Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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As a blind person myself who wants to try to learn a second language, how did you manage to do it? (self.Blind)
submitted by jjr_blind_java_dev
LAZNS_TheSadBlindAce 3 points 11m ago
Duolingo
razzretina 3 points 11m ago
I'm really only getting started myself but if you have an iOS device Duolingo is quite accessible with Voiceover and it's been a big help. My other big help is my partner who is a native Spanish speaker. Using an app to help get started and learn words is great, then having friends who can encourage you and explain things really helps. Also watching familiar shows or movies in your target language will help. Oh and when using Duolingo it's a good idea to set up a Voiceover voice in the language you're learning and at a comfortable speed to work with (iOS Karen is abysmal at Spanish, but Spanish Siri slowed down a bit has been a life saver). Good luck!
CloudyBeep 3 points 11m ago
I prefer the Duolingo website. I find it tedious to tap on words to make sentences; on the website, you can type the sentences which also helps with memorization.
Throwaway1588442 2 points 11m ago
In settings if you enable the keyboard for the language you're learning Duolingo will let you type with it
razzretina 2 points 11m ago
i like the website too but I'm almost never at my desktop and I'm abysmal with JAWS haha so phone is how I use Duolingo the most.
Marconius 2 points 11m ago
Currently re-learning and refreshing my Italian with Duolingo on iOS. It's been fun both dictating in Italian and writing Italian with braille screen input, so it adds extra layers of skill sets when going through the lessons in the app!
CloudyBeep 1 points 11m ago
How do you type on Duolingo for iOS? I can only tap on words, so are you using the mobile website or is there a way to switch to it in the app which I am missing?
Marconius 3 points 11m ago
Oh, that fully depends on how advanced you are getting through the lessons. The beginning courses only have word maps where you have to tap the words, but the farther you get into the lesson, text fields will appear where you have to translate phrases and words or type what you hear. There is also a dumb fill-in-the-blank style of question that is still fully inaccessible, so I just skip those. There's a lot more typing in the farther levels from where you are just starting out.
You have to add the correct system keyboard in the language you are learning. For example, I have the Italian keyboard loaded through iOS Settings > General > Keyboard, and when the system or Duolingo recognizes that you are meant to be typing in Italian, it automatically switches to that keyboard, accepts Italian dictation, and braille screen input still works perfectly fine. It also helps to add a VoiceOver voice for the language, so I added an Italian speech voice that I liked better than the system default.
Extra tips: if in doubt, you can always ask Siri how to say something in a supported language. The iOS Translate app is also pretty awesome, allowing you to type and cross translate between two languages and also have it listen to you and translate on the fly.
You have to add the correct system keyboard in the language you are learning. For example, I have the Italian keyboard loaded through iOS Settings > General > Keyboard, and when the system or Duolingo recognizes that you are meant to be typing in Italian, it automatically switches to that keyboard, accepts Italian dictation, and braille screen input still works perfectly fine. It also helps to add a VoiceOver voice for the language, so I added an Italian speech voice that I liked better than the system default.
Extra tips: if in doubt, you can always ask Siri how to say something in a supported language. The iOS Translate app is also pretty awesome, allowing you to type and cross translate between two languages and also have it listen to you and translate on the fly.
CloudyBeep 1 points 11m ago
Oh OK. On the website, you can use a keyboard rather than a word bank for even the earlier questions in each lesson.
Marconius 2 points 11m ago
Some of the mid-level questions allow you to switch between the word bank and the keyboard in the app. Again, just depends on how well you are doing in the lessons.
SiriuslyGranger 1 points 11m ago
Have you tried clubhouse and their lingo lobby it’s good to talk to people of that language. There’s a guy on here, it’s not free, but he has this app, right now it’s just spanish and english where you can call and talk to someone in mexico and practice your spanish if that’s your language.
Clearport 1 points 11m ago
I would also recommend using Duolingo. It works well for me on Android and IOS, but I prefer to use the website itself with my desktop. In addition to using the app, you will want to listen to podcasts and find videos of people speaking your target language. Duolingo has a podcast for Spanish and French, but you should find as many sources as you can. Try to find podcasts on topics that you are interested in, as it will help you focus. Using the app to learn the intended language is great, but I find that it helps to actually listen to the language to get used to the way it sounds, and to listen for familiar words and how they are used.
JessConstantino 1 points 11m ago
I found some great accessible apps I have learned to teach myself Japanese Korean and Italian. There are so many language apps for iOS. And I’m visually impaired so I found them easy to navigate. I also found some amazing YouTube channels that will teach languages I’ve learned some of my Japanese and Tagalog through. I really like YouTube because it’s all auditory. Which I find much easier then trying to read books and fill out workbooks. Yeah I would just look at different apps look on YouTube and find programming through Netflix or other websites that will immerse you in the language and culture.
thatawkwardcosplayer 1 points 11m ago
I just sorta yeeted myself into a kitchen and had to pick up Spanish the hard way. Definitely going to the library for Spanish speaking meet ups helped a lot with learning local dialect!
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