LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ４９ ４９ English Instruction for Special Educational Needs: A Narrative Inquiry of a Learning Support Assistant Ayu Sinta Ramadhani1 ayusinta.ramadani@uinsu.ac.id Rahmah Fithriani2 rahmahfithriani@uinsu.ac.id 1,2Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia Abstract In terms of instruction and materials, EFL for children is very different, particularly if it is taught in inclusive classes where children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are grouped in one class and receive the same education. Therefore, students with SEN require a learning support assistant (LSA) to aid in explaining and guiding their learning. In this study, we will therefore employ a narrative inquiry methodology to describe the experience of an LSA in assisting students in the English language. The collected data were examined using content analysis. Challenges associated with the LSA profession that accompany EFL learning, differences in the educational background of the profession, as well as social relationships and interactions with the school environment are the focus of this study's findings, which are intended to provide other learning support assistants with based-on-experience information. Keywords: English for children, learning support assistant, narrative inquiry, Special Educational Needs. INTRODUCTION English language’s burgeoning importance as a lingua franca for international communication has impacted its teaching and learning in most countries over the world, particularly those in outer and expanding circles. English, as a global language, has been prioritized by education practitioners as an introduction to international interactions (O’Regan, 2021). To participate in international negotiations and cooperation, English is used by a growing number of nations, particularly those in expanding circles such as China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and Nepal, which only use the language for specific purposes including scientific and technological development and diplomatic relations (Lestari & Setiyawan, 2020). This significant role in English increases the demand for proficiency in the language. As a result, numerous countries require English in their curriculum presentations. This curriculum is included in the education curriculum in these countries not only for adults as a communication tool, but it is also included in the basic education curriculum and becomes compulsory learning taught in schools. There is, of course, a need to separate English lessons for adults and children. Thus, there are specific approaches specifically discussed and referred to as English for Children. Learning English at an early age has become significantly important for children (Chu, 2014), which necessitates a variety of approaches, materials, and instructional methods. As a result, the phenomenon of learning English at a young age is prevalent in many countries around the world, including Indonesia. Although English is not a required subject for elementary schools under the current curriculum implemented in this country, numerous educational institutions have offered English as a subject to their students as early as first grade. Children typically learn English in the classroom in the same way that http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ mailto:ayusinta.ramadani@uinsu.ac.id mailto:rahmahfithriani@uinsu.ac.id LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５０ ５０ adults do, despite the required distinction of English instruction for the two groups. At an early age, English learning usually focuses on vocabulary development and enrichment through game-based learning to make this experience enjoyable. Regarding the differences between English learning for children and adults, it is logical to conclude that the distinction must be made clearer for children with special education needs (SEN), who require specialized pedagogical treatment. Since the English subject is taught to all children, including those with SEN, it is essential to pay particular attention to this group. Depending on their limitations, the achievement outcomes would vary if the same teaching method and approach were used for all children (García & Baker, 2007), (Lewis et al., 2017). Therefore, it is necessary to differentiate approaches, materials, and instructional methods for children with special needs. Children with special needs are typically included in inclusive classroom programs. Despite the existence of this inclusive class program, children with special needs must also adhere to the government-mandated curriculum. Inclusive classes are used to comply with federal law and make progress toward grade-level general education standards (Taub et al., 2020), which require inclusive children to achieve or improve their learning outcomes. A study that engages a standards-based reform model by stating that if a country adopts high-quality standards and students have the opportunity to study those standards, students will make progress in the general curriculum as required by the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, 2004), and non-regulatory guidance from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (2015). Every student with special needs who attends public schools must complete the same curriculum as other students, including foreign languages. In the absence of differences in the Indonesian curriculum system regarding foreign language learning in the classroom, students with special needs must adhere to all English learning systems established by the school. English for children alone is