Grundtvig Learning
Partnership Program
Good practice for improving
language learning for
visually impaired adults
Project
“Pedagogy
and Language Learning for Blind
and
Partially Sighted Adults in Europe”
SUMMARY
I. An overview of the needs of VI adult students
Ø Indication
of the proportion of VI adults who would like to learn languages
Ø Main
motivation of VI adults willing to learn languages
Ø Qualifications/diplomas
of VI adults willing to learn languages
Ø Main
difficulties encountered by VI adults in learning languages
Ø Existing
training programmes to become a language teacher for adults in each partner
country
Ø Degree
required to become a language teacher for adults in each partner country
Ø Reference
frames of these training programmes
III. Skills framework for teaching languages to VI adults
Ø Awareness
of what visually impairment is
Ø Specific
equipment and materials
IV. Suggestions for a renewed pedagogy for teaching VI
adults
Ø Introduction
to the international right to information
Ø Prerequisites
for successful participation of VI students in language courses
Ø Developing
new skills for language teachers
Language skills are part of the core skills that each
citizen of European societies needs to be able to acquire and update throughout
their life. Firstly because understanding and speaking other languages offers
the opportunity of meeting other people, access to cultural diversity, and also
represents a source of personal fulfilment. Secondly because mastering various
languages opens more job opportunities in societies with a high degree of
economic interaction and makes it easier to move around within the European
Union.
Improving the accessibility of language learning for visually
impaired (VI) persons, i.e. blind or partially sighted people, is a common goal
of the European Blind Union (EBU, France), the Pancyprian Organization of the
Blind (POB, Cyprus), Czech Blind United (SONS, Czech Republic) and the Slovak
Blind and Partially Sighted Union (UNSS, Slovakia). All of them agree on the
fact that their national teaching infrastructures are not adapted to the
specific needs of VI adults wishing to learn a foreign language. In fact
existing non-adaptive approaches, techniques and teaching tools (interactivity,
visual-based modules, pictograms, lack of materials in Braille…) actually deter
VI adults from choosing courses involving the development of this key skill. In
this area, the research in pedagogical engineering is very limited and thus
cannot benefit everybody.
Therefore EBU, POB, SONS and UNSS united within
the Grundtvig Learning Partnership “Pedagogy and Language Learning for Blind
and Partially Sighted Adults in Europe”. From 2008 to 2010 the project enabled
the partners to work together on the central issue of the social and
professional integration of VI adults through the improvement of their
accessibility to language education. In particular, partners focused their work
on how to reinforce the competences of language teachers in mainstream
settings.
As a reminder, the Grundtvig
Learning Partnership programme is a framework for small-scale co-operation activities
between organisations working in the field of adult education in the broadest
sense. Transnational meetings between the organisations involved in the
partnership, exchanges of staff and adult students, exchanges of experience and
good practice, fieldwork, project research, etc. aim at promoting the
circulation of good practice, maximising the value of the transnational
exchange, and thus ensuring the wider impact of results.
During the
project, the partners tackled several issues through transnational meetings and
local working groups: the situation of VI adults in their countries, the curricula
of language teachers, the existing teaching approaches and tools for language
learning and the extent to which these are adapted to the specific needs of VI
adults wishing to learn or update their foreign language skills.
This
document presents the work carried out by the partners during the project, and
suggests pathways towards improvements.
To make this overview possible, it is useful to examine:
Ø
The
number of VI adults wishing to learn/update a foreign language
Ø
The motivation
of VI adults wanting to join language courses
Ø
The
qualifications/diplomas of VI adults willing to learn/update a foreign language
Ø
The
main difficulties encountered by VI adults in learning languages
Ø Indication of the proportion of VI adults who would like to learn languages
Whether it is in Cyprus,
in France, in the Czech Republic or in Slovakia, there are no official and precise
statistics concerning VI adults who would like to learn a foreign language. Quantitative
data can essentially be obtained through associations dedicated to visual
impairment, which of course means that the information is incomplete.
For instance, in France,
at the GIAA level (Group of blind and partially sighted intellectuals[1]),
there are on average 15 people from all ages every year asking if there is a
method in Braille to learn a language and if it has been adapted.
In Cyprus, in 2009,
there were about 50 VI adults who were willing to learn languages. In practice,
when the Pancyprian Organisation of the Blind offered language courses to
adults in three different towns in Cyprus, 42 adults attended the specific
courses. Another nine VI people from Cyprus expressed their interest in learning
the Italian language, responding to a call from the organization.
In Slovakia, there are just a few blind or partially
sighted people learning languages within mainstream language courses. Most of
them prefer to study alone at home using more accessible sources such as
internet or ready adapted e-books. However there is no precise quantitative
data available.
For the Czech Blind United – SONS, information
gathered from their members through questionnaires about language learning
showed that the number of students is surprisingly higher than expected. VI
adults generally study in special courses for the blind and partially sighted
or privately – one-to-one or in small groups. Only rarely do people attend
language schools especially when they have to use Braille books for their
studies.
