Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the challenges that English as a foreign language teachers face in teaching the English language to students with visual impairment. The data was collected through questionnaires from English language special education teachers who were teaching English at the secondary level. The research took place in Lahore, Pakistan, in special education classrooms. The target population of the study is English language teachers who are teaching visually impaired students in Lahore, Punjab. While the sample of the study was comprised of secondary level teachers of visually impaired students in Lahore. The findings of the study revealed that teachers were facing a number of problems in teaching visually impaired students, such as behavioral issues, less attention span, lack of motivation, lack of teaching materials, less family-supportive environment to do homework tasks etc.
Key Words
Student with vision Impairment, Special Education
Introduction
Blindness is caused by a variety of natural and human-made conditions in most developing countries (Ewnetu, 2005). Ewnetu goes on to say that the causes of blindness in these countries have been shown to be linked in some manner to the global financial crisis. Natural causes of blindness are the most common. Common eye illnesses such as trachoma, which are a source of handicap in many Asian countries. All of these diseases are caused by poor economic, environmental, social conditions and uncleanliness. It has been demonstrated that a large population of children with visual impairment have difficulties in receiving a good education (John. J.k 2010). Furthermore, it is believed that learning a second language necessitates the development of a wide range of talents, both passive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing), which can be measured in a variety of circumstances to ensure effective learning. It becomes an inherent challenge for a teacher who has previously gone through similar difficulties in that position. When challenged with an inclusive policy for pupils with full potential, they refuse to accept it. They know how to plan and implement a classroom that caters to both types of learners (abilities) and students with special needs (impediments). (Jessica. J 2016, Jessica. The self-efficacy of English language teachers is inextricably linked to their teaching methods while teaching English to visually impaired students. Higher levels of teaching efficacy are associated with the ability to build supportive and effective learning environments that cater to a variety of learning requirements, learning styles, and skills for students with vision impairment. (Sharma, Loreman, and Forlin 2012; Sharma and George 2016).
Children try to conceive the world and make sense of it in the complex social environments in which they live, play and learn (Waris 2010). Many researchers have studied visually impaired children's adaptation to their visual impairment and their struggle to construct meanings, maintain social contacts, learn rules and relationships, and make sense of the world and how it works (Noman 2011). They are thought to have a very different perception of the world and classroom activities than individuals who are not impaired. As a result, the strategies utilized to educate the visually impaired learners in general and to teach them English in particular, as well as the theoretical assumptions that underpin such teaching or instruction, are expected to differ significantly (Helm 2014).
The present study proposes creating a detailed plan for an ESL teacher who teaches English to visually impaired students to effectively conduct himself/herself in traditional and virtual environments that support effective special education, shifting from a political and governmental perspective to a practical and genuine option. Visually impaired students must fight the necessity to learn English in order to cope with and overcome the problems they confront in diverse learning contexts. These limits limit the options for active and autonomous involvement among students with and without vision impairment in order to attain full educational inclusion. Likewise, to make English language learning easier for VISs, new methodological approaches must be incorporated into the English language teaching-learning process. (Joe &Nick 2017).
Teachers must first acknowledge that students with sight problems have a lot of barriers and techniques when learning English. Teaching English to visually impaired students is different from teaching English to students with other impairments, according to Davis (2003). My eyes are in good shape. Students with visual impairment cannot learn English by looking at objects, colors, or patterns. Animals, landscapes, skylines, and shapes, face expressions, book illustrations, digital images, animals, transportation, architecture, and so on. As a result, teachers who work with visually challenged students should be aware of this. They can have a lot more influence over learning environments, educational materials, and tactics in general than they can ever expect to have over the features and characteristics of the students (Webster & Roe 2003).