very interesting, especially English for Special Educational Needs. As some research was undertaken by three local education authorities in the northeast of England to support pupils with Special Educational Needs (Crowther et al., 2001), a study about educating English and language learners with Special Educational Needs (Park & Thomas, 2012). And also a concern about teachers’ perspectives on Special Educational Needs in Oman (Al-Busaidi & Tuzlukova, 2018). Children with special needs will participate in inclusive classes alongside other students. It's just that they've been given special authorization to have an assistant teacher. The task of this learning support assistant is to assist the main teacher in explaining the explanation and to ensure that these students with special needs participate in learning and achieve the curriculum targets that have been set (Lacey, 2010). Several studies discuss the point of view of Learning Support Assistants such as research on the role of Learning Support Assistants in assisting students with special educational needs that accompany physical learning(Vickerman & Blundell, 2012), (Maher, 2016). There are currently very few studies on the teaching of English to children with special needs. particularly from the perspective of the accompanying teacher or Learning Support Assistant. As a result, this study will describe the Learning Support Assistant's perspective on English learning in children with Special Educational Needs. The narrative inquiry research method was used in this research. Kitwood introduced the narrative inquiry method in 1993, which introduced a personal approach to the medical field. This method creates a research foundation that focuses on feelings, time, opinions, and time. People frequently feel the need to share their illness stories, and these narratives can be used to learn more about their experiences and the people who care for them(Haydon et al., 2018). This research was conducted to answer the research question of http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５１ ５１ “How does the Learning Support Assistant feel and react to students with Special Educational Needs in the English learning process?”. Moreover, the aim of this research was expected to benefit knowledge in improving the quality of education for children with special needs, as well as provide additional literature for learning support assistants in assisting students with special needs. The Teaching of English to Children at Early Ages Teaching English to children requires a different approach than teaching English to adults. Not only must the material taught, but also the approaches used, be appropriate for the child's needs. Not only must the information taught be appropriate for the child's requirements, but so must the methods employed. There are several reasons why English is taught to children at a young age, particularly in countries of expanding circle (Kachru, 1985), which refers to countries where English has no special administrative status but is recognized as a lingua franca and is widely studied as a foreign language, such as Brazil, Germany, Japan, and Indonesia. One of which is because children are still acquiring their linguistic code, thus, they will readily adopt a new one. For the same reason, they have no trouble pronouncing unfamiliar sounds. They are not concerned in sounding distinctive. Moreover, when children have a great experience learning a language since their early age s children, they will remember it fondly and find it simpler to learn languages later in life Cooper, 2007). Aside from language-related benefits, learning English or any other language beside mother tongues has a direct and association with cognitive growth. In addition to boosting memory, focus, and the ability to multitask, it has been demonstrated that learning a second language helps young children develop problem- solving, critical-thinking, and listening abilities. Finally, children who are exposed to multiple languages at a young age have more favorable attitudes toward the cultures linked with those languages. The experience of learning a language exposes children to aspects of the world they might not otherwise encounter. English for Children with Special Educational Needs Education for children with special educational needs (SEN) began to be actively developed in the 18th century, with the pivotal publication of a research by a French specialist named Jean-Marc Itard. The paper detailed the finding of "wolf children" who were neither clothed nor civilized. The biography of Hellen Keller is then supplemented by anecdotes from other characters. Many cases that are unique and challenging to conquer, necessitating ways, experiments, and strategies for teaching and educating children with special needs. According to the interpretation above, education for students with special needs differs from that for other students. Students with special needs, according to Hallahan and Kaufman (2006), are individuals who require special education and related assistance. In line with this, Gearheart (in Mangunsong, 2009) explained that a student who is born impaired has different educational demands than the ordinary normal child and requires unique learning programs, services, and materials. Sensory, physical, cognitive, emotional, or communication skills, or a combination of these, are areas of specialization for these students. This specificity is the reason for the impact's severity on educational advancement. Different effects can be seen based on age, gender, and environment. Students with special needs should not be segregated