The English For Us Methodology: Inclusion Starts with Design

Oct 28

3 min read

How can we design a learning experience that takes each student’s needs into account from the very beginning?

When we talk about inclusive education, we often think about adapting materials, modifying activities, or providing support for students who need it. But what if we took those needs into account before we even started designing?

This question is one of the starting points for English For Us.

Our methodology is based on one idea: students should not have to constantly adapt to a single way of learning. Teaching should offer different opportunities to understand, participate, and make progress.

And to achieve this, inclusion needs to be present from the very beginning.

1 · Designing with Diversity in Mind

When we think about an English class, we usually imagine a series of content, activities, and objectives that students are expected to achieve. Then, if someone encounters difficulties, we look for ways to adapt the activity.

But what if we approached it the other way around?

Everyone has their own pace, abilities, and needs. What works for one student may not work for another, and that does not necessarily mean that one of them has more difficulty learning than the other.

Sometimes, they simply need different ways to access information or demonstrate what they have learned.

At English For Us, we start from this reality when designing our methodology. Our goal is not for everyone to learn in the same way, but to offer different paths for making progress.

2 · Accessibility Starts Before the Class

Accessibility is not only about modifying an activity when we realize that a student needs support. It also means anticipating and thinking about possible barriers before they appear.

For example, imagine an activity where we want to work on vocabulary related to leisure activities.

We can present the words through a written list, but we can also accompany them with images, examples, or interactive activities that make them easier to understand.

This way, we offer different ways to access the same content without having to prepare a completely different class for every student.

We aim to incorporate this approach from the design stage of our educational activities.

TIP · An accessible activity does not have to be easier. Sometimes, presenting information in a different way is enough to support understanding and participation.

3 · A Curriculum Adapted to Different Ways of Learning

The fact that students have different needs does not mean that we should give up on setting educational goals.

Learning English involves acquiring vocabulary, understanding grammatical structures, developing communication skills, and progressively improving our use of the language.

What can change is the path we take to get there.

Our approach includes curriculum adaptation to take into account each student’s starting point, learning pace, and needs.

This allows us to adjust activities, materials, or support while keeping the learning objectives in sight.

For example, when working on the same vocabulary activity, one student may need to connect words with images, while another may be ready to use those words in a conversation.

Both are working with English, but they are doing so through activities adapted to their abilities and goals.

Adaptation is not simply about making activities easier. It is about finding a way of working that allows each student to make progress.

4 · A Methodology That Also Needs Flexibility

Designing an inclusive methodology does not mean that we can anticipate absolutely every need that may arise during a class.

No matter how carefully we prepare an activity, there will always be situations in which we need to modify an explanation, offer another resource, or change the way we support a student.

That is why flexibility is just as important as planning.

We start with a clear structure and defined objectives, but we leave room to make adjustments based on how each student responds.

It is not about constantly improvising. It is about planning with the understanding that there can be different ways of learning.

5 · Inclusion as a Starting Point

Inclusion does not depend only on the resources we use or on our ability to adapt an activity.

It is also present in the decisions we make when designing a learning experience.

How do we present information? Are the instructions clear? What support can we offer? Are there different ways to participate?

Asking ourselves these questions helps us identify possible barriers and create educational experiences that take diversity into account.

At English For Us, we want accessibility, adaptation, and flexibility to be part of the way we teach every day.

Because an inclusive methodology is not about finding one single way of learning that works for everyone. It is about creating different opportunities for each person to make progress.