English Language Learning Programme for Visually I..
English Language Learning Programme for Visually Impaired Students
Start date: Oct 1, 2009,
The Comenius project "ELLVIS" wants to pursue new ways of language learning for blind or visually impaired children and teenagers. Language learning is not only a European competence, it is also a path to education, a path out of isolation towards communication, emancipation and mobility. In a globalised internet world, especially the knowledge of English is imperative and provides new personal and vocational chances not only for young blind learners. However, there are still very few adequate language learning materials available for visually impaired people.The former project "AllVip" has developed an alternative user interface for language learning that works without a screen reader and is truly interactive, using force-feedback devices . The courses have successfully been tested and evaluated by five training institutions for blind learners.The Comenius project "ELLVIS" wants to amplify the innovative results of the first project, adapting the English course for young blind learners of other mother languages. Four language institutions and three schools for the blind will work together to achieve these targets: one English course each for blind French-speaking, Italian-speaking and Romanian-speaking children. The self-learning course therefore has to be amplified, not only adapting it for the different mother languages, but also for the needs and interests of children and teenagers.The audio-courses will consist of English dialogues and texts, French/Italian/Romanian translations, explanations, and instructions. It also has virtual rooms, in which the learners can discover speaking objects.The results of the project will increase skills and competences in the field of transnational co-operation on the European level. Partners will use existing co-operation networks which they are involved in to disseminate and transfer knowledge from the project to other institutes for the blind, in their countries and in other European countries.
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