This lack of statistics can be explained by the lack
of accessible material and learning possibilities which discourage VI persons
from looking for adapted teaching modules. When they face difficulties, blind
and partially sighted adults willing to learn languages therefore try to do by
themselves with the help of friends thanks to accessible electronic documents
on USB sticks/CDs/computers or thanks to evening courses. When dealing with
non-Latin alphabets, the proportion of VI adults who would like to learn
languages and find it difficult to have access to courses is even more
difficult to quantify.
Ø Main motivation of VI adults willing to learn languages
The need for competence in foreign languages is
increasing throughout society, younger people study foreign languages in the
mainstream school system, and adults are trying to fill the gaps in their
language education in various ways. Their motivations are twofold: professional
and personal.
Professional motivation:
§
Finding
a job: a person who went to university and is looking for a job can feel the
need to resume studies;
§
Increasing
employment choices by improving job qualifications;
§
Increasing
chances for career advancement: adults can be asked to improve their language
skills by their employer (generally through in-house training or further
education). Generally speaking the knowledge of languages often constitutes a
basic qualification for promotion in the workplace;
§
International
mobility: making travel for professional reasons easier and more efficient;
§
International
communication: enabling more fluent communication with colleagues, clients and
suppliers from abroad, either on the phone or in a written form;
§
Attending
seminars in other countries as part of their work requirements;
§
Serving
customers: a number of jobs traditionally open to VI persons (call centres or
switch board operators, masseurs, physiotherapists, tourism professionals) are
evolving and employees increasingly need to speak foreign languages in order to
serve customers efficiently. Language learning is a way to retain such jobs.
Personal motivation:
§
Discovering
or better understanding the culture of other countries;
§
Willingness
to strengthen linguistic skills or to refresh memory without any precise
objective;
§
Recreational
learning:
- As a hobby or pastime
- Socializing with other adult students
- Socializing with foreigners
- Accessing international media
- Simply enjoying the sound of another language
§
Strengthening
learners’ capacity for international mobility: increased communication
abilities when travelling abroad make people feel more independent;
§
Being
able to take part in various international events/camps;
§
Widening
the scope of radio stations which can be listened to and books which can be
read, as well as websites which can be explored while surfing on the Internet, broadening
the scope of accessible information, and being able to chat with other people
and make new friends;
§
Being
able to help children with their homework. Nowadays, students have more
compulsory language courses than in the past.
What can be pointed out is that in the partner
countries there are no remarkable differences between the reasons why VI people
start learning foreign languages and those of sighted people. VI people, like
almost everybody else, learn languages within the framework of the obligatory
education system, and can wish or need to update their knowledge or to learn a
new language.
In fact the differences are most evident in the way
they choose to perform the learning process itself, due to the noticeably fewer
opportunities for them to achieve their foreign language goals.
Ø Qualifications/diplomas of VI adults willing to learn languages
In France, generally speaking, VI adults willing to
learn languages are not real beginners. If they are beginners in a specific
language, they already speak several other languages. While the majority of VI
language students have a level of education situated between year 11 and year
13 (of the English system), a certain number of undergraduates and
postgraduates constitute a minority.
In Cyprus, the educational level of VI adults willing
to learn languages varies:
-
Some of
the language students have a university degree or diploma, while some others
are high school graduates.
-
University
graduates usually wish to refresh their knowledge in a language or learn a new
language.
-
High
school graduates usually have a basic knowledge of a language and they need to
improve it.
Nowadays in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, students
have to study one foreign language as part of their primary and secondary
education and there is a compulsory school-leaving exam in a foreign language
at the end of upper-secondary education. Most students choose English.
In the Czech Republic, VI adults do not usually hold a
degree in foreign languages, except for students who completed their secondary
education before 1989 and had to take a final exam in the Russian language. Most
VI foreign language students have completed their secondary education; however,
language courses also interest university graduates and people with a more basic
education.
In Slovakia, the qualifications of VI language students
vary from vocational training students through secondary school students and
include university graduates.
The conclusion which is drawn by the partners, the European
Blind Union, the Pancyprian Organization of the Blind, the Czech Blind United
and the Slovak Blind and Partially Sighted Union is that a VI person willing to
learn a foreign language is not influenced by his/her level of education but rather
by the accessibility of learning materials or language courses.
However, as illustrated in the following section, such
material is not evenly accessible throughout the different teaching
institutions.
Ø Main difficulties encountered by VI adults in learning languages
Among the different kinds of difficulties encountered
by VI adults, some are directly related to the teaching methods implemented in
the partner countries. These include:
-
The teaching
approach: lack of skilled teaching staff, staff unaware of specific needs;
sighted-based courses; audiovisual tools; lack of digitalised books,
-
The organisation
of teaching: composition of groups, scheduling of classes, etc.
Concerning the teaching approach:
The teaching
approach covers the skills of language teachers and the methods and tools they
use when teaching.
§
Lack of awareness of what visual impairment is and implies
Most teachers, including language teachers,
are not familiar with the concept of sight loss and its consequences for the
students. In fact the term "people with sight loss" covers a wide
range of people who have incurable sight loss. The definitions of blindness and
partial sight, as well as the registration criteria and mechanisms, vary
between European member states. However, to give a general idea doctors
(ophthalmologists) in several European countries decide if someone can be considered
as blind or partially sighted on the following conditions:
-
A
person can register as blind if they can only read the top letter of the
optician’s eye chart from three metres or less.