Students with visual impairments rely on their competence to communicate successfully in an increasingly visual world. From an early age, students with vision challenges should be encouraged to fully develop their communication and language skills (Salisbury,2008). However, teachers should be equipped with a set of abilities and strategies to assist students in learning in a pleasant and productive environment. (Habibi, Mukminin, Sofwan, & Sulistiyo, 2017; Haswindy, Marzulina, Sirozi, and Harto). They must introduce appropriate instructional practices for visually impaired students, such as interactive reading etc. to ensure that a specific message or lesson is conveyed, use spoken, guided, and cooperative learning tactics to the students from the teacher (Emily & Beamish, 2012). Students with exceptional needs, according to Wilmshurst and Brue (2005), have always been a part of society. Individualized "special" education was once provided to students on a case-by-case basis. As formal schooling grew in popularity, welfare or religious organizations that cared for students with special needs were increasingly involved in English language classrooms. The work of voluntary groups was often followed by government provision of special education services. As the eugenics movement gained traction in the mid-1960s, progress in Special Education took a sharp turn. According to eugenics philosophy, caring for and educating persons with special needs was irresponsible since it would "weaken society." Scientific techniques for examining impairment, such as behaviorism, eventually led to a new view of special education and the belief that all learners could learn, regardless of their diagnosis (Gazzaniga & Heatherton, 2006).
Therefore, students with visual impairment disabilities have no limitations in terms of intelligence or ability (John. W.R. 2015). However, it has an impact on their ability to carry out daily activities. As a result, they are reliant on others and find it difficult to be self-sufficient. To solve it, self-development learning is recommended. Whereas students in self-development learning in special schools are supposed to try to do their English learning activities independently, at the very least for their most basic and individual activity of learning English in everyday life, under the supervision of instructors in their relevant areas and using a particular strategy, technique, and recommendations. (Weber 2014). On the other hand, they only require assistance from others. As a result, visually challenged pupils are no longer reliant on others and may learn English on their own (Allye & Smith 2000).
According to Fuhr and Norden (2002), visual impairment focuses on the working of the eyes. Visual acuity, visual field, colour vision, and contrast perception are some of the tests that can be used to assess eye health sensitivity. Photophobia is one example of a visual impairment that can express itself in a number of ways. Not all forms of visual impairment seem to be the same. The term "visual impairment" could also be used to characterize the result of an eye problem. Teachers are expected to face considerable challenges when teaching students with visual impairments, and neither scholars nor policymakers are paying enough attention to this issue. The aim of this study was to address the difficulties that English language teachers face when teaching visually impaired students in this situation.
Additionally, the methodologies, techniques and strategies for teaching English to visually impaired students and the challenges teachers face while teaching them and the improvement in teaching and learning are also discussed. It is important to note that the educational demands of the students with visual impairments (VIS) are as diverse as the blind community itself (Rohan2019). In order to achieve true educational inclusion, higher education institutions (HEI) must provide adequate support and adjustments, not just for able-bodied students but for all students in an inclusive English language learning environment (Soie 2018). Not only does special education demand a special education evaluation, but it also necessitates a special education assessment in order to achieve efficient educational management for people with functional diversity or a specific impairment. Disability of visual impairment, but it also necessitates inclusion outside of regular educational settings. It is possible to use information and communication technology among the participants. Students with visual impairments are at a severe disadvantage because the Braille system or audio-recorded materials do not make it easy to access all of the information required and available for true social inclusion (Saim.S.J 2017).
Helm (2014) highlights advancements in the realm of blind and visually impaired education. He provides feasible approaches for educating visually impaired students, claiming that neuro-linguistic programming can help visually impaired students "access the intellectual domain and thrilling world of learning that surrounds him/her."
Several earlier studies have documented teachers' challenges in teaching visually impaired students English. Basaran (2012) examined three EFL teachers' strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strategies and resources they employed for visually impaired students in two special primary schools. In this study, various teaching challenges in teaching English to VILs were identified, including concerns involving students and their parents and environment, syllabus, verbalism, budget limitations, and the use of instructional methodologies. El-Hossary (2018) conducted his studies at Al-Nour School in Asia. The study proposed devoting more time to listening and speaking activities and practicing both inside and outside the classroom to address the challenges in teaching English to visually impaired learners. Audio materials such as Braille books and other aids, as well as a learning environment that comprised classroom settings, sound isolation aids, and listening instruments such as loudspeakers or recorders, were essential for successful English teaching and learning. Based on the findings of the above research, it could be said that being visually challenged does not always imply being a poor language learner. Learners who are visually impaired can learn foreign languages with the help of a teacher and technology (Mattila, A. 2015) despite the fact that human vision is a primary trigger for learning. It may be difficult for teachers to teach English in a way that fits the particular learning needs of visually impaired students. This occurrence has prompted us to do a similar study at a Palembang special school. Two English language teachers in Asia, who worked with visually impaired students at a special school, were interviewed informally as part of our exploratory research. Their visually handicapped students were unable to perceive items properly, they said.
