Leadership Presentation Alex Price PPS /10/2011

Recognize the best practices to use with linguistically diverse students by analyzing and discussing language learner atributes, the structure of language, and second language acquisition Learning Outcome #11

Over-identification of Language Learners  IDEA Regulations  Assessment materials should not be racially or culturally discriminatory  Assessment materials are provided in the child’s native language  A child must not be determined to have a disability because of lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math, or limited English proficiency  Parents are entitled to an interpreter

How can a Speech Pathologist Help?  Speech Pathologist Bilingual assessment services identify:  Language proficiency (Degree of ability in each language)  Potential impairments/limitations  Contextual barriers and facilitators

Learning a second language  Things to consider  Language used at home  Amount of time available to practice the second language  Student’s motivation  Why second language is needed (e.g., school, socializing, work)

Learning a second language  Strategies  by setting (English is spoken in school, Spanish is spoken at home)  by topic (English is spoken only during dinner, and Spanish is spoken during school/work)  by speaker (Mom speaks only in English, and Dad speaks only in Spanish)

Learning a second language  Conscious Learning- rule based instruction  Unconscious acquisition- “picking up” a language through immersion  Affective filter (Krashen)- Conditions are not optimal for language acquisition (e.g. lack of motivation, inability to identify with instructor, anxiety about performance)

Programs that focus on developing literacy in two languages  Two-way Immersion or Two-way Bilingual  Develop proficiency in both primary language (L1) and English (L2)  Students with an English background and students with another language background  Instruction is in both languages  Smaller proportion of instruction in English at first, gradually moving to half of the instruction in each language  Students generally stay in program throughout elementary school

Programs that focus on developing literacy in two languages  Heritage Language or Indigenous Language Program  The goal is literacy in two languages.  Content taught in both languages, with teachers fluent in both languages.  Supports endangered minority languages  Often serve American Indian students

Programs that focus on developing literacy in two languages  Early Exit Transitional  Develop English skills quickly, without delaying learning of academic core content  Instruction begins in L1, but quickly changes to English  Students typically transferred into mainstream classes with their English-speaking peers as soon as possible

Programs that focus on developing literacy in two languages  Late Exit Transitional, Developmental Bilingual or Maintenance Education  Develop some skills in L1 and strong skills and proficiency in L2  Instruction in L1 at lower grades, gradually transitioning to English  Students typically transition into mainstream classes with their English-speaking peers  Difference in the three programs is the degree of literacy students develop in the native language

Programs that focus on developing literacy in only English  Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), English as a Second Language (ESL)  Proficiency in English while learning content in primarily all- English setting  Students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds may be in the same class  Instruction is adapted to students’ proficiency level  Instruction supplemented by gestures and visual aids

Programs that focus on developing literacy in only English  Structured English Immersion (SEI)  Fluency in English, with only Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in the class  All instruction is in English, adjusted to proficiency level of students in the class  Teachers need understanding of students’ L1

Programs that focus on developing literacy in only English  English Language Development (ELD)  Fluency in English  Students leave mainstream class part of the day to receive ESL instruction  Focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills  There is usually no support for students’ native languages

…As a School Psychologist  Be conscious of over-identification of second language learners  Utilize speech pathologist  Understand students’ individual language needs  Find students’ individual motivations  Reduce affective filter  Understand the different language programs/strategies at your school

Resources  DStudentsBrief.pdf DStudentsBrief.pdf    06.pdf 06.pdf