Sorry for the delay: just returned from running a first course for
visually impaired teachers of English in Turkey. Tiring but exciting;
and promises from the Min of Ed for full support for any (sic)
proposals I make!
Pauline: I have been an IELTS tester for 6 years, and as the only
person interested in disability issues, I got invited whenever there
was any non-standard candidate. I recently contacted IELTS about one
of our students: I'm not fully satisfied. but this is where one
starts: look at their website, 2005 handbook, page 15.
http://www.ielts.org/mediacentre/latestieltsdevelopments/1649_IELTShbk
_2005.pdf
I think this needs to be raised with UCLES etc. but particularly
IELTS: I don't know how much experience they have had with disabled
candidates. However, when it comes to testing candidates from other
countries things get more complex: it isn't only a matter of a
different sign language, but more fundamental concepts of access to
education in those countries. For example some of our very successful
visually impaired students can spell in Turkish (totally phonetic),
but have only learnt English orally, all materials and exams being
read to them - Braille printers are not yet provided to all schools
for the blind, national printing being done centrally, so individual,
local or small scale projects can only be done in schools that have
raised their own funds. Without being able to READ WRITTEN LANGUAGE, a
foreign learner of English has a terrible time: the spelling is hell!
Thus we have students studying in a language (our university teaches
all courses in English) that they cannot write! Such students would
not be able to take the IELTS as it stands: a blind student can apply
for alternative formats, but is expected to be able to spell, and
produce compositions of the same standard as sighted candidates.
Currently the IELTS regulations assume a hearing impaired candidate's
language may apply for exemption from listening, without any other
aspects of language being affected. I'm still not sure how a blind
candidate does some of the listening sections, for instance note
taking: such a student would never take notes, they'd record lectures.
Perhaps we need to challenge IELTS: or those who require disabled
students to take an exam that doesn't consider their needs...
By the way, I've been invited to give a course in 2007, on 'Dealing
with disability in English as a Foreign Language', so I'll make a note
of this issue. Please let me know of any other issues relating to
this.
Claire Ozel,
Middle East Technical University,
Ankara Turkey
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