from the community since they have the same rights as other people, including the access to education. Inclusive education is a strategy for achieving universal education that responds to the diverse actual needs of children and the community, especially children with special needs. For children with disabilities, the term ‘inclusive’ sounds more positive than special, disabled, and abnormal because they contain discrimination and powerlessness. Moreover, inclusive education seeks more realistic and comprehensive methods of exposing students to real-life situations since they can interact with a http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５２ ５２ variety of individuals in their social milieu. In contrast to mainstreaming and segregation, inclusive education seeks to integrate children with special needs into the larger world of education. Identifying appropriate approaches to addressing persistent educational underachievement of English Language Learners (ELLs) remains a challenge for educators across the country. The widespread and inappropriate use of standardized testing with ELLs is well documented, as is the fact that these tests frequently underestimate students' academic progress and potential (Baca & Cervantes, 2004; Cummins & Sayers, 1995). Not surprisingly, the National Research Council reported that ELLs are still at risk of being placed in special education (Donovan & Cross, 2002). Furthermore, Zehler, Hopstock, and Fleischman (2003) stated that instructional programs for the approximately 350,000 special education second-language learners in grades K–12 must be better aligned to state standards to ensure that all students have equal access to the implementation and assessment of mandated curricula. To address cultural and linguistic diversity in education for all students, there is an urgent need to use more authentic assessments and differentiate the curriculum. Different sociolinguistic and cultural backgrounds, adjustment to a new socio-cultural milieu, the presence of a disability, or a combination of these factors may all contribute to ELL students' learning and behavior problems (Hoover, 2000). This frequently leads to ELLs being over-identified, under-identified, or misidentified for special education (Gonzalez, BruscaVega, & Yawkey, 1997). Although the terminology has changed over the years (e.g., adaptation, differentiation, modification), the underlying issue for ELLs with special needs is that curriculum must meet their diverse needs in the classroom. Curriculum implementation principles apply to all learners, including students with mild disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. An appreciation for the diversity that students bring to the educational setting is a value-added component (Hoover & Patton, in press). The curricular principles discussed by Garcia (2001), Hoover (2001), O'Malley and Pierce (1996), and Ovando, Collier, and Combs (2003) supplement the basic teaching principles and are important in implementing and differentiating the curriculum for ELLs with learning and behavioral problems. Effective curriculum implementation for ELLs with special needs focuses on academic content relevant to students' culture, background, environment, and prior experiences; and multiple content knowledge and skills that are reinforced over time and across subject areas. Hoover and Patton (in press) expanded on these important teaching and curricular principles by outlining six curricular elements required to effectively select and differentiate curriculum and instruction for ELLs. "Addressing these six factors will help the practitioner ascertain the best adaptations to curriculum, while simultaneously valuing the learner's cultural and linguistic diversity," Hoover and Patton explained. Learning Support Assistant’s Role The success of an inclusive education practice depends on a number of factors, one of which is teacher-student interaction. In inclusive environments, teachers need to pay more attention to students with special needs than those without special needs (Cameron, 2014). Furthermore, the effectiveness of inclusive classrooms is also determined by instructional interaction patterns, the beliefs and attitudes of teachers towards students, and their attitudes and beliefs about students (Jordan & Stanovich, 2001), Due to the teacher-student ratio, inclusive education will be difficult to achieve, as intensive interaction between the teacher and the group of students they instruct would be impossible. To address this issue, inclusive education classrooms need to employ learning support assistants (LSAs) to assist students with SEN in adjusting to the http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５３ ５３ classroom environment. This is typically one-on- one and is intended to assist the student while relieving the teacher of additional responsibilities. Therefore, a learning support assistant (LSA) assists both students and teachers. Inclusive education has been implemented in Indonesia for almost two decades. However, since its inceptions, numerous issues have been identified, which include inadequate services for students with special needs and a lack of LSAs (Rasmitadila & Goldstein, 2017). As a consequence, inclusive education in Indonesia has not yet been fully implemented, as evidenced by the small number of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) who have been educated alongside their more privileged classmates. As a result, there is scant literature on learning support assistants (LSA) and students with SLD and PMLD, particularly in an Indonesian context. Regarding this issue, this