According to a previous study, a person's ability to see and understand things is restricted to those identified by his or her perceptions and ideas, and hence the blind are unable to generate some notions. According to (Vanlierde et al. 2017), students who are blind from an early age do not develop a sense of perspective. However, the inability to generate concepts does not exclude blind and visually impaired people from being competent language learners. Language is a fluid-structure that children who are born blind learn to use correctly as they adapt to the language of those around them. Verbalism is the tendency of visually challenged students to employ words whose actual referent is unknown to them.
Many researchers have suggested that vision has played a significant role in the emergence of communication since the mid-1970s (Dunlea, 1989). Dare and O'Donovan (2002: 345), for example, stated that "it is thought that sight contributes to 80% of a child's learning." To compensate, a blind or visually impaired newborn must learn to use her other four senses - touch, hearing, smell, and taste - to their full potential, as well as any remaining vision. These "ensues" are required by babies in order for them to gather the necessary information about their surroundings in order to make sense of the images they get or 'see.' Despite the fact that BVI children's L2 received minimal attention until the late 1970s, there is now a tremendous amount of research on the subject. (Dunlea, 1989; Field, 2004; Halliday, 2004; Honig, 2007).
The main challenge is determining whether or not visual impairment affects language acquisition. Is it possible that this causes linguistic deficits in BVI i.e. blind visually impaired children, since the route to meaning is not supported by facial expressions or gestures? The covariance structure of the language used by blind and sighted youngsters, according to (Rosel et al. 16), is similar. This emphasizes the importance of 'little culture' (conventions developed within a small group) and spoken engagement of visually impaired students with their environment when learning a foreign language, as described by (Atkinson 2020). Visually based language and ideas created around visual images have proved problematic in the teaching of blind students in particular, with some specialists urging that they be avoided. Differences in 'word/world' are, nonetheless, prevalent among all youngsters acquiring a language. The following consequences were considered in the current study: (ESL) teachers experience challenges when teaching English to students with visual impairment in secondary schools. Every participant would be cooperative and provide accurate information. Teachers received enough training to teach English to visually impaired pupils using a variety of classroom activities and approaches. The fundamental difficulty is how parents and instructors build bridges between a child's current worldview and any new linguistic notions or applications that threaten it. (Rosel et al. 2016) suggest that there are terms (such as beauty) that are difficult for the typical individual to define in common English.
Previous research has also suggested that visually impaired students' social behavior can be different from sighted students' social behavior (Etron. L, 2012). Visually handicapped children play differently than sighted students, spending less time near other students and more time near the teacher and participating in interaction less frequently. The preliminary investigation found that the teachers in this particular school faced significant obstacles when teaching English to visually impaired children. Therefore this became the primary subject of the research. It may be challenging for the teacher to teach English to visually impaired learners in a way that meets their specific learning needs.
Statement Of The Problem
The current research inquires about the challenges of teaching English to students with visual impairment. Furthermore, the current study filled the information gap left out by different researchers in the context of Lahore, Pakistan. The goal of this research was to look into the challenges that English language teachers have when teaching learners with visual impairments.
Research Questions
1. What are the challenges faced by English language teachers while teaching students that are visually impaired in EFL classrooms?
2. What are the existing teaching strategies of English language teachers in EFL classrooms of students with visual impairment at secondary level?
3. What are the perceptions of English language teachers toward teaching English to the students with visual impairment in EFL classrooms?
Population And Sample Of The Study
The target population of the study was the highly qualified English language Teachers of special education in Lahore, Punjab (Pakistan). They were teaching English as a compulsory subject in visually impaired classrooms. The study sample population was comprising of English language teachers working in special children's school with students having visual impairment disability. The quantitative sample was included with 12 participants. The participants of the study were highly qualified and experienced teachers of English in special education.
Research Methodology
The present study first investigated the current challenges of teaching English to visually impaired students in (ESL) classrooms at the secondary level. It further measured the existing teaching strategies of (E.L.) teachers in (ESL) classrooms for visually impaired students and what are the solutions to the challenges they faced. It aimed at investigating the challenges faced by English language teachers while teaching students with vision disabilities at the secondary level in the context of Lahore (Punjab), Pakistan.
