| Abstrakt: |
Digitality is increasingly recognized as a means for achieving greater inclusivity of heterogeneous learners in English language classrooms, by, for example, offering compensatory tools for communication or as a means for realizing differentiation. Beyond these types of integration, emerging digital cultural practices offer learners opportunities to participate in affinity groups and carry out affiliated activities that reflect their authentic interests, contributing to a sense of agency and fostering well-being. Especially for neurodivergent learners, these practices – which frequently use English as an online lingua franca – can help bridge the distance between their authentic interests and unique interactional preferences, and traditional classroom instruction that limits agency and is at odds with, for example, autistic interactional patterns. This contribution will examine how the integration of digitally-mediated communication can address learners’ needs for agency, as well as facilitate development of communicative competence. While important prerequisites for all language learners, we will examine how both digitality and agency are especially relevant for neurodivergent learners. Finally, we will briefly touch on some of the implications for English language classrooms and what teachers might consider for the benefit of all learners, both regarding learning outcomes and overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
