Heteroglossia: Reframing the Conversation Around Literacy Achievement for English Language Learners and American Indian/Alaska Native Students

This issue describes the Assessment 360° process, which takes a panoramic approach to the language assessment process with school-age English Language Learners (ELLs). The Assessment 360° process guides clinicians to obtain information from many sources when gathering information about the child and his or her family. To illustrate the process, a bilingual fourth grade student whose native language (L1) is Spanish and who has been referred for a comprehensive language evaluation is presented. This case study features the assessment issues typically encountered by speech-language pathologists and introduces assessment through a panoramic lens. Recommendations specific to the case study are presented along with clinical implications for assessment practices with culturally and linguistically diverse student populations.

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Pre-Referral Procedures: Meeting Unique Needs of English Language Learners

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds8.1.4 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 4-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vera Joanna Burton ◽

Betsy Wendt

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

School System ◽

English Language ◽

First Language ◽

The United States ◽

Public School System ◽

Language Difference ◽

Number Of Children ◽

School Team

An increasingly large number of children receiving education in the United States public school system do not speak English as their first language. As educators adjust to the changing educational demographics, speech-language pathologists will be called on with increasing frequency to address concerns regarding language difference and language disorders. This paper illustrates the pre-referral assessment-to-intervention processes and products designed by one school team to meet the unique needs of English Language Learners (ELL).

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Speech-Language Assessment Considerations for American Indian and Alaska Native Children Who Are Dual Language Learners

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/persp2.sig14.29 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (14) ◽

pp. 29-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christine Vining ◽

Edgarita Long ◽

Ella Inglebret ◽

Megan Brendal

Keyword(s):

American Indian ◽

Language Learners ◽

Alaska Native ◽

Dual Language ◽

Linguistic Diversity ◽

Critical Role ◽

Language Assessment ◽

Assessment Process ◽

Dual Language Learners ◽

Native Communities

The overrepresentation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children in special education, including children who are dual language learners (DLLs), is a major concern. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can play a critical role in reducing this overrepresentation. Using a holistic assessment process that is responsive to the communication patterns of home and community contexts provides a framework for distinguishing actual language disorders from differences associated with cultural and linguistic diversity. This article presents current trends in Native communities that may impact the speech-language assessment process, including a shift from indigenous languages to English and/or Native language revitalization efforts. It also provides a framework for guiding assessment in a manner that considers cultural and linguistic factors in speech-language assessment for AI/AN children who are DLLs.

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Children's Nonword Repetition Tasks and English Language Learners

Perspectives on School-Based Issues ◽

10.1044/sbi11.3.73 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 73-79

Author(s):

Sara C. Steele ◽

Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

Language Impairment ◽

English Language ◽

Nonword Repetition ◽

Adopted Children ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Bilingual Speakers ◽

Internationally Adopted Children ◽

English Speaking

Nonword repetition performance has been shown to differentiate monolingual English-speaking children with language impairment (LI) from typically developing children. These tasks have been administered to monolingual speakers of different languages and to simultaneous and sequential bilingual English Language Learners (ELLs) with mixed results. This article includes a review of the nonword repetition performance of monolingual and bilingual speakers and of internationally adopted children. Clinical implications for administration and interpretation of nonword repetition task outcomes are included.

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