As the study focuses on the challenges of English language teachers while teaching the visual impaired students at secondary level. It was accomplishing the objectives mentioned above by quantitative data. For investigating the challenges and providing the real picture, the quantitative data was gathered and subject to analysis was collected by, formatting at survey questionnaire form the special education school teachers. By using quantitative method, the research has positive characteristics for the current approach. Inductive approach was used to collect and present data in order to see the broader picture of the research problem. The data was collected and interpreted quantitatively and during certain stages of research in order to analyze the research problem quite intensively and comprehensively. Proper permission was taken before the research was conducted. The strategy of inquiry used in the quantitative part of the research was questionnaire through google forms. Teachers were properly informed and research held with complete ethical consideration. Instruments used in the research were questionnaires. During the passage of this research, proper measures were taken to avoid any kind of misconduct. The ethical considerations were kept in mind of researcher. Proper consent was taken from the principal of the special education school for interviews. Apart from that, the valuable time of the teachers were kept in mind too. The interview questionnaire was structured specifically to ensure that teachers do not have too many difficulties answering the questions. The researcher tried her level best not to waste the time of the teachers. The data was shared with the participants and confidentiality of the data was ensured by not using it for other than this specific research.
Quantitative Data Analysis
Figure 1
Question-01
Do you really think that English learning skills can enhance visually impaired students by engaging them in classroom activities?
The above figure shows the result of the survey in which 12 English teachers, all from special education schools at the secondary level, were asked about the engaging classroom activities to teach English to visually impaired students. From the above pie chart, it was clear that most teachers used to teach visually impaired students by engaging in classroom activities but it's really difficult to do so. A total of 66.7% of participants teach English to visually impaired students by engaging in classroom activities but because of their disability, it was difficult to do so. 25% of participants thought yes that English language learning skills could enhance in visually impaired students by engaging in classroom activities. From the findings, barely 8.3% of participants think that it's neither easy nor difficult, which means it depends on the student that if the student is an active learner, then it's easier for the teacher to engage them in the ESL classroom.
Homework Opinion
Question- 02
What is your homework opinion related to the English language for visually impaired students?
Figure 2
The above figure shows the result of the survey in which 12 English teachers, all from special education schools at the secondary level, were asked about their homework opinion on teaching English to visually impaired students. Through the above pie chart, it was clear that the percentage of special education teachers was found to be more dependent on the preferences of the students with vision impairment. From the above findings, 50% of English teachers prefer the suitability of the visually impaired student. On the other hand, 25% of teachers give them written assignments on a computer. So it can be said that English teachers don't follow what the better way to get a good homework is but they prefer the suitability of the student because of that disability of the student. Furthermore, 8.3% of participants were also there who don't give them homework because it's really challenging for students as well as teachers.
Figure 2
Teaching English To The Students With Vision Impairment
Question-03
How do you teach English to students with vision impairment?
Figure 3
As the figure shows clearly that 66.7% of teachers teach by describing one's surroundings. 16.7% of teachers used to teach by matching vocabulary to the definition. And the same 16.7% of teachers used to teach by matching flashcards. Through the above pie chart, it was clear that the discussion method in which teachers used to describe the surroundings to that visually impaired student is more applicable.
Different Challenges
Question- 04
Does the E.L. classroom bring a lot of different challenges to teachers?
Teaching students with vision impairment in
Figure 4
In the above chart, it has been found clear that teaching students with visual disabilities in the E.L. classroom brings a lot of different challenges to teachers. The most common response percentage was 58.3% which was strongly agreed. More than half of the participants of the complete survey faced different challenges while teaching visually impaired students. Although 25% of participants were neutral
Material Understanding
Question- 05
How do you know your visually impaired students understood the material?
Figure 5
As the above finding, 58.3% of teachers get to know if their students understood the material by getting positive feedback. Similarly, 25% of teachers used to take a short quiz from the visually impaired students. And 16.7% of teachers did none of all above.
Challenges During Classroom Activities
Question- 06
What are the challenges you faced while giving
them classroom activities related to learning the English language?
Figure 6
As the figure shows, 41.7% of participants pointed to limited teaching resources. On the other hand, 25% of participants faced difficulty with lecture duration. 16.7% faced difficulty while teaching English to students with vision disabilities.
English As A Subject To (VI) Learner
Question-07
How do you describe English as a subject for visually impaired students?
