English Language Teaching for the Visually Impaired Learners: Training Non-native English Teachers

Despite the growing body of research studies and projects related to English language teaching (ELT) for the average learner, there is still a great shortage of research addressing the foreign language learning needs of the visually impaired people. Therefore, this paper has the main objective to introduce an innovative method of teaching English to visually impaired learners by means of the talking tactile technology (T3). Therefore, the paper presents key stages of an international project aiming to train non-native English teachers in Turkey to become aware of the concept of using T3 as a vehicle for teaching English. The project not only enabled trainees to incorporate this new technology into their classes but also reduced the shortfall by providing continuous professional development to nonnative teachers of English for the benefit of visually impaired learners. The application of T3 in other ELT contexts is expected to contribute to the neglected field of foreign language teaching for learners with visual impairment.