.2012.01239.x
Woo, M., Chu, S., Ho, A., & Li, X. (2011). Using a wiki to scaffold primary-school students' collaborative writing. Educational Technology and Society, 14(1), 43–54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.14.1.43
Xin, J. F., & Affrunti, R. L. (2019). Using iPads in vocabulary instruction for English language learners. Computers in the Schools, 36(1), 69–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2019.1565888
Zou, B., & Yan, X. (2014). Chinese students' perceptions of using mobile devices for English learning. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 4(3), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijcallt.201407010
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.