A Visually Impaired English Learner in the Context of Virtual Environments: Analyzing Learning Strategies

Brief summary

This qualitative single case study was conducted in Colombia. The study looked at the learning strategies a student developed through observations and interviews. The student was a college student learning English virtually. This study had a particular focus on the strategies the student used while learning English.

Key Findings

Strategies used by this English learner were cognitive, metacognitive and socioeffective strategies. Cognitive strategies used most often were memory, analyzing & reasoning, repetition, translating and the use of a one on one assistant. Metacognitive strategies used were evaluating and monitoring self-learning, taking risks, and guessing intelligently. Socioeffective strategies that were used were asking for confirmation, receiving recognition or praise, asking questions and asking for additional input. Metacognition is linked to motivation and thus seen as a positive aspect of the study. Self-monitored learning likewise provided the student with understanding

Implications for Practice

While this study cannot be generalized to all blind or low vision English Learners, we can use this study to focus student learning into the categories mentioned, keeping in mind that metacognitive strategies can have the highest outputs. Virtual learning has become a large part of education and this study provides some information on how it is possible to do this function. Some questions for practice may be:

  • How can we involve students in their learning so they can self-monitor their growth in English acquisition?
  • How can we explicitly teach a blind or low vision English learner strategies for their acquisition of language?
  • What is the best technique for a student to self-monitor their work? (individualized)

Citation

Villalba Ramos. (2017). A visually-impaired English learner in the context of virtual environments: analyzing learning strategies. Zona Próxima, 27, 34–50. https://doi.org/10.14482/zp.27.10972

Vocabulary instruction for an English language learner with visual impairment: A multiple-components intervention including tactile representations

Brief summary

A single case study was conducted using a multiple baseline design. A blind English learner in 10th grade was the participant. The student had no vision in right eye and some vision in their left eye. Student was a braille reader. The student was presented with vocabulary in a multiple-choice exam. She was tested prior to the intervention, during and after. There were three versions of the test used on a rotation to avoid the student simply memorizing answers. The student was not told if her responses were correct, to also not have her memorize answers. The specific intervention used to teach the vocabulary was as follows:

  • Reviewing of previous words (notably, the review time was not implemented until the third lesson, which might account for the slower improvement on these words).
  • Reading a text (taken from various science textbooks and transcribed into Braille) containing the three words. In some cases, all three words fit together conceptually—for example, herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore—and so the text was simply one paragraph taken from one textbook. In other cases, the words were not as connected, so the text contained several paragraphs and was taken from multiple sources.
  • Discussing context clues and how they help reveal what the words mean. This strategy was derived from Nash and Snowling (2006), as well as from Lesaux et al. (2010).
  • Reading the glossary definition of each word taken from one of the science texts.
  • Discussing morphological and/or structural clues (Lesaux et al., 2010). For example, endangered contains the word danger, and endangered species are in danger of dying out. These are listed in Table 1. [in full article]
  • Exploring a tactile representation (in lieu of a visual model). This strategy was drawn from Sahin and Yorek (2009). A description of each representation is listed in Table 1 [in full article].
  • Reviewing the readings and checking student’s new knowledge by having her explain the new vocabulary in her own words or use them in a sentence. (Leavitt, 2018, p. 243-245)

Key Findings

The student increased her knowledge of the biology terms successfully by large percentages over time. “This study provides initial support for a vocabulary intervention for use with an ELL student with VI. For this student, the combination of tactile representation of science concepts, discussion of vocabulary in context, and instruction in morphology and word structure resulted in significant increases in vocabulary acquisition.”

Implications for Practice

Information must be written in a simple and straightforward matter, especially when reading is not being tested. The researchers intentionally made readings simpler than the grader level the student was in. The above-mentioned intervention with steps can serve as a model to teach vocabulary in any subject. Using baseline date and testing proved to be beneficial in showing the usefulness of the strategy.

Citation

Leavitt, Athanasiou, M. S., & Sanchez, K. (2018). Vocabulary instruction for an English language learner with visual impairment: A multiple-components intervention including tactile representations. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 36(3), 238–250. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264619618782566

Visually Impaired Brazilian Students Learning English with Smartphones: Overcoming Limitations

Brief Summary

This qualitative ethnography included fifteen English learners from Brazil, ranging in ages from 19 to 54. Of the fifteen, nine were braille readers. The study looks at how smartphones can help students in learning English as a second language. They looked at a classroom as a place where culture and language is shared and how this was done in a classroom teaching English. The researchers sat with students in small groups to teach the materials on smart phones. Specifically podcasts were recorded and shared with students on WhatsApp and Facebook. Students gave their responses on a Google form or another smartphone app. Smartphones seemed to serve an accessibility purpose to either enlarge content or use voice. Having a reliable internet connection was needed for the success of this intervention. After the use of the podcasts, they used a closed Facebook group to work on grammar, spelling and sentence structure.

Key Findings

It is unclear how successful this intervention was as data was not succinct and clear. Students picked up the content, but it is hard to tell if this was due to the podcast, smartphone or other interventions that were all running simultaneously at the same time.

Implications for Practice

Students should be exposed to a wide range of technology devices. Some questions to consider are:

  • How can we as educators use technology with our students so support their acquisition of the English Language?
  • Do our students use social media and if so, how do they interact with it to support their acquisition of the English language?

Citation

Retorta & Lopez. (2017). Visually-Impaired Brazilian Students Learning English with Smartphones: Overcoming Limitations. Languages, 12(2), 1-27.