ELLVIS

Status: 
Finished
Start date: 
October 2009
End Date: 
March 2011
Duration: 
18 months
English Language Learning for Visually Impaired Students

Code: 502249-LLP-1-2009-1-IT-COMENIUS-CMP

New ways of language learning for blind or visually impaired children and teenagers.

The COMENIUS project ELLVIS intends to improve the access of visually impaired persons to language learning.
As good learning material for visually impaired children is rare it is essential to create innovative material which opens up new possibilities for this target group and makes it possible for VI children to take part in lifelong learning.

Project co-ordinator Centro Machiavelli S.r.l. - Florence, Italy
Italian Language and Culture Centre for Foreigners

 

Partners

UICI, Italian Union of Blind - Florence, Italy
TANDEM Hamburg Horizont Dialogo e.V. (DE)
DAA, 
Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie Berlin-Neukölln (DE)
Institut Montéclair (FR)
Asociatia Nevazatorilor din Romania, Filiala Brásov (RO)
Romanian-German Cultural Association/German Cultural Center

Get documents:
ELLVIS-Slides (Power Point)
ELLVIS-Flyer (Adobe Acrobat)

 

Preface

Blind and visually impaired children, and their trainers as well, face the task of having to adapt existing materials (produced for sighted people) or making use of technical aids such as Braille readers, screen readers or purely audio-based materials. Learning tools based on iconic material (images, pictures, animations) are not suitable for VI persons.
The results of the ELLVIS project constitute a viable alternative solution to the "book and tape" methodology. This language course is aimed at those who are unable to use these technical aids, who need further assistance and prompting through a system that supplies other than audio-based feedback, namely by the 'force-feedback' reaction that the joystick offers.

 

Activity and partnership

The innovative results of the former project AllVip were adapted and expanded which lead to the development of an alternative user interface for language learning without a screen reader, using force-feedback devices (joysticks). The playful aspect of this technical device adds to the motivational value of the program. The English course for young blind learners of other mother languages was adapted and expanded to meet the needs and interests of children and teenagers.
Four language institutions and three schools for the blind working together, thus created an English course each for blind Italian-speaking, French-speaking and Romanian-speaking students.
The language schools were responsible for all language related aspects of the course.
The schools for blind and visually impaired people
carried out the tests of the course contents and of the related navigation software which lead lastly to the fine-tuning of the Language Learning Software and language materials.

 

Results Obtained

A final version of the English course (software and materials package) for French, Italian and Romanian blind and visually impaired students
A final edition of the teacher’s manual as a guide for the course
A programme for the dissemination, and development of the project’s products and results for the sustainability of the project

 

New ways of language learning for blind or visually impaired children and teenagers

The results of the COMENIUS project ELLVIS improve the access of visually impaired persons to language learning. As good learning material for visually impaired children is rare this innovative material opens up new possibilities for this target group and makes it possible for VI children to take part in lifelong learning.

 

Official Site