-
A
person can register as partially sighted if they can only read the top letter
of the chart from six metres or less. MB
This lack of awareness of what sight
loss is, of what VI people can and cannot do, and sometimes of how to behave in
front of VI persons (whether or not to shake hands, is it a faux pas to say “Do
you see what I mean?”; etc.) limits
the possibilities for teachers to adapt their approaches to the needs of VI
people.
§
Lack of adapted learning materials
Pedagogy is mostly sight-based,
and courses rely on visual perception and the audiovisual approach. Most text-books
are inaccessible to VI students, for they include lots of pictures and graphic
solutions (e.g. inserts to illustrate grammar etc.). This makes it difficult for
the learner to access the knowledge proffered by such images and abstract
representations. As a consequence VI students have to make an additional effort
to search for information missed during the language lessons due to
over-visualised sources.
§
Lack of adapted techniques and assistive technology
ICTs are a means for VI
people to compensate visual impairment (thanks to screen readers, voice
synthesis, scanners, etc.), however such technology is rarely available in
language classes in universities and training centres. This prevents VI students
from easily accessing teaching materials.
Concerning the organisation of teaching :
§
Composition of classes
There is a difficulty in
composing classes. Some adults may have low vision and prefer to read large
print. Depending on the eye condition, some of those people need more light
while some others cannot read with much light. What is more, some Braille
readers are quite fast, while some others are slow.
§
Timetables
Courses for adults are
often planned in the evening. Such scheduling can be difficult to manage even
for sighted people, and it is even trickier for VI people whose lack of
mobility (using public transport or being driven by somebody) is a major issue
to tackle.
In addition, other factors can be obstacles to VI
adults wanting to get involved in mainstream language learning. These are not
related to the teaching system in itself but rather to the difficulties with which
VI people are faced concerning infrastructure and mobility. For instance:
§
Teaching
centres are mainly located in big cities. Only a few of them are situated in
the suburbs and these may not have access to the necessary equipment or
knowledge for adapting the learning material to the needs of the learner.
§
Those
who live in cities usually depend on other people to drive them to the language
centre and they may not always be available. The difficulty is increased when
the learner lives in an isolated place.
§
In
Cyprus, there is little public transport, and buses do not cover the whole
island. At the same time, taxis are quite expensive for students to use
regularly to go to a university or a teaching centre.
This can lead adult students
to prefer private lessons.
As pointed out in the previous section, VI adults have
specific needs which currently are not met by the universities, training
centres and teaching organs in Cyprus, France, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
To further expand knowledge of the national contexts,
a shared diagnosis has been drafted concerning:
Ø
The
degree required to become a language teacher in France, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia,
Ø
The
existing training courses for language teachers in those countries,
Ø
The reference
frames of such training courses.
Ø Existing training programmes to become a language teacher for adults in each partner country
In all four countries, future language teachers need
at least a master’s degree in Modern Languages to teach adults.
In France, language teachers who wish to teach adults
in state-run education centres must obtain the Adult Training and Development
Certificate, provided by the main French Vocational Education and Training
Organisation (AFPA). It is a course common to all teachers, whatever the
subject taught, although specific tools for teaching languages are designed and
available. It is a one-year long training course which comprises adult learning
theory and practice, needs assessment and instructional design.
Language teachers in Slovakia can gain the skills required
to teach languages to adults in various universities such as the Comenius
University (either at the Faculty of Education or the Faculty of Arts).
In Cyprus, there is no specific programme to prepare
language teachers for adults. Nevertheless, students in language teaching can
follow non-compulsory adult training courses at university.
In the Czech Republic, both the Charles University in
Prague and the Masaryk´s University in Brno have special training programmes to
become language teachers for adults either in their Teaching Faculty or in
their Philosophy Faculty.
Ø Degree required to become a language teacher for adults in each partner country
In
France, before obtaining the Adult Training and Development Certificate mentioned above, future teachers
for adults must first pass a master's degree in Foreign Languages, Literature
and Civilisations. Students are encouraged to work as language teaching
assistants in secondary schools or in universities or colleges in the country where
the foreign language is spoken.
In
Slovakia, future language teachers for adults are required to pass the so
called “State Exam”.
The Cypriot
Master’s degree in Language Teaching can be acquired at the University of
Cyprus or at any University in Greece or any other university abroad, provided
that it is acknowledged by the Republic of Cyprus. Language teachers willing to
work in public schools then have to complete a one-year educational programme.
This programme includes various courses such as educational psychology and special
education.
In the Czech
Republic, to be a language teacher for adults, people[2]
must have a high school education and a master’s degree
in the Accredited Educational Programme in the area of Pedagogic Sciences OR in
the area of Social Sciences focused on Languages OR in the high school programme
of Lifelong Education. Also, they are required to have the minimum of language exam C1 within the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Ø Reference frames of these training programmes
The French master’s degree in Foreign Languages,
Literature and Civilisations comprises the following courses: linguistics[3],
literature, history, morphology, phonetics, translation, computer studies, use
of ICTs and didactics of foreign languages. Students can also follow an
optional course on how to teach French as a foreign language.
In Slovakia,
the subjects in the State Exam are: linguistics, morphology and syntax, phonetics
and phonology, semantics and pragmatics, literature, and didactics[4].
In addition students have to take part in practical training which comprises observation
of lessons (the number of which is defined by each university) and consequently
managing a teaching process in real classroom conditions. This is always done
in cooperation with experienced language teachers who provide the student with
appropriate feedback.
The
Cypriot Master’s degree in Language Teaching comprises the following courses: linguistics,
psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, morphology and syntax, phonetics and
phonology[5],
semantics and pragmatics, literature, general and educational psychology, exposure
to the various techniques and methods for teaching a language, and creating a lesson
plan. Future language teachers teach in classes for a certain time under the
guidance and supervision of professionals, who provide them with feedback.
In the Czech
Republic, reference frames of the master’s degree must include[6]
a particular branch of science (e.g. English studies) and pedagogic and psychological
education. Although it is not compulsory, it can also include andragogy[7],
didactics, and special pedagogic skills (i.e. for students with special
educational needs).
It appears that in none of the partner countries do
specific training program/units to teach VI adults exist. However teaching
foreign languages to VI adults requires conveying specific skills, as is
illustrated in the section “An overview of VI adult students”. It is therefore
necessary to identify the specific skills to be mastered by language teachers
in order to efficiently enable VI adults to appropriate or update a foreign
language. Here the term “skills” covers three fields:
Ø
Awareness
of what visually impairment is,
Ø
Specific
teaching approach,
Ø
Using
specific materials.
Ø Awareness of what visually impairment is
-
Knowledge
of the specificities of VI persons (including rights and special services),
-
Psychology
of the VI learner focusing on the nature and severity of the visual impairment,
-
Understanding
the varying needs (blind/partially sighted, different degrees of visual
impairment),
-
Many
adult students become blind late in life. Sight loss at a later stage in life
involves traumatic experiences which the teacher must take on board in the
teaching method.
Ø Specific teaching approach
-
Using
of alternative sensory modes
-
Increase
use of accessible audio-visual methods alongside aural methods
-
Providing
input, context and feedback
-
Development
of paradigmatic thinking
-
Ability
to guide a VI person
-
Teacher-student
interaction in one-on-one and small classes
-
Avoiding
teaching techniques which adult students could perceive as “childish”.
Ø Specific equipment and materials
-
Multimedia:
CD, MP3, hybrid book
-
Tactile
documents such as Braille-type textbooks, tactile graphics
-
Digitalised
textbooks
This implies that it is preferable the teacher knows
how to:
-
Adapt the
written material and the classroom setting to the varying visual needs of the
students.
-
By doing so, provide information and
teaching materials in formats accessible to VI students (large print, Braille,
tactile drawings, audio, models, electronic documents, etc.)
What can be organised to provide the European language
teaching community with these skills? Innovative suggestions are made in the
following section.
Ø Introduction to the international right to information
As a preamble it should be remembered that all
individuals must be given equal access to courses whatever the setting and that
every visually impaired learner must be provided with adapted materials. Access
to information is very important to ensure that blind and partially sighted
people are not excluded from important sectors of social and economic life.
This right to information is internationally recognised:
§
Article
19 of the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights states: “Everyone
shall have the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include the
freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds,
regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of
art, or through any other media of his choice.”
§
Article
24 – Education - of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that: “State parties
shall ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access general tertiary
education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without
discrimination and on an equal basis with others.”
The right to information applied in practice implies
that:
§
All
information aimed at the general public should be made available in alternative
formats for blind and partially sighted people (Braille, large print, spoken
word in accessible electronic documents on USB sticks, other media), without
undue delay and at no additional cost. All other documents should be provided
in alternative formats on request.
§
Information
provided over the Internet should be fully accessible to blind and partially
sighted people.
§
The
availability of alternative formats should be widely advertised and promoted.
§
Information
provision budgets should include the cost of producing alternative formats.
§
Representatives
of blind and partially sighted people should be included in discussions on the
production of materials, particularly for information campaigns.
Ø Prerequisites for successful participation of VI students in language courses
There are important prerequisites for adult language students
to participate successfully in language courses. Before applying for
a language course a person with visual impairment must know which skills
are needed to use teaching materials, to attend and follow class activities, and
to communicate with teachers and classmates. Development of such skills is not
a part of the language course. If they are not sufficiently developed, then
preliminary training is needed, depending on the predominant teaching methods
accessible in a given course for the VI student.
If a VI person wants to attend a language
course where Braille teaching materials are used, good Braille reading skills
are required. If this is not the case, it is practically impossible to develop
such skills before the course in an acceptable time period. Moreover, the time
required to learn such skills is prolonged and maximal achievable speed of reading
is reduced substantially by age and in different ways for different individuals.
In this case the use of audio-aural and/or computer-aided teaching methods are
preferred rather than beginning long-term Braille training with uncertain
results when it comes to achieving a reasonable speed of reading.
If the course is based on the use of accessible
electronic teaching documents and computer-aided communication, good computer
skills, including the knowledge of assistive technology, are required. If this
is not the case, then preliminary training is needed. Training of computer
skills with the support of assistive technology could be made more compact and
its duration limited to a few weeks. Therefore this kind of preliminary
training should not cause any substantial delay in language learning.
Of course, successful participation in language
courses could also be backed-up by other social-rehabilitation skills like
mobility skills, daily living skills, and social communication skills, thus
improving the independence of the VI person in a new and unknown environment
and assisting in their inclusion in groups of people without visual impairment.
It is obvious that an adult blind or partially sighted person will not start
with a language course as their first activity after becoming visually impaired.
There is a high probability that some of the above mentioned training may have
already been accomplished before making a decision about applying for
a language course. In any case, it is strongly recommended to consult the
course requirements and methods, and to discuss required preliminary training
in advance with the course provider and specialized institutions for the social
rehabilitation and training of VI persons.
Ø Developing new skills for language teachers
These new skills have to be developed according to the
needs previously identified concerning:
-
Awareness
of what visual impairment is,
-
Specific
teaching approaches,
-
Mastering
of specific study material…
-
…to
which should be added guidelines for the organisation of teaching
Ø
Building awareness about visual impairment among staff in universities and
teaching centres
All non-specialised teachers are bound to work with VI
adults. Therefore they should be encouraged to acquire more knowledge through specific
training which should cover:
-
Basic
facts and figures about sight loss.
-
Psychological
implications of visual impairment to secure the best interaction possible
-
Alternative
sensory modes: sight is not the only means of perception to be used in the
group even with non-disabled students (audio, text, kinaesthetic, touch).
-
Information
about the tools and equipment blind and partially sighted people use to read.
-
Information
about different formats. What are they?
-
Organisational
policies on how to produce information in different formats.
-
Production
of information packs and fact sheets.
-
Sources
of further information and advice, e.g. associations dedicated to people with
visual impairment; educational resource centres that provide teaching materials in accessible
formats (large print, Braille, DAISY[8], tactile drawings, audio,
models, etc.).
Ø
Developing a specific teaching approach
As regards the specific teaching approach, two ways of
proceeding can be distinguished:
-
Improving
the current methods by taking into account the specific needs of VI students
-
Implementing
a new teaching approach, such as the Realia method
§
Current
methods of teaching languages can be improved by introducing tips which can be
easily included in the daily practice of teachers as soon as they have become
aware of their specific duties regarding VI students. The following
recommendations can be made to teachers:
-
Use of the blackboard: tell the students what is being written on the
blackboard, Spell out-loud difficult
or new words so that blind students can write them down. Do not write too many
words at a time, use large, neat
handwriting so that VI students can read it easily.
-
Showing pictures, posters, etc: first provide a simple description, then supplement
with more detailed information. Use pictures with contrasting colours and large
print for students with low vision. Always be specific when referring to items
in the picture, avoiding “here”, “there”, “this one” and similar expressions
that do not allow clear mental representation.
-
Oral communication: address the students by their names before giving
cues or asking them to do something (turn-taking must be clearly explained),
give more verbal feedback
(assessment).
Some VI students may
have difficulties observing some conventions when interacting. Work activities
in pairs must be clearly introduced
and explained in order to reassure
some students.
-
Ensure that all the VI students hear you enter or
leave the classroom. Use
natural language, even vision related – VI people really do not mind and are
used to hearing it. However, beware of verbalism: some words and notions may
require more explanation to become meaningful (use other senses to help mental
representation).
-
Choice of seat: ask the students where they wish to sit, depending
on their visual or technical needs (natural lighting, near the door for quicker
access, near a socket if they use a computer). VI adult students may know their
limits or potential, do not be afraid to ask them what they need.
-
Adapting tools: already-existing material should be adapted into
accessible tools favouring a multi-sensorial
approach.
à Visual (for
partially sighted students)
Textbook
images and photos can be used and should not be automatically
discarded. However, for students with low vision, they must be selected and
adapted according to specific criteria: not
overloaded with details (bright and contrasting colours are best). Beware,
for low vision people, A3 format is not suitable for fast eye-scanning and for
easy handling. It is preferable to use A4 format with clear layout and
contrasting colours. Moreover black and white photocopies are often bad
quality. Students with low vision may need to use Braille as a complement to
their visual perception. This means that all Braille readers are not
necessarily blind and images can also be used as teaching tools.
Typed reading materials: line spacing is sometimes important for some VI
readers (1,5 or double spacing). Large print materials will be necessary for
some, using a font size of 14 or 16 on average. Font size will depend on the student’s
visual needs. Bold letters are not always required.
For blind students,
images can be depicted to them by a
sighted person (specific questions), or a short, factual and objective written description can replace the
photograph.
à Text
Text formats given to
the students may be .doc, .txt, .rtf or .html files. The texts should be
clearly typed, in a font and size adapted to each learner’s needs; this is, of
course, very demanding as regards document preparation. The font colour should
not necessarily be black, different colours can be used to differentiate menus,
lists etc; Arial, Times New Roman and Taoma are often preferred by students.
Various colours or sizes should be used to help the VI readers orient
themselves more easily on the page – however, not all VI people can see
colours.
If there are
questions referring to the text, they should be clearly numbered, if need be
with spaced lines.
-
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists should be clearly organized in the order in which the new
words are met in the text, or in alphabetic order, their structure depending on
the document they refer to (with or without quotations or examples of use).