Figure 7
According to the above findings, 41.7% of participants pointed out that they used to describe English to the visually impaired by activities specially designed for visually impaired students. Similarly, 41.7% of teachers used to describe the importance of English by telling them. And 16.7% of teachers used the discussion method for the importance of studying English.
Reading Stories By (Vi) Students
Question- 08
Reading Stories helps in teaching English to students with vision impairment.
Figure 8
There is a clear description on the chart that 58.3% of teachers strongly agreed with the statement. But similarly, 25% of teachers disagreed that reading Stories helps in teaching English to visually impaired students. 16.7% of teachers agreed with this statement.
English Audiobooks
Question-09
English Audio Books are the best way to teach visually impaired students.
Figure 9
The chart shows that clearly, 41.7% of teachers strongly agreed that English audiobooks are the best way to teach English to visually impaired students. But however, some of the instructors were not completely agreed with the statement.
Understanding communication
Question- 10
Understanding communication is the biggest challenge for English Language teachers in visually Impaired classrooms.
Figure 10
The above chart shows the equal distribution of strongly agreed i.e. 33.3% and disagreed i.e. 33.3%. and similarly, 16.7% of teachers agreed and 16.7% of teachers strongly disagreed.
Natural environment
Question-11
I use Natural Environment to deliver the lecture to visually impaired students.
Figure 11
The above figure shows the result of the survey in which 12 English teachers, all from special education schools at the secondary level, were asked about the use of the natural environment to teach English to visually impaired students. From the above pie chart, it was clear that most teachers used to teach visually impaired students by using a natural environment but it's really difficult to do so. A total of 66.7% of teachers agreed they used to teach English to visually impaired students by using the natural environment but because of their disability, it was difficult to do so. 33.3% of participants were neural on this statement.
Developing English language skills in (vi) students
Question-12
Developing English communication skills in visually impaired students is really challenging.
Figure 12
The above figure shows the result that 36.4% of teachers disagreed with this statement. On the other hand, 18.2% of teachers were neutral and 27.3% of teachers agreed with the above statement. 18.2% of teachers strongly agreed with above statement.
Specialized assessment
Question-13
I conduct a specialized assessment for the students with vision impairment in the English language classroom.
Figure 13
As the above finding shows that 33.3% of teachers strongly agreed and similarly, 33.3% of teachers agreed with the statement that they conduct the specialized assessments. 25% of teachers were neutral and 8% of teachers disagreed with the statement.
Active Participation
Question-14
Active participation is a challenge in teaching English to visually impaired students.
Figure 14
As the chart shows clearly that active participation is the most challenging activity for teachers to conduct with students with visual impairment. 54.5% of teachers strongly agreed with the statement and 18.2% of teachers agreed but on the other hand, 18.2% of teachers strongly disagreed.
Auditory Distraction
AudiQuestion-15
To minimize aural distractions, some skills are best handled outside of the usual classroom.
Figure 15
As the above chart shows, 58.3% of teachers agreed with the statement and 25% of teachers disagreed with teaching outside the regular classroom. Similarly, 16.7% of teachers strongly agreed with the above statement.
Ultimate goal
Question-16
Learning the abilities and then transferring them during classroom activities should be the aim of the teacher.
Figure 16
As the above finding, 63.6% of teachers agreed that the aim should be to learn the skills and then begin to deliver those accomplishments during classroom activities. 18.2% of teachers disagreed and 9.1% of teachers strongly agreed.
Verbalism
Question-17
Visual impaired students use verbalism as a compensatory strategy for learning the English language.
Figure 17
Verbalism is the tendency of visually challenged students to employ words whose actual referent is unknown to them. The above figure shows the result of the survey in which 12 English teachers, all from special education schools at the secondary level, were asked about the use of verbalism as a compensatory strategy for learning the English language. Through the above pie chart, it was clear that most learners use verbalism as a compensatory strategy. A total of 41.7% of teachers strongly agreed and similarly, 41.7% of teachers agreed on the use of verbalism. 8.3% of participants disagreed about the use of verbalism as a compensatory strategy for learning English. From the finding, barely 8.3% of participants disagreed, which means it depends on the student.
Equal Opportunity
Figure 18
The above chart shows clearly that 41.7% of teachers disagreed with that statement to sit near in the classroom. 25% of teachers strongly agreed with the statement and barely 16.7% of teachers strongly disagreed.
