Teaching English for students with special needs, especially those who have an intellectual disability is a challenge for teachers. This condition relates not only because they are English as a foreign language or second language students but also because intellectually disabled students have specific characteristics that may become obstacles during the teaching-learning process. Intellectually disabled students tend to have a lack of motivation, low memory ability, are passive, easily distracted, and have problems in language development (Shree & Shukla, 2016).

This challenge is also faced by the English teacher at the State Special School (SLB N) Purwosari Kudus, Central Java Province, Indonesia. She explained that one of the problems when teaching English to students with intellectual disabilities is the attitudes and behavior of the students. According to her, most of the students have less motivation, are passive and unmotivated in joining the English class. Passivity and reticence on the part of students in second or foreign language classrooms are interpreted as a barrier for language learning practice (Chang, 2013). The students also do not try to get involved during the teaching-learning-process. When the teacher asks the students to come forward to do exercises on the whiteboard, usually none of the students come. Some students also tend to move around the class disturbing their friends. It is in line with what has been stated by Bradley et al.(2006) that students with disabilities usually have bad attitudes toward learning and they need to be handled with care. Moreover, they are more likely to develop negative attitudes toward learning and behavior misconduct in the classroom (McCaskey, 2015). One of the reasons why the students are reluctant to do exercises on the whiteboard and exhibit other negative behavior might be because the students do not understand what they should do. Besides, it might also be because of the teacher’s teaching technique. The teacher used conventional techniques when teaching English vocabulary to the students. For example, the teacher just writes the vocabulary on the whiteboard, explains the vocabulary, and asks the students to do exercises. Another problem that appeared in the English class at the State Special School (SLB N) Purwosari Kudus is related to memory matter. More specifically, the students have difficulties in remembering what