Several short lists are easier to use than a single long one, and help avoid
eye tiredness. For Braille users, a dash before each new word at the beginning
of the line makes it easier for learning (each new word reference must be
easily discriminated for faster learning).
-
Exercises:
They should preferably be short for beginners. If the exercise consists of
matching words with others or with meanings, columns should be replaced by
lists, one using numbers and the other using letters, thus helping the learner
to do the task. Gaps should be numbered so that the student can use the numbers
to locate them on a sheet: this is more specific to Braille users as they can’t
write in gaps in a pre-embossed Braille text.
Too many blank
lines are useless in Braille texts: more than one blank at a time does not
facilitate reading and only makes the document more cumbersome.
à Audio
A VI person’s sense of
hearing is no better than that of a sighted person. However, generally, they
are used to treating oral information more efficiently and for longer periods
of time. Nonetheless, they need to improve their listening skills and the audio sources or materials must be of good quality and the content
meaningful. Auditory clues (e.g.
meaningful sounds) will be a plus to help them understand unknown words and
develop their listening skills, without the existence of visual materials.
Pre-listening tasks
will be necessary (use of short listening grids for instance).
The simultaneous
use of listening, reading and note taking activities in Braille can be
cumbersome even impossible for some poorly experienced Braille readers on paper
or very VI students who lack speed.
à Kinaesthetic
Use the body, make
gestures to convey meaning, e.g. prepositions of place through mime movements
with hands. Learning by doing is sometimes a feasible option.
§
The use and handling of real objects in language
teaching: In language teaching, real objects (also called
REALIA) can be used in class to improve students' understanding of other
cultures and real life situations. However, they must be used occasionally, as
teaching aids to introduce basic concrete notions, basic grammar points and as
"prompts" during speaking activities.
Foreign languages teachers often
employ REALIA with beginners to strengthen their students' associations between
words and the objects themselves. Nonetheless, they often rely on images or
flash cards to do so (wider choice, gain of time).
With VI students,
the real things are better than visual or tactile representations of them (even
with advanced students). Moreover, with VI students at beginner and elementary
levels in foreign languages who are computer illiterate, this teaching approach
can be easily used and requires little or no technical adaptation. Besides, computer
technology is not always available or accessible in every class.
Simple approaches
and basic tools are often necessary and have proved efficient in the early
stages of language learning. Diverse objects or pieces of furniture are often readily
available in the classroom, if this is not the case they can be brought in and stored
in a large box for repeated use. However, they must be selected according to
some criteria in order to meet specific teaching goals:
Physical features of REALIA:
-
Relatively
small and easy to handle objects
-
Familiar,
easily recognisable objects
-
Bright
colours (use of residual sight by some VI students), real textures if possible
-
Generating
characteristic sounds (glass, coins, keys)
-
Different
shapes and sizes
Contents of the toolbox:
-
Keys,
foreign coins, books, pens, pieces of fruit (made of plastic or felt),
postcards (small ones, large ones, representing well-known people and places),
glasses (made of glass or plastic); watches, small boxes, envelopes (white and
brown), animal toys (stuffed, plastic), small items of clothing, etc.
-
The students
will quickly become acquainted with these objects, as they can be used in
different teaching situations and with different objectives.
Teaching objectives:
-
Introduce
and practice basic vocabulary/grammar points in the target language – there is no
need to translate from the start (concrete language)
-
Develop
listening/speaking skills
-
Explicit
grammar points/notions related to the concrete environment: quantifiers,
numbers, articles, place of adjectives, prepositions of place
-
Functions:
giving orders, proposing, asking for something, making comparisons, locating
objects, etc.
-
Develop
communication skills (speaking in pairs)
Furthermore, even among advanced students, the
handling of objects or direct reference to the surrounding environment can
enhance their attention, interest (fun aspect) and imagination.
Finally, the teacher
can teach more easily and for longer periods of time in the target language
when introducing new vocabulary or grammar points, and the VI students’
attention is maintained for longer periods of time.
Prerequisites:
-
Their
handling requires physical contact and specific verbal indications between the
teacher and the VI students (handing objects, placing them in front of the students).
Blind students must be informed beforehand.
-
Some students
may have certain difficulties identifying some objects quickly with their
hands.
-
Sufficient
time and encouragement must be given.
Caption of the picture: The toolbox, a compilation
of familiar objects used in “English for beginners” classes for VI adults.
Ø
Mastering specific equipment and material
Language teachers should be capable
of adapting the written material and the classroom setting to the varying
visual needs of the students, which means providing information and teaching
material in formats accessible to VI students (large print, Braille, tactile
drawings, audio, models, electronic documents, etc.)
The European Blind Union and its
members have produced “Guidelines for producing accessible information” which lists
good practice in this field.
The
following is considered as overall good practice:
§
Printed
information
Good standards of print legibility
help all readers. Not only blind and partially sighted people have problems
reading badly designed publications. Clear print benefits everyone. Producing
information in legible print is neither difficult nor expensive.
-
Print size: EBU recommends that a minimum point size of 12
should be used for standard print documents.
-
Colour and contrast: the contrast between the background and the text is
a vital factor in legibility. The stronger the contrast, the more legible the
text will be. The size and weight of the font will affect the contrast. Black
text on a white background provides the best contrast.