paper focuses on the general literature on students with special educational needs (SEN) and the narrative of an SLA working with students with SEN to help them learning English as a foreign language. METHODOLOGY Research Design This qualitative study was conducted with the narrative inquiry design. Narrative inquiry is a type of research that investigates an individual's experience and how their physical, social, and cultural environment influences and shapes their individual experiences (Haydon et al., 2018). The desire for a more holistic exploration of the chosen phenomenon: its depth and breadth, drives Narrative Inquiry research (Guba & Lincoln, 1982; Lindsay & Schwind, 2016) by focusing on both the relationship between researcher and participant as well as the interwoven dimensions of inquiry (Byrne, 2017; Clandinin, 2016). Furthermore, a narrative is both a phenomenon and a method, with the former representing the life being studied and the latter referring to the process by which a researcher studies the phenomenon and engages in research the act of recounting (White, 2015). This research investigated the views, opinions, and experiences of a learning support assistant (LSA) as a companion for English Education by focusing on their belief in supporting children with SEN in English Education and their perspective on how effective they are in their relationship with the English Teacher. Therefore, even so, this study may be useful for triangulating LSA views with English teachers and education providers, the main purpose of this paper is to present LSA perspectives in detail rather than limiting their views in addition to analyzing other people's perspectives. The main goal of this paper is to present LSA perspectives in detail rather than limiting them, as well as to analyze other people's perspectives. The study was carried out in a single primary school in Medan where the first author has been working for nine years. The data were collected from one LSA who works in a school that specializes in English language education for children with special needs. Data were collected through interviews and transcription of reports from LSA experiences in the form of a teacher's diary. The interview took place in Indonesian. Similarly, LSA’s teachers’ diary is also written in Indonesian. The researchers met with LSA several times during the data collection process to obtain detailed and rich data. Participants Three LSAs are assisting inclusive learning for children with Special Educational Needs at the school where we conducted this research. In addition to the three LSAs, there is one therapist and one psychologist who collaborate to enhance and develop learning. We purposefully selected one of the three LSAs based on the LSA criteria of greater experience assisting SEN students and accompanying children with Special Educational Needs. Among the three potential participants, the selected candidate has more experience and http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５４ ５４ has accompanied more than two students with SEN at this school. Our participant is a male aged 29. He was born to a Malay and a Bataknese couple. He is the eldest of three siblings in his family, with a younger brother and a younger sister. He is currently married and has a daughter. He is an immigrant from Tanjung Balai, North Sumatera. He moved to Medan to continue his education at undergraduate level where he majored in Perbandingan Mazhab. His choice of this major was rooted in his curiosity as a Muslim who wanted to know the rationale and law behind any activities conducted by human beings. For ethical consideration, anonymity and confidentiality issues were discussed and explained to participants during data collection (Fithriani, 2018), After identifying the participant, the first author, who is also a teacher at the school, delivered the information orally. The information was communicated to the principal by the first author, who also explained the objectives of the study. This was completed as part of the school's research requirements. After the research conditions were met, the researcher’s scheduled interviews. The interview was scheduled for three meetings. The questions posed about LSA's experience assisting students with Special Educational Needs in learning. Instruments In this study, semi-structured interviews served as the research instrument for the narrative inquiry methodology. This type of interview is used to elicit information from participants that are more comprehensive and rigorous. With the participant’s consent, the researchers audio recorded the interview, which was conducted in Indonesian. The audio recording was subsequently transcribed word-for-word and translated into English. We interviewed the participant to get in- depth stories about his experience as an LSA, particularly when assisting students in learning English. The semi-structured interview format allowed the participant to discuss what was important to him rather than limiting his responses to the areas we identified as potential concerns based on the literature review. We created open-ended questions to encourage discussion about his decision to work as an LSA and whether his lack of educational experience posed a problem in carrying out his duties as an LSA. In addition, when working with children with Special Educational Needs, we explore what he feels and how he controls their emotions. We also allow the participant to tell us about any other important experiences the has had, as well as to seek advice on how to improve his ability to handle children and find solutions if obstacles arise