Standing near (vi) student
Question-19
While teaching, I must stand near the visually impaired child.
Figure 19
27.3% of teachers agreed and 27.3% of teachers disagreed with the statement. Similarly, 34.4% of teachers strongly agreed with the statement that they prefer used to stand near a child with visual impairment during the class of English language.
Methodologies
Question-20
Do you think the methodologies you apply to teach English are applicable well to visually impaired students?
Figure 20
The chart shows that 41.7% of teachers think the methodologies they apply to teach English are applicable well to visually impaired students. 33.3% of teachers strongly agreed and 16.7% of teachers disagreed and barely about 8.3% of teachers firmly disagreed.
Discussion
The goal of this study was to find out the obstacles English language teachers faced while teaching English to students with vision impairment at the secondary level. The sample of the research comprised 12 special education English teachers in special education sector schools at the secondary level. The data were analyzed by using the graphical technique such as the pie charts in which the percentage of every challenge was highlighted. The findings of the current research showed that there were a lot of different challenges that existed while teaching English to visually impaired students at the secondary level. Similarly, English learning skills can enhance visually impaired students by doing engaging classroom activities but it is really challenging for teachers to do so because classroom strength is big enough to deal with and every student needs individual concentration. It is also concluded that homework depends on the preferences of the students if they want to do it on audio, computer etc. However, this is really challenging for the teacher because if the student doesn't have the proper instruments to do homework, then he/she will forget what was taught in the class. The results showed that English language teachers are more satisfied while teaching English to visually impaired students by describing their surroundings. The description may help visually impaired students learn the English language. It is, however, that the availability of resources in special education schools was limited. In this study, twenty basic challenges were discussed in the quantitative data analysis through which the study finding revealed that English language Teachers of visually impaired students faced several challenges. Therefore it is sometimes very challenging to stand near the visually impaired child all the time during class. There should be a need for audio aids as well as braille English books. Through several teaching materials, teachers became more confident and motivated while teaching English to visually impaired students. It developed a hope in a teacher to work more effectively as per data analysis it has concluded that there are no proper instruments and advanced technology for visually impaired students in the special education schools at the secondary level. Teachers were not facilitated with the materials, reading stories or descriptions of English as a subject that were made for them. They gave their time and knowledge to the enhancement of the special schools but in response, they faced challenges of delivering lectures by defining things for students to learn English. Whereas English audiobooks are very helpful for teachers to teach English and maximum teachers strongly agreed but there is a lack of resources.
The present research examined the current challenges of teaching the English language to visually impaired pupils in the secondary grade, specifically in regards to the usage of English language teaching methodologies for visually impaired students. It further analyzed the impact of the methodologies and the tools used by ESL teachers on the building of the English language in visually impaired students. This section begins with a description of the methodologies while teaching the English language to visually impaired students and how it is applied and the challenges in ESL classrooms in special education for visually impaired students in Lahore, Pakistan. The results of the study on the usage of the English language teaching tools specially designed to teach the students with visually impaired students and all the methodologies employed by ESL teachers in Lahore, Pakistan, have been thoroughly examined. The part concludes with a discussion of the challenges and the impact of teaching English to visually impaired students in special education. The findings of the study also reviewed the implication of special education policymakers and the syllabus of English subject conversion in braille for visually impaired students.
Currently, it requires a holistic plan that includes the use of available, easy-to-use, relevant, and interactive technical tools to teach English to visually impaired students, as well as the use of free software that allows us to have a global picture of the specific themes to be covered in teaching the English language to visually impaired students. Similarly, in order to acquire new pedagogic tactics for ESL classrooms of visually impaired students learning settings, the applications should be built for various technical devices and ESL teacher predispositions as (Susanto 2014) described in his research.
The current study focused on sharing the teaching challenges and pedagogical experiences in teaching English to visually impaired students, based on the use of technology and numerous typographical tools that have been a crucial support for information access. According to Baaran (2012), the management of adapted didactic material that has been examined and approved to teach English to visually impaired students, respectful of the rights of students with disabilities, i.e. "Nothing about us without us," is a key component of his research. Furthermore, the active engagement of the visually impaired learner is encouraged, and they advance from passive, receiving entities to active, generating entities in their knowledge of English language learning. Furthermore, electronic equipment is progressively being connected and designed to meet the many needs of students with visual impairments stated in his study, such as using accessible resources, integrating simple navigation and safe portability, and lowering the maximum weight. In this study, the researchers ensured that the tools and methodologies were simple to use and had a low cost in order to overcome existing challenges faced by teachers when teaching English to visually impaired students, close the digital divide, and help visually impaired people achieve autonomy in their personal and professional lives.