-
Typeface:
Avoid italic, simulated handwriting and ornate typefaces. If possible use a
common sans-serif typeface like Arial or Helvetica.
-
Overall design and layout:
o
Use
left alignment and allow for equal spacing between words, and generous spacing
between paragraphs.
o
Avoid
using "all capitals" for continuous text. Important information, such
as headings, names and telephone numbers, should be highlighted in a prominent
position and in bold.
-
Paper:
Use good quality paper which does not look glossy or show print on the reverse
side.
§
Electronic
information
USB sticks and any other media
Information in an electronic format,
e.g. in accessible electronic documents on a USB stick, may be the preferred
format for blind and partially sighted people with access to computers, who use
speech synthesizers, Braille displays, large print displays and other
innovations to access information. All electronic information should be made
available in an accessible text format allowing the text to be read on all
kinds of word processing software. If you are providing information on a USB
stick, the file should be in more than one format i.e. Word and Text to ensure
that it can be read by a blind and partially sighted person. PDF files may be
used provided they are created bearing in mind accessibility requirements. Dictionaries
on CD-ROM should also be accessible[9].
Websites
The advent of the internet means
that many blind and partially sighted people are now able to access information,
in particular through on-line dictionaries, that was previously unavailable to
them through speech or Braille access technology. However some methods of
presenting information result in websites which are unreadable by blind and
partially sighted people. While good quality speech synthesizers should be made
available in all EU languages, all websites should follow the Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI) guidelines[10].
§
Alternative
formats
Large print
This means providing print in a
larger font than 'standard'. A minimum of 16 point should be used for large
print documents, but for some blind and partially sighted people up to 20 point
text may be required.
As the majority of printed
information is generated by word processors, it is possible to print off copies
in the font size requested to meet individual needs.
It is recommended that large print
be used as a matter of course for any documents aimed at older people who are
more likely to have a sight problem. Large print dictionaries should also be
accessible.
Braille
The
numbers of blind and partially sighted people able to read Braille is small. A
sizable proportion of VI people became blind or partial sighted late in life.
It is more difficult for them to harness Braille as a practical means of
accessing information. Nevertheless, this is a crucial medium. Braille is a
method of reading by touch using a system of raised dots. There are dot
combinations which correspond to letters of the alphabet, punctuation and
common letter groups.
Almost any information can be put
into Braille - from bus timetables to music.
A Braille translation program and a Braille
embosser are needed to produce Braille in-house. The Braille translation
program converts the text into a format that can be outputted to a Braille
embosser i.e. a Braille 'printer'. However, there are many external agencies that
can produce Braille for you.
Spoken
word audio
Spoken
word audio is an effective means of communication. It is also ideal for people
with learning difficulties, low literacy levels or those who may have problems
with their hands.
Basic
desktop recorders and microphones can be used for in-house production. However
it is advisable to use an external transcription company for multiple copies,
long documents, complex information and for professional quality with music and
other effects.
Talking
books and E-books
Talking
books are books recorded on audio cassettes or CDs. Many E-books are considered
to be talking books. Talking books must be of commercial standard. It ought to
be possible to use them both with equipment that is specially designed for
blind and partially sighted people like DAISY players and also with standard
equipment.
Transcription services
Many
organisations find it more convenient and cost effective to use an external
transcription company. Contact national organisations for further information
about local transcription agencies for Braille and spoken word audio.
Ø
Guidelines for the organisation of teaching
§
On site learning vs.
e-learning
Both on site learning and e-learning courses can be used for language
learning.
As
regards on-site learning, there are three options for language learning by VI
adults: mainstream courses, special courses provided by institutions for VI
persons, and individual tutoring. These all have specific advantages and
drawbacks. The VI learner will choose the option that best suits his/her
personal needs. A newly-blinded
person may find it less challenging to attend a course where all the students
have a visual impairment.
Classroom learning is suitable for students who have
no problems working in groups and have the possibility of travelling. Materials
for the lessons can be more varied and prepared in advance. Students are
however bound by the timetable of the lessons.
Language schools currently offer a variety of combined
studies – either internet only or partially over internet and partially with a
live tutor on-site. However for the time being all such courses are highly graphical
and thus completely unusable for disabled people.
E-learning is a new, quickly developing form of
language learning. It is also a very comfortable form of study as no travel is
involved and it is easier to manage time according to each student’s specific
needs.
The main problem of e-learning is that there are only a
few e-learning systems with different levels of accessibility for blind and
partially sighted persons, even with support from assistive technology. Also the
learning content is often based more on graphical elements rather than on text.
Therefore students must be technically proficient in order to be able to
describe the problems that can arise, and carefully choose the appropriate e-learning
course. At present, the project partners are familiar with only one suitable e-learning
language school including the on-line language courses developed in the framework
of the project Eurochance II co-funded by the European Leonardo Da Vinci programme.
Within this project an e-learning system and vocational language electronic
textbooks for the English, German, Spanish, and Italian languages fully
accessible to blind and partially sighted students were developed. The
objective of the project was to enhance employability, employment opportunities
and support the career development of people with visual impairment by
providing courses developing and improving the language skills required in many
professional situations. It also provides new employment opportunities since
blind specialists should be able to serve as tutors for on-line language
courses. The language courses provided are available in certain other native
languages. At present they can be used by students speaking Czech, English,
German, Italian, Norwegian, Slovak, Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese,
French, Romanian, and Turkish. The project website can be found at http://eurochance2.brailcom.org.