during the learning process. We scheduled a 60-minute semi-structured face-to-face interview. However, the actual interview lasts 30 minutes, after which it would be continued via WhatsApp and phone to get in-depth information. In addition to interviews, the teacher's diary was used to collect data for data source triangulation. The LSA provided these daily notes in the form of student behavior and development reports. This daily report also includes problems, difficulties, and roadblocks encountered throughout the mentoring process. The LSA also includes suggestions or solutions for every problem encountered. There are three notes which were used as the data in this study. Data Analysis The primary method of data analysis in this study was inductive content analysis, which focuses on answering the research question by identifying themes in selected material (Terrell, 2016). The responses of the SLA to the interview questions and his teaching diary entries were contextually analyzed in three stages of coding. Significant quotes and passages were manually coded using colored pencils during the initial phase of coding. The initial findings were then recorded in the researcher's note as a guide for the subsequent data analysis phase. In the second stage, all http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５５ ５５ significant quotes and passages from the initial findings were coded and provisionally categorized at the sentence level. The findings from this stage of coding were subsequently reanalyzed during the final stage of coding. This process was iterative before categories and subcategories could be adequately saturated. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Result The objective of this research is to tell the story of an LSA's experience assisting children with special needs to learn English in inclusive classrooms. The findings are divided into three categories: the impact of professionalism with an educational background as an LSA, teaching challenges EFL for Special Educational Needs, and interaction with the environment. The following are descriptions and discussions of the three findings: Impact of professionalism with educational background According to data collected through the interview, the participant has a different educational background than his job as a learning support assistant. As we all know, people who work as LSAs typically have educational or psychological backgrounds. However, the participant claimed to be a law scholar. He stated that this was initially an impediment to optimizing learning achievement. Because he did not obtain pedagogical knowledge and procedures for teaching or giving lessons as a law scholar with a comparative concentration of schools of thought. During the in-depth interview session, the participant stated that his diverse background piqued his interest. It provides him with very valuable color and knowledge as a recent graduate who has only recently attempted to work as an LSA, as seen in the following excerpt: I have no formal education as an SLA. This is my first time working. But, to be honest, I learn a lot from my job as an SLA every day that I would not have gotten in college. Interacting with these children also altered my perception of special-needs children. (Interview Excerpt 1) Excerpt 1 shows that our LSA participants enjoy their profession, even though it is not directly related to their academic background. He also admitted that the nuances of being an LSA broadened not only his knowledge but also his perception of children with special needs. He also explained that this situation of being in a profession which is not linear with his educational background is not something he regrets. He found it a blessing and felt very thankful for the opportunity to master two fields of knowledge at the same time. He furthermore compared his current situation with that of his experience back in college time, where he had to study pedagogic sciences and psychology, as he stated in Excerpt 2: I only studied one field of science in college, but now I study two fields of science at the same time. I studied psychology and education. Particularly important is the education of children with special needs. I consider myself fortunate, and I want to see it as an opportunity, not a hindrance to my professional development. (Excerpt 2, Interview) The participant explained that he learned a lot more than he did in college from finding 2. He studied psychology to better understand the psychological side of children with special needs, as well as their growth, development, and emotional changes. In addition, to prepare for a career as an educator, he studied education so that he could teach students. http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５６ ５６ EFL Teaching challenges for Special Educational Needs From the results of the coding performed on the teacher's daily report on English learning assistance, the participant agreed that teaching English to children with special needs is a great idea with a big goal. However, some limitations exist in the language development of the children he is accompanying. where the children accompanied by ADHD are students with very low attention or focus If he dislikes learning, his mood will be unstable. Excerpt 3 from teaching diary #1 below reflects the aforementioned issues: Students (with SEN) whom I accompany have poor concentration. He can only sit quietly in class for 5 to 6 minutes at a time. As a result, he becomes bored faster than the other children when he pays attention to the teacher's explanation. I usually deal with this by giving him additional