Ulaanbaatar, September 24, 2025 /MONTSAME/. In 2021, Talk Talk English welcomed Lkhamsuren, then an English Education student at Mongolia International University, as an intern. At the time, most of her classmates were preparing for conventional teaching placements. For her, however, the journey was different: having lost her sight in her late teens, she faced barriers both in her studies and in her professional path.

With training, mentorship, and determination, she quickly became an effective ESL teacher. Upon her graduation in 2022, she joined our team as a full-time teacher. Together with Lkhamsuren, we began experimenting with new approaches to classroom delivery. We modified lesson plans, created adapted materials, and rethought our methodology to make teaching more accessible. In September 2022, we contacted the director of School No. 116, Ulaanbaatar’s school for the visually impaired, to inquire about the possibility of introducing English classes for their students. She agreed, and the English for the Visually Impaired (EVI) Project began. Shortly afterward, Lkhamsuren started delivering lessons at School 116. This September marks her fourth consecutive year of teaching at the school.

In 2023, the EVI Project grew with the arrival of Angarag, our second visually impaired teacher. He quickly became a valued member of our teaching staff. In a relatively short time, he began delivering English lessons to both mainstream classes and groups of visually impaired adults at the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind. This month, Angarag will also begin teaching students from School 116.

By 2025, the EVI Project had expanded significantly. Some of our EVI students are now being taught in our mainstream English classes, while others are receiving one-to-one lessons tailored to their individual pace and needs. We have developed and introduced digital textbooks and workbooks, launched an audio-based vocabulary learning system, and piloted new teaching formats. Most recently, we welcomed an 11-year-old student who is visually impaired. She will be the first EVI student to study with our Happy Days syllabus. This programme combines a phonics course (Well Said, Fred!), songs, dialogues, and a range of interactive exercises designed for both verbal practice and computer-based learning. Angarag is helping us adapt the Happy Days series into a format that works seamlessly for visually impaired learners.

For young people in Mongolia, English proficiency serves as a gateway to education, employment, and wider participation in society. For the visually impaired community, this access is even more critical. It opens doors that might otherwise remain closed. Over the past four years, the EVI Project has shown us both the challenges and the rewards of inclusive education. We have seen firsthand the confidence, skills, and opportunities that learning English can provide.

We are proud to stand alongside our visually impaired teachers and students in this work. The EVI Project began with one teacher and one classroom; today, it has grown into a model of inclusive education. In the years ahead, we aim to expand access, refine our resources, and support more visually impaired learners across Mongolia.

If you would like to get involved with the EVI Project, please contact:

Trevor Syrad

School Director, Talk Talk English

9515 8755 | trevor@talktalkenglish.com