The results of the project are available at
§
Focusing on on-site
learning
Composition of classes
Mixed groups (sighted, blind and partially sighted students) are
not an obstacle, provided that individual needs are met and that the teacher is
aware of the difficulties and differences (preparation time, speed, mental
representations, autonomy, and technical efficiency).
What is most important is to know one’s students well
and differentiate the tasks and
approaches accordingly. For example, if the teacher wishes to show a map to the
students, then embossed maps could be used for blind people. As regards
partially sighted students, who use enlarged prints, the teacher should provide
each one of these students with documents in the corresponding enlarged print
size. Furthermore, students in mixed groups can help each other out and be
complementary (image description for example).
Size of classes
As shown in the national experiences reported below,
the number of VI adults in a class should be established bearing in mind the need
to meet the specific requirements of individual students. The number will of
course vary depending on the educational setting (special or ordinary classroom).
In Slovakia, the current experience of teachers indicates
it is more efficient to teach in small groups of students (either mixed or
disabled-only) or in special courses dedicated to disabled people exclusively. This
is propitious for an individual approach to each of the students. As an ideal
there should not be more than five students in an ordinary class as more
students means more situations to deal with during the lesson.
In the Czech Republic, the experience of 21 teachers,
who have taught disabled adults indicates that such teachers often teach
one-to-one or in very small groups, possibly mixed with non-disabled people,
which indeed appears to be a very good idea.
The Classroom setting
Classroom
layout: horseshoe seating is
preferable as it makes it easier for VI students to move about and also to
focus attention on the teacher’s voice which has to be a static verbal
reference whenever possible.
Material
(including time for preparing and submitting material to the VI learner)
The location
of the teaching and technical materials (e.g. dictionaries) must be clearly
defined, easily accessible and remain unchanged, so that adult VI students can
access them freely. Teachers who may someday welcome adult VI students must envisage
time for adapting material (either in-house or by a dedicated institution).
Reading
time
Braille readers and VI paper readers
often need more time to be acquainted with unfamiliar content of written
materials or hand-outs – more time and clues about their layout will be
necessary and highly appreciated. Provide reading material in advance of the
lesson.
Scheduling
Possible visual and mental tiredness
(in front of the computer screen or in groups) may occur as some students must
make extra efforts to concentrate. Adapt
length of activities accordingly.
The Grundtvig Learning Partnership “Pedagogy and
Language Learning for Blind and Partially Sighted Adults in Europe” enabled the
partners - EBU, POB, SONS and UNSS - to network around the issue of the
increased accessibility of VI adults to language learning.
The studies and exchanges carried out by the partners
show that despite the provision of international conventions, the conditions
for their national academic teaching organisations to take into account the
specific needs of VI students are still not in place.
However guidelines to facilitate the access of VI
adults to language learning do exist and are widely promoted by organisations
dedicated to the social and professional inclusion of VI people.
These guidelines rely on the adoption of an operational
strategy toward universities and teaching centres, which should consist of:
-
Awareness-raising
operations/training for language teachers: currently information about VI - or
other disabilities - is not included in their curricula at all. Therefore they
can feel helpless when confronted with a situation where they have to teach a
VI learner;
-
The use
of assistive technologies and of accessible formats, which can make learning
possible or easier for VI people, of which mainstream teaching teams and sites
are unaware;
-
The
development of more on-site specialised training, including the use of
alternative sensory techniques: methods like Realia call upon the senses of
touch and hearing in order to convey conceptualisation and memorisation;
-
The
dissemination of existing e-learning materials and the design of new ones.
E-learning is particularly promising, as demonstrated by the Leonardo Da Vinci
“Eurochance” project, as it can help solve the mobility difficulties VI
students often face.
ICTs currently offer a wide range of options in
language teaching; there may also be other interesting ways of learning for VI
people, like learning over Skype; one-to-one lessons partially over the
internet, where students could solve grammatical exercises on their computers
and send the results by email; pronunciation and conversation exercises; etc. However
the development of e-learning material should be backed by individualised
tutoring to avoid students feeling isolated in their learning process.
The partners have compared and analysed the current
Cypriot, French, Czech and Slovak situations as regards language teaching/learning
for adults, and pointed out good practices to disseminate and develop. The
partners will capitalize on their common work as a basis to further develop and
implement the innovative approaches and materials identified in the framework
of the Grundtvig Learning Partnership “Pedagogy and Language Learning for Blind
and Partially Sighted Adults in Europe” project.
This
document is protected by international copyright laws, and all rights are
reserved by the PLLBPAE project consortium. The information presented here may
not, under any circumstances, be resold or redistributed in any form for
compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the PLLBPAE
project consortium. It is intended only for the personal use of its
audience, and is hoped that the contents will aide in the distribution of
reliable information and good practices relating to language teaching to
visually impaired persons.
©
"Pedagogy and Language Learning for Blind and Partially Sighted Adults in
Europe" project consortium. For more information, please contact the
European Blind Union at: