scholarly journals Beyond Scores: Using Converging Evidence to Determine Speech and Language Services Eligibility for Dual Language Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 1116-1132
Author(s):  
Anny Castilla-Earls ◽  
Lisa Bedore ◽  
Raúl Rojas ◽  
Leah Fabiano-Smith ◽  
Sonja Pruitt-Lord ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Testing ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Diagnostic Decision

Purpose Speech-language pathologists have both a professional and ethical responsibility to provide culturally competent services to dual language learners (DLLs). In this tutorial, we recommend that clinicians use a comprehensive assessment of converging evidence to make diagnostic decisions in DLLs in accordance with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Code of Ethics. The content of this tutorial is most appropriate for Spanish–English DLLs between the ages of 4 and 8 years. Method We propose a converging evidence approach, in which one single method is not the deciding factor in making diagnostic decisions regarding the dual language and speech production skills of DLLs. Converging evidence refers to the idea that multiple pieces of assessment data must come together and trend in the same direction to make a diagnostic decision. We recommend gathering assessment data using a combination of language experience questionnaires, bilingual language sample analysis using large-scale reference databases, evaluation of learning potential, and standardized testing. These four assessment methods allow clinicians to examine the child in different contexts to determine their strengths and weakness in communication abilities. Conclusion We illustrate the converging evidence framework using two case studies to guide the clinician through the diagnostic decision-making process.

Preschool Language Experience of Dual Language Learners and English Monolingual Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Young Choi ◽  
Craig K. Van Pay ◽  
Constance Beecher
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Preschool Language ◽  
Preschool Classrooms ◽  
Language Environment

This study explored the quantitative language experiences of dual language learners (DLLs; n = 19) and English monolinguals (EM; n = 13) in preschool classrooms where English is the primary language of instruction. Using the Language ENvironment AnalysisTM system as a primary tool, we analyzed an average of 34 hours of recordings collected over 5 to 8 days for each participating child (Mage = 52 months) in 6 classrooms. Results showed that DLLs spoke as much as EMs but heard less adult talk overall and had more 5-minute recording segments with zero adult-child conversations than their English EM peers during typical preschool days. When we focused on adult-child conversational contexts, DLLs, relative to EMs, heard less adult talk during conversations that were child-initiated but not during conversations that were adult-initiated. Follow-up analyses also showed that teachers talk more and longer when they initiated conversations than when children initiated conversations for both DLLs and EMs, while children spoke more in child-initiated conversations. Study implications and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Dual language experience enhances neural activation variability during an fMRI reading and language task

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey G. Malins ◽  
Hailey D'Silva ◽  
Gigi Luk ◽  
Arturo E. Hernandez ◽  
Stephen J. Frost ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
The Right ◽  
Neural Variability ◽  
The Impact

Previous work has shown that experience speaking more than one language in childhood is associated with decreased intra-individual neural variability in electrophysiological responses during a low-level speech perception task. However, no study has yet evaluated the impact of dual language experience on variability in fMRI responses during a higher-level spoken and written language processing task. In the current study, we calculated trial-by-trial variability in neural activation during an fMRI task that involved deciding whether spoken or printed English words matched pictures of items. We compared trial-by-trial neural activation variability between two groups of 8-15 year-old children: a group of dual language learners (N = 24; 11 female) who were Spanish-dominant and acquiring English, and a group of monolingual learners who were English-dominant (N = 17; 9 female). We found that when controlling for a variety of language, general cognitive, and demographic measures, neural activation variability for printed words was greater in the dual language learners compared to the monolingual learners in the right middle frontal gyrus, a brain region previously associated with attentional control. This finding highlights how neural variability offers a window of opportunity to examine experience-dependent mechanisms during human development, and motivates future research on bilingual language processing.

A preliminary study of the relationship between working memory, language experience, and grammatical skill in dual language learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110349
Author(s):  
Kimberly C Jenkins ◽  
Raquel T Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between verbal short-term and working memory, language experience, and English tense-marking skill in Spanish L1-English L2 dual language learners (DLLs). Methodology: Ten Spanish-English DLLs, in kindergarten and first grade, participated in the study. Children completed the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment, a narrative retell task in English, and verbal memory tasks. Parents provided information regarding language input and output in the home and school environment. Data and analysis: Correlational analyses were conducted to examine relationships between English and Spanish input/output, forward and backward digit span, assessed in English and Spanish, and the accurate and productive use of English tense morphemes in various linguistic contexts. Conclusions: Study outcomes indicated varied use of English tense morphemes among DLLs. Additionally, a strong, positive association was found between the use of a variety of distinct tense forms and verbal working memory performance. Originality: This study is the first investigation to examine verbal short-term and working memory and home language experience to advance our understanding of the specific child internal and external factors that may account for the variability in tense marking during English second language acquisition. Significance: This research provides further insight to the effects of individual differences on the acquisition of second language grammatical skill during childhood.

scholarly journals Vocabulary and Phonological Abilities Affect Dual Language Learners' Consonant Production Accuracy Within and Across Languages: A Large-Scale Study of 3- to 6-Year-Old Spanish–English Dual Language Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 1196-1211
Author(s):  
Bethany Keffala ◽  
Shelley Scarpino ◽  
Carol Scheffner Hammer ◽  
Barbara Rodriguez ◽  
Lisa Lopez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Phonological Skills ◽  
Old Spanish ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Phonological Abