TEACHING AMERICAN ENGLISH SOUNDS TO BLIND AND LOW VISION LEARNERS USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY By Yeimy Maritza Medina Gonzalez A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages—Master of Arts 2020 ABSTRACT TEACHING AMERICAN ENGLISH SOUNDS TO BLIND AND LOW VISION LEARNERS USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY By Yeimy Maritza Medina Gonzalez This project was designed to improve the inclusive nature of courses on language learning and teaching through the creation of Adaptive English Phonetic Tools (ADEPT) to provide better access to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols and the sounds they represent for blind and low vision learners and teachers of American English as a second or foreign language. This approach involved the integration of auditory and tactual information to facilitate the development of phonological literacy based on the effectiveness of multisensory training protocols. ADEPT consists of sets of tactile IPA symbol cards, and a companion website based on the Universal Design for Learning framework. Each IPA symbol card includes the symbol, its typographical description, and a reference number associated with the website (all with corresponding Braille notations). The website includes printed and audio- recorded information on the articulation of American English consonants and vowels with recordings of each sound in isolation and in sample words. The pedagogical efficacy of these tools was tested with 21 adult learners of English in Colombia with a focus on vowel production. A pretest-posttest design involving the delayed repetition technique was used. Learners’ productions of short sentences with multiple exemplars of American English vowels were audio-recorded. Native-speaker ratings revealed a significant improvement in learners’ pronunciation after 10 weeks of instruction. Qualitative data included pre- and post-study interviews and the researcher’s instructional notes. Learners described the auditory-tactual approach as “invaluable”. Field testing of the symbol cards indicated that they should be 3D printed for sustainability. In sum, ADEPT can facilitate a collaborative learning environment for sighted and non-sighted individuals. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The accomplishment of this research was done with the enormous support of my advisor Dr. Debra Hardison who was the main inspiration and advocate for all my ideas lighting my path to pursue this achievement. Also my gratitude goes to Dr. Dustin De Felice, and to my friends Lina Wu, Jenny Bernal, Amy Cheadle, and Steven Gagnon who gave me their time, friendship, and commitment in the different stages of this research. In addition, the contributions from the Tinker Foundation (CLACS, MSU), the Office of Creating Inclusive Excellence at MSU, and the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, especially the dedication of Stephen Blosser, were crucial to the technical implementation of and financial support for this study. I also want to note the excellent work done by Corporación Info Innova in Colombia which developed the accessible companion website, and the library of the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional in Bogotá, Colombia that allowed me to use their facilities to carry out my research with all my students. In addition, I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been a Fulbright scholar. The Fulbright program and its alliance with the Fundación Saldarriaga Concha in Colombia brought me to MSU to receive the excellent education that allowed me to complete this study and return to my home country to contribute my experience and knowledge to the advancement of my community. I also express my gratitude to the audiences at the meetings where this research was presented: the Accessibility Learning Conference held at MSU in November, 2019, and the Annual Graduate Linguistics, Applied Linguistics and TESOL Symposium held at Arizona State University in February, 2020. Clearly, my biggest thanks go to all of the participants in this research who, with their huge dedication and enthusiasm, gave real meaning to this study. They were the main reason for developing all of the materials, and were the motivation for believing in the possibility of generating a tool to improve iii the inclusive environment in EFL and ESL classrooms. All the things I learned from them will be invaluable in my role as a teacher for the rest of my life. Finally, I give thanks to God for giving me an amazing family, my parents Maria and Jorge, and especially my sister Martha who was always there for me without hesitation to give me her hand and encouragement. Along the way, I also met Agustin, a special person who changed the meaning of the word love in my life. His support and company although often from a distance were vital in making it possible for me to continue to face different challenges, and celebrate my big or small triumphs every day during this great achievement. Many thanks also to everyone who believes that a disabled condition is just another characteristic in some individuals. It is important to understand that all of us share the same dreams, fears, joys, and sorrows, and although we may have some boundaries in terms of functioning effectively in some fields, we are able to create and transform the world in which we are living! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Universal Design for Learning ................................................................................................................. 2 Literature Review ..................................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Overview of Study .................................................................................................................................. 10 Method .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Participants ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Materials ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Pronunciation Pretest and Posttest ............................................................................................... 13 Tactile IPA Symbol Cards ........................................................................................................... 14 Companion Website ..................................................................................................................... 15 Procedure .......................................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 19 Results and Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 19 Quantitative Perspectives .................................................................................................................. 19 Rating Procedure ......................................................................................................................... 19 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 19 Results ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Qualitative Perspectives ................................................................................................................... 22 Instructor Notes ........................................................................................................................... 24 Post-Instruction Interview Comments ........................................................................................ 27 Learners’ Plans to Add New Strategies to Practice English ....................................................... 28 Learners’ General Comments on the Training ............................................................................ 29 Learners’ General Comments on the Website ............................................................................ 30 Development of 3D Printed Cards ........................................................................................................ 32 CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................................