FOCUS Project

📚 This article explores the experiences of learners with disabilities and special educational needs in foreign-language learning, highlighting the importance of inclusive, learner-centred and differentiated teaching approaches. Its findings strongly support the aims of the FOCUS project by emphasizing the need for accessible, engaging and supportive language-learning opportunities that respond to every learner’s unique needs and strengths. 🌍💙

(PDF) Learning foreign languages: experiences of persons with disabilities and special educational needs and their teachers PDF | On Sep 22, 2025, Ewa Domagała-Zyśk and others published Learning foreign languages: experiences of persons with disabilities and special educational needs and their teachers | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

🎯 FOCUS Project – Pilot Testing of the Online Training Course

On 4 September, the FOCUS project team had the pleasure of conducting a pilot testing session of the project’s Online Training Course with teachers at Olympion in Cyprus. 🇨🇾

👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 The session provided an opportunity for teachers to explore the training course, engage with its content and activities, and share their valuable feedback based on their professional experience and classroom needs.

💡 Their insights and suggestions are an essential part of the piloting process, helping us ensure that the FOCUS Online Training Course is practical, engaging, accessible, and relevant to educators who work with children.

The feedback collected during the session will contribute to the ongoing improvement and finalisation of the training materials, supporting the development of resources that can be effectively used by teachers in their everyday educational practice.

A big thank you to the teachers at Olympion for their active participation, thoughtful feedback, and commitment to contributing to the FOCUS project! 🙌

🎮 FOCUS – Fun and Online Games for Children to Understand and Strengthen their Social Skills

Inclusion starts with understanding how each child learns. 🧠📚

Learning difficulties can affect the way children process information, remember vocabulary, read, write or stay focused.

However, they do not define a child’s ability to learn a foreign language.

For teachers, recognising these different needs is an important first step towards choosing the right strategies and creating a classroom where every learner can participate.

Through FOCUS, foreign language teachers gain knowledge, methods and practical tools to better support learners aged 6–12 with learni

👉 Discover the project:
https://focus-project.eu/

Can a game become a learning tool? 🎮

Digital Game-Based Learning combines educational goals with elements of play, giving children opportunities to practise, make mistakes, retry and learn through interaction.

For foreign language learners with learning difficulties, this can offer another way to engage with vocabulary, language and cognitive skills.

This is why Digital Game-Based Learning is at the heart of the FOCUS approach.

The course is free and available online:
https://focus-project.eu/courses/focus-course/

One method doesn’t work for every learner. 🧩

Children with learning difficulties may experience foreign language learning in different ways. The right adaptations can help make learning more accessible, engaging and supportive of their individual needs.

Through FOCUS, we support foreign language teachers with inclusive approaches and practical tools that help create more opportunities for every child to participate and learn.

💡 Because inclusion starts with giving learners different ways to succeed.

✨FOCUS open events in Athens, Greece🇬🇷

As part of the FOCUS Erasmus+ project, Ethos Hub successfully organised two workshops in Athens, Greece, bringing together educators committed to creating more inclusive foreign language classrooms.

1️⃣Lakoniki Scholi – Fragki Schools
📅16 December 2025

2️⃣Chronos Tutoring Center
📅8 January 2026

During the workshops, participants explored:
🔹The impact of learning difficulties on foreign language learning
🔹Practical inclusive teaching strategies
🔹Student-centred and differentiated approaches
🔹Interactive and accessible teaching tools
🔹Real classroom experiences and collaborative discussions

Educators’ enthusiasm highlighted the need to equip teachers with practical skills for inclusive learning. Together, we are building more inclusive, supportive, and accessible language learning environments for all! 🌟

📖New FOCUS article: When Homework Becomes a Family Affair

Homework can be challenging for every family, but when a child has learning difficulties, foreign language learning can become an additional source of stress for both children and parents.

Our latest FOCUS article explores recent research on:
🔹Why foreign language learning can increase anxiety for children with learning difficulties
🔹How parents' own stress can influence their child's learning experience
🔹What effective support for families looks like
🔹Why collaboration between home and school is essential for inclusive education

The evidence is clear: parents should not have to navigate these challenges alone. By supporting both teachers and families, we can create more positive and inclusive foreign language learning experiences for every child.✨

📖Read the full article here: https://focus-project.eu/when-homework-becomes-a-family-affair-what-research-tells-us-about-supporting-parents-of-children-with-learning-difficulties-in-foreign-language-learning/

The FOCUS partners gathered in Patras, Greece on 30 June - 1 July 2026 for the 5th and final Transnational Project Meeting!

📚We reviewed the final versions of the project's educational resources, shared the results of the pilot testing, discussed dissemination and sustainability, and planned the final steps before the project's completion.

A huge thank you to all partners for their dedication and excellent collaboration throughout this journey. We can't wait to share the final FOCUS results with educators across Europe!

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn a foreign language in a way that feels accessible, encouraging and meaningful. 💡

The FOCUS online training program offers teachers practical insights into inclusive foreign language teaching, learning difficulties, digital games, AI-supported teaching and classroom activities that can help make learning more engaging.

The course is free and available online:
https://focus-project.eu/courses/focus-course/

We invite foreign language teachers to explore it and bring new ideas into their classrooms.

"FOCUS in Foreign Languages" Online Training Program - FOCUS “FOCUS in Foreign Languages” Online Training Program Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Foreign Language Classrooms This course is centered on providing foreign language teachers with the essential skills and knowledge to proficiently instruct children, 6-12 years old, with learning difficulties ...

🎮 Are you a foreign language teacher interested in making your classroom more inclusive, engaging and playful?

We invite you to try the FOCUS online training program:
“FOCUS in Foreign Languages – Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Foreign Language Classrooms”.

The course is designed especially for teachers working with children with learning difficulties, but it is also useful for anyone who wants to explore how digital games, inclusive methods and innovative tools can support foreign language learning.

The training is free and available online:
https://focus-project.eu/courses/focus-course/

Discover new ideas, practical materials and inspiration for your classroom.

"FOCUS in Foreign Languages" Online Training Program - FOCUS “FOCUS in Foreign Languages” Online Training Program Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Foreign Language Classrooms This course is centered on providing foreign language teachers with the essential skills and knowledge to proficiently instruct children, 6-12 years old, with learning difficulties ...