Susan M. Schultz, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY, sschultz@sjfc.edu
Jessica E. Schultz, Prince William County School District, Virginia
Alexander T. Schultz, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX
In 2014, 4.6 million students, or 9.4% of the public school student population, were English as a second
Language Learners (ELLs) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). As the United States becomes
more diverse each year, the overall number of students who are ELLs is expected to increase. Conroy (2005)
asserts that given the increase in the number of ELLs in special education, it is reasonable to assume that
ELLs who are also visually impaired will too increase. Teachers may find ELLs with visual impairments a
challenge when they are adapting materials for the diverse learners in their classrooms. Most have had little,
if any, experience with English Language Learners with visual impairments. Some may falsely assume that
these learners are unlikely to be successful in the classroom or are at risk for not mastering the standards
(Kocyigit & Artar, 2015). Kocyigit and Artar (2015) state that learning differences can have an enormous effect
on the classroom environment. Therefore, it is necessary to provide support to the teachers of ELLs with
visual impairments on how to best meet their students' needs and promote success.
Best practices for students with visual impairments emphasize using verbal instruction. Students with
visual impairments often have gaps in background knowledge and vocabulary due to their impairment. Those
with severe visual impairments may not be able to learn through casual observation. While a sighted toddler
can look over from the kitchen table to see their mother cooking and observe pots, pans, oven mitts, etc. a
child with a severe visual impairment has no knowledge of these objects unless they are directly exposed to
them. For ELLs, there is a heavy reliance on using visual media, such as pictures and gestures to support
instruction and broaden their understanding of semantics, a strategy that is unlikely to work with ELLs
Strategies for visually impaired bilingual learners to
improve their understanding of academic language
VIDBE-Q
Volume 62 Issue 2
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