Conclusion
The current research is designated to look into the existing challenges of (ESL) teachers while teaching English to visually impaired students with reference to the use of their teaching methodologies and English language teaching strategies. Further, it aimed to determine the challenges of instructors while teaching English to learners with vision disabilities in the context of Lahore, Pakistan, at secondary level. The study obtained data from highly qualified English teachers of special education in Lahore, Pakistan. They were teaching English as a compulsory subject in visually impaired (ESL) classrooms.
The study successfully investigated the challenges teachers faced while teaching English to visually impaired students. The study successfully investigated the challenges teachers faced while teaching English to visually impaired students. The research was further divided into two tools i.e. structured interviews and questionnaires. The findings of the study indicated the existing challenges and their best possibilities. This research reveals that an English language teacher working in a school for visually impaired kids faces a number of problems. The first challenge was the visually challenged students' negative mindset. However, the other challenge was that special education teachers are required to teach English language lessons that they have not learned before due to ineffective restrictions. The third challenge was for English language teachers to convert visual material to audio solely for visually challenged students. The absence of English teaching methods and aids for visually challenged students was the fourth challenge. The present study clearly demonstrated that there were limited specialized facilities for teachers to teach English to visually impaired kids at the school. Inadequate teaching resources and parent expectations of teachers were the biggest challenges for (ESL) teachers of children with visual impairment. According to the findings of this study, English teachers faced a number of difficulties when teaching English to visually impaired students.
References
- Arditi, A., and Rosenthal, B. (1998). https://www.visibilitymetrics.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Developing%20Objective%20Definition%
- Agesa, L. (2014). Challenges faced by learners with visual impairments in inclusive setting in Trans-Nzoia County. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(29), 185-192.
- Center for Quality Special Education. (1993). Special education program outcomes guide: Visual impairment. Lansing, MI: Department of Education.
- Hazekamp, J., & Huebner, K. M. (1989). Program planning and evaluation for blind and visually impaired students: National guidelines for educational excellence. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.
- Klingner, J. K., & Harry, B. (2006). The special education referral and decision-making process for English language learners: Child study team meetings and placement conferences. Teachers College Record, 108(11), 2247-2281.
- Kapur, R. (2018). Challenges experienced by visually impaired students in education. Unpublished paper available at researchgate.
- Kumar, D. D., Ramasamy, R., & Stefanich, G. P. (2001). Science for Students with Visual Impairments: Teaching Suggestions and Policy Implications for Secondary Educators.
- Lewis, S. (2002).
Cite this article
-
APA : Zahra, A., Butt, A., & Bhatti, S. A. (2022). A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment. Global Educational Studies Review, VII(I), 147 - 163. https://doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2022(VII-I).16
-
CHICAGO : Zahra, Amna, Ayesha Butt, and Sameera Ayub Bhatti. 2022. "A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment." Global Educational Studies Review, VII (I): 147 - 163 doi: 10.31703/gesr.2022(VII-I).16
-
HARVARD : ZAHRA, A., BUTT, A. & BHATTI, S. A. 2022. A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment. Global Educational Studies Review, VII, 147 - 163.
-
MHRA : Zahra, Amna, Ayesha Butt, and Sameera Ayub Bhatti. 2022. "A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment." Global Educational Studies Review, VII: 147 - 163
-
MLA : Zahra, Amna, Ayesha Butt, and Sameera Ayub Bhatti. "A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment." Global Educational Studies Review, VII.I (2022): 147 - 163 Print.
-
OXFORD : Zahra, Amna, Butt, Ayesha, and Bhatti, Sameera Ayub (2022), "A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment", Global Educational Studies Review, VII (I), 147 - 163
-
TURABIAN : Zahra, Amna, Ayesha Butt, and Sameera Ayub Bhatti. "A Study of the Challenges in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Students with Visual Impairment." Global Educational Studies Review VII, no. I (2022): 147 - 163. https://doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2022(VII-I).16