Changes in education policy overseas in the last decade have led to policy changes in Australia which have impacted on curriculum and pedagogy. It is through education that people develop their concepts of self worth and the Social Justice Strategy (1994) in Queensland sets goals to ensure maximum educational outcomes for all students, including students with special needs. Although there are philosophical, sociological, and educational reasons for integrating students who have special needs, there still remains a need for special schools. Within special schools, learning domains and subject areas can be similar. With Australia now considered a multicultural society, it becomes necessary to develop an understanding of its cultural richness and diversity. With foresight, the principal of a special school established a second language program for students with special educational needs, in order to expose the students to another language, culture and ways of knowing. The establishment of a second language program was an innovative trial started in 1996 and the evaluation of this innovation is documented in this study in 1998.' Literature suggests that students gain intellectual, cultural, and economic benefits from learning a second language. Learning material needs to be relevant and chosen to suit the needs of the students, as changes in teaching pedagogy suggests learning is student focused. Teachers need to recognise changes as learning occurs, as it denotes progress and records students' successes and growth in knowledge. Comparison of teaching methodology and pedagogy between second language learning and special education was examined in the literature and it showed evidence of many similarities. As the second language teacher / researcher in this action research, I have examined policies and theoretical aspects of effective teaching and learning to evaluate the curriculum. The conclusion revealed that the curriculum has been shaped and developed effectively but modification of recording outcomes becomes necessary as the students become more competent and reach the level prescribed by the LOTE Syllabus as Level 1 beginner.