Language schools ‘overlooking’ neurodiverse student market

A survey of 150 language schools across Spain, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Canada, the USA and Australia was conducted by Boelo van der Pool, Founder of Dyslexia Smart Schools, and the results have been shared as StudyTravel Magazine’s guest article this week.

Almost half of the language schools that responded to the survey (43.7 per cent) said that they had no experience with neurodivergent learners and no specific accommodations for them in place.

A similar ratio said that they had worked with neurodivergent students previously but relied on standard programs with no formal adaptations.

Only around 10 per cent of the schools that responded had both prior experience of teaching and had specific measures in place for neurodivergent students, Boelo advised.

Boelo van der Pool

Meanwhile, a related survey of 65 Spanish families with dyslexic children by Boelo found that 89 per cent struggle with English language classes due to their dyslexia.

However, 68 per cent of these parents said that they were open to sending their children on immersive language programs overseas, and 66 per cent said that they would consider an inclusive, dyslexia-friendly international program.

“In the world of language education, inclusivity is often celebrated, yet one crucial group remains largely overlooked: neurodivergent learners. Students with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism face unique challenges in acquiring new languages, but they also possess incredible strengths that can be harnessed with the right teaching strategies,” Boelo said.

“Despite growing awareness of neurodiversity, our research shows that language schools worldwide are failing to address the needs of these students, missing a valuable opportunity to both improve educational outcomes and expand their market reach.”

In our guest article, Boelo outlines some of the common struggles that neurodivergent students face in foreign language learning, as well as some measures that schools can undertake to create more inclusive offerings.

He said that language schools can create a competitive edge by creating more inclusive programs – and urged schools to promote those courses as neurodivergent friendly to build trust and attract interest, and to involve study travel agencies.

Boelo said that an estimated 20 per cent of the global population has one or more neurodivergent conditions, and that in Europe alone that would equate to a potential market of around 30 million people in the 14-to-30 age category.