instructions during the learning process to help him stay calm in class. I need to spend some time getting to know her learning and emotional styles. When I found out about it, it greatly aided me in giving him instructions. (Excerpt 3, Teaching diary 12. February 2022) According to excerpt 3, he accompanied a child whose concentration was low and whose attention was easily distracted. As a result, the participant must employ special strategies to ensure that students sit quietly and pay attention to the teacher's explanation while not disturbing other students. Then an LSA must develop a special method of getting students with SEN to listen to the instructions they give. Students with SEN require a unique approach and an intense emotional introduction from LSA. So that the student is willing to follow the participant's instructions. Another LSA challenge mentioned in the data is the students' ability to learn English. Students with SEN have limitations in language classes. Some of them are illiterate. Sometimes the perfect oral organs and other external factors are constrained. Excerpt 4, Teaching dairy #6 I struggle to teach new vocabulary. Because students tend to memorize vocabulary without understanding what they have memorized. When students are asked to name vocabulary and its meaning, for example. He, however, was unable to locate the previously mentioned item. Furthermore, students (with SEN) who have oral organ problems will find it difficult to pronounce vocabulary according to pronunciation. (Excerpt4, Teaching diary #6) The participant described the challenges he faced when teaching new vocabulary to students with special needs. because students with special needs are more likely to be able to memorize without understanding what he has memorized. Furthermore, if there are students with SEN who have problems with their oral organs, it will be difficult for them to mention the vocabulary based on their pronunciation. According to the participant’s explanations, teaching children with special needs presents extremely complex challenges. The difficulties begin with students' cognitive abilities, low concentration power, and oral organs, which are commonly used for communication. As a result, as LSA, participants must have a unique approach to each learning mentoring. Emotional closeness is also very influential in getting students to listen to instructions. Interaction with the environment As part of the school ecosystem, an LSA must interact with the child he or she is accompanying and their classmates. This will assist students in interacting with their social surroundings. Because they are engrossed in their world, most SEN students struggle with friendships. obstruct their interaction with their peers This is comparable to the outcomes of the interview process. Furthermore, under federal law, an LSA may collaborate in optimizing their potential and http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５７ ５７ development if children with special educational needs must also progress in learning and teaching. This was founded on interview data, as the participant explained in excerpt 5 I believe that I should be able to communicate with his classmates. This student lacks social skills. He also has trouble making friends and playing with them. He prefers to play alone or daydream during recess. As a result, I played with his friends and included him in the game. (excerpt 5, interview) According to the participant's interview explanation, he must participate and be active in establishing relationships with the environment around the school as an LSA. There are several criteria that students with SEN find it difficult to establish social relationships, even with family or peers. Then, based on the participant's explanation, it is clear that he must also be active and play with his classmates in class. Besides that collaborating with classmates will make it easier for us to help children socialize. Furthermore, even if they are only LSA, they are teachers who must be respected. Additionally, LSA must be able to socialize and mingle with teachers at school. According to the data obtained from the transcript, LSA must assist teachers in implementing the rules and principles that already exist in the classroom when it comes to learning implementation. so that the class becomes a whole and connects students, teachers, and LSA Other findings were discovered in the participant's diaries about the need for him to interact with the school environment. This was excerpt 6 in the teacher’s diary I once suggested to the class teacher that we invite students to study outside of the classroom. This is due to the student’s tantrums and refusal to study in class, making studying difficult for him and his friends. By explaining it to the teacher, he accepted it, and all of the students in the class ended up learning outside of the classroom. With this change in atmosphere, I, students, and other students were able to learn in a more conducive environment. Based on his explanation, we can conclude that as part of a school, an LSA must have good relationships with the surrounding environment for him and his student (SEN) to follow all of the learning targets set by the government and schools. Discussion The data analysis revealed that LSA's experiences as a companion teacher for children with special needs were very different. Becoming a Learning Support Assistant at the age of a recent graduate with a background unrelated to the profession is a unique challenge for the participant. He must have a strong personal attachment to students with SEN. This proximity will enable him to