Problems and issues related to teaching japanese to students with disabilities: Lessons learned

Abstract

With increased advancement in assistive technologies, an increased number of students with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions. This has resulted in more of these students taking foreign language courses either out of interest in the subject or in order to fulfill university or college requirements. While research has shown that some faculty members have received training in providing accommodations to these students, most feel inadequately equipped and unprepared to handle the teaching of such students. The present paper explores the problems and issues associated with teaching Japanese to college students at a large midwestern university with three different disabilities: PTSD, cerebral palsy, and complete visual impairment. The paper discusses problems facing each student as they learned Japanese, challenges for instructors, accommodations provided, and some solutions.