Teaching English for Hearing-Impaired Students: An Experience at Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri Tipe B Blitar, East Java

Studies about teaching practices are mostly conducted to classrooms with non-physical impairment students. Few literatures can be found concerning theories and practices in teaching English for students with physical impairment like those who have sight or hearing impairment. In Indonesian education system, the government does not differentiate the teaching of English between physically impaired and non-physically impaired students. As seen in the document of the Standard of Content, the goal, core competence, and basic competence of teaching English are the same. However, the educational process for physically impaired students is intended more on making them self- independent. Classroom activities, therefore, are emphasized more on how the students acquire various life skills. The English teachers must work extra hard in meeting the goal of national education. The current paper is intended to share the experience of English teachers at a school for hearing-impaired students (Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri Tipe B) Blitar, East Java in teaching English. Due to the physical condition of the students, strategies such as drilling, memorization, and modeling are considered as the best to be applied in such school. In addition, media like realia and miniature are helpful in the teaching process. At this context, the best means the easiest and the most effective strategies for the particular type of school. The attainment of the teaching objectives is mainly focused on introducing students to various words and sentences in English