UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF LEARNERS WITH PARTIAL VISION-RELATED DISABILITIES: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

Abstract

This study explored the English language learning experiences of learners with partial vision-related disabilities. It particularly focused on partially sighted English language learners as they are often overlooked in teaching and learning activities. Furthermore, studies highlighting and exploring their learning experiences are scarce. Language is learned through communication and social interactions. We learn language collaboratively that is why this study is supported by collaborative learning theory. Moreover, since we are dealing with the stories and experiences of learners, I found narrative inquiry as the perfect research method to guide the study. It is a qualitative study where the interview was used as the major data collection technique. Participants were purposefully selected and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to generate data. Those data and information generated through recorded and transcribed interviews were then coded systematically to generate themes which were later analyzed in light of the theory. After the analysis of data, key insights were drawn. One of the major insights gained from the study was that friends played a major role in the learning process of partially sighted learners. This insight embodied the essence of collaborative learning and revealed that friends helped in more ways than one and impacted the learning process significantly. Moreover, the study contributes to the discourse on the English language learning experiences of learners with vision-related disabilities in the context of Nepal where the education system and available infrastructure are not disability friendly. This study, for the first time, documents the struggles, hopes and disappointments of the English language learning experiences of learners with vision-related disabilities by integrating the researcher’s experiences.