SEPEL

1. Mobile Assistive Language Learning
in the Teaching of English to
Visually Impaired Students
Bruna A. Kindinger
Pâmela R. da Luz
Sueder S. de Souza
Thaynara R. Vieira
Thomas H. Posansky
Victoria M. Harres
Profª Miriam S. Retorta, Luiza Kasdorf
I SEPEL
Seminário de Pesquisa em Letras

2. Theme
 Inclusive education began in Brazil in 1994 with the
Declaration of Salamanca and has timidly been
solidifying in the last two decades;
 There is a shortage of know-how in the area of
Foreign Language Teaching for students with visual
impairment (VI), in our research project we seek to
understand how to teach English for these students,
using ICTs, specifically the Smartphone;

3. Theme
 The discipline of Technologies, Literacies and Teacher
Training - theories and practices on the teaching of
English for visually impaired students using ICTs.
Reflections and concepts on inclusion, digital literacy
and mobile assistive language learning.
 The Extension Project consists of teaching the English
language to Visually Impaired students, with hybrid
classes based on theories and practices of the English
language teaching, using information and
communication technologies (ICT).

4.  Investigate how one can teach the English language to
visually impaired students using APPs for
Smartphones with their interface with PC and study
how to adapt multimodal platforms to the foreign
language teaching and learning;
General Objectives

5. Specific Objectives
 Look for cellphone APPs that can be used for
teaching a foreign language;
 Investigate how blind students use APPs to
communicate;
 Investigate how blind students may use the APPs to
learn a foreign language;

6.  Vygotsky (1993):
o Theory of Dysontogeneses (TD): Deficient
development compared to normal individual
development (RODINA, 2006);
o Mediated Learning: For a child learn, she needs be in
contact with another person who will be the mediator
between she and the knowledge. In Vygotsky words it
means “the way of the object for the child and the child
for the object is through another person” (VYGOTSKY,
1991);
Theoretical References

7. Theoretical References
 Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MaLL)
o The use of Smartphone as a new mode of language
learning.
o The scenarios for teaching/learning.
o The APPs - in the classroom and also at home. (in
service teachers + VI students)
o Platform and APPs on Smartphone and interfaces with
PC.
Pegrum (2015), UNESCO (2013) Miangah & Nezarat 2012,
Laurillard (2007), Rheingold (2002).

8. Methodological Design
 "Ethnography is the study of people's behavior in
natural and dynamic contexts, with a special focus on
the cultural interpretation of behavior" (Mello and
Rees, 2010);
 In an ethnography of the classroom, the research
literature generally includes several studies detailing
the characteristics of the organization and the
interaction in the classroom; Identifying and analyzing
patterns, typologies or models of interaction (Mello
and Rees, 2010).

9. The smartphones can be used as teaching/learning tools.
 In our extension project they were used for:
o Searching for topics and subjects in order to prepare each class;
o Recording audios and exercises for the students;
o Posting these exercises (in audio and transcripted forms) on
Facebook and WhatsApp;
o Sharing authentic information in social media;
 During the classes, the smartphones were also used for:
o Playing songs;
o Searching for translations;
o The screenreaders were used by the blind students in every class.
.
Results and Discussions

10.  For the fact that we deal with the various intrinsic peculiarities of
each student, the teacher becomes an important element not only
to enhance teaching but also to stimulate each one according to
his/her abilities. That is, as human beings capable of producing
knowledge and culture.
 It is important for us to put into practice the theory we have studied
because it brings better understanding of the scenario. In the
beginning, it was inevitable not to be afraid, because we did not
know what would happen, but then we realized that it was simpler
than we had imagined.
 The in service students had the opportunity to improve their
proficiency in the English language as well as learn how to teach
Disabled students. And this experience brought confidence to teach
both disabled and sighted students.
Conclusion

11. LAURILLARD, D , Developing research capacity in technology : Enhanced learning, 2007. Disponível em:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303806544_DEVELOPING_RESEARCH_CAPACITY_IN_TECHNOLOGY-
ENHANCED_LEARNING
MIANGAH, T. A; NEZARAT, A. Mobile-Assisted Language Learning. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel
Systems (IJDPS) Vol.3, No.1, January 2012
PEGRUM, M. Mobile Learning: Languages, Literacies and Cultures. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.
RHEINGOLD, Howard. Smart Mobs: the next social revolution. Basic Books, Cambrdige, MA, 2002
RODINA, Katarina A. Vygotsky's Social Constructionist View on Disability: A Methodology for Inclusive
Education. In Lassen, L. (Ed.). Enabling Lifelong Learning in Education, Training and Development: European
Learning Styles Information Nettwork (ELSIN), University of Oslo: Oslo, CD/ISDN, 2006. Disponível em:
<lchc.ucsd.edu/.../VygotskyDisabilityEJSNE2007.pdf>. Acesso em: 05 Jul. 2015.
UNESCO, 1998. Declaração de Salamanca. Disponível em:
ttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001393/139394por.pdf. Acesso em 31 out. 2016.
VIGOTSKI, Lev Semyonovich. The collected works of L.S.Vygotsky. Vol.2: The fundamentals of defectology
(abnormal psychology and learning disabilities) (R.W.Rieber & A.S. Carton, Eds.). NY: Plenum Press. 1993
______. (1993). A formação social da mente: O desenvolvimento dos processos psicológicos superiores. 4ª ed.
São Paulo: Martins Fontes. Disponível em: <www.egov.ufsc.br/.../vygotsky-a-formac3a7c3a3o-social-da-mente.pdf>.
Acesso em: 25 Mai. 2015.
References

12. Technology is nothing.
What's important is that you have a faith in
people, that they're basically good and
smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do
wonderful things with them.
(Steve Jobs)

13. Agradecemos a atenção!
Bruna A Kindinger - alekindinger@gmail.com
Pâmela R da Luz - pamelaroberta861@gmail.com
Sueder S de Souza - swedersouza@gmail.com
Thaynara R Vieira - thayu.u@hotmail.com
Thomas H Posansky - thp.09@hotmail.com
Victoria M Harres - vivigefa.mh@hotmail.com
Profª Miriam S Retorta - msretorta@gmail.com
Profª Luiza Kasdorf – lukasdorf@yahoo.com.br