interact with students, understand their situations, and devise methods, tips, and tricks to meet their needs. Three findings were obtained during the interview process and data analysis from the participant's teacher's diary, namely impact of professionalism with educational background, EFL teaching challenges for Special Educational Needs (SEN), interaction with the environment. The impact of professionalism on educational background, as an LSA with a very different educational background and as a fresh graduate with no work experience, he must adapt and learn quickly. He had to learn not only one branch of science, but several branches of science at the same time, based on the information he received. He attempted to study education and psychology and apply what he learned to his work. The research on the LSA role explains that being an LSA does not have to be someone who graduated from the same department or education concentration as the participants, because an LSA will receive special assistance in the form of training from the institution where he works. The most important aspect of becoming an LSA is to have a strong sense of caring, a desire to http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５８ ５８ learn, and excellent communication skills (Farrell et al., 2000). When an LSA accompanies students with SEN in an EFL class, the challenges would be different. Students with NES must follow the same curriculum and process as other students in the EFL class. It is difficult for an LSA to ensure that students meet the assessment objectives. Some students with SEN have cognitive limitations, causing interference with their language skills. Aside from that, students with SEN have limitations on language acquisition devices, such as the brain or central nervous system, hearing instruments, and speech instruments (Chomsky, 2005). A device can help a child master the language in a broad and complex way, as well as in a variety of ways, such as the sound of a language, vocabulary, language structure, and other aspects that will enable every child to use language correctly and effectively in communication. Of course, it will be extremely beneficial to students learning a second language. Another opinion of thought holds that a child with language intelligence will have better language skills than children his age (Gardner, 1983). Students who are accompanied by participants only reach the level of imitation. where he can memorize new vocabulary but cannot comprehend the meaning of the vocabulary he has memorized. Students have not been able to compose simple sentences in addition to good sentences. With this challenge, an LSA must, of course, be able to collaborate with the surrounding environment. An LSA must have a good working relationship with the work environment in a professional relationship. The role of an LSA in the classroom is to explain to the students he is accompanying what the teacher has said in front of the class. Based on the information gleaned from the interview and the teacher's diary, the participant stated that as an LSA, he must be able to collaborate with the peers of his students. This will greatly assist him in improving students' social skills. As has been observed in several cases, students with SEN are more interested in their imagination than in playing and socializing with their peers. So, in addition to assisting with learning, an LSA can also help students improve their abilities. To improve students' abilities in EFL classes, teachers must collaborate to create lesson plans that are tailored to the students' needs(Farrell et al., 2000; Lacey, 2001). According to the findings, an LSA had very different experiences while mentoring students with NES. Students with special needs must demonstrate changes and achievements in the learning process not only to meet the social development of students, but also to fulfill the inclusive school system. As a result, an LSA must perform at a high level. Aside from that, an LSA must be quick to adapt and have a strong desire to learn in order to help his students want to follow every series of learning provided by the school CONCLUSION Language teaching and acquisition differ between adults and children, one of which is influenced by environmental factors (Rod Ellis, 2006). EFL for children necessitates a variety of approaches, methods, materials, and delivery methods, particularly for children with special needs. An inclusive education system requires students with NES to participate with other students. They receive the same treatment, learning materials, and methods, and achieve the same learning results. In other words, students with special needs must demonstrate growth and learning achievement as well. A student with a NES must be accompanied by an LSA in order to improve their learning. An LSA who will help students with their studies The LSA will re-explain the material that the class teacher has already delivered. REFERENCES Al-Busaidi, S., & Tuzlukova, V. (2018). Teachers’ Perceptions of Practices and Challenges of Innovating for the Inclusion of Special Needs http://journal.unnes.ac.id/ LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature 17(1) October 2022 p-ISSN 1858-0165 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id e-ISSN 2460-853X ５９ ５９ University English Language Learners in Oman. Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies [JEPS], 12(4), 659–671. https://doi.org/10.53543/jeps.vol12iss4pp659 -671 Byrne, G. (2017). Narrative inquiry and the problem of representation: ‘giving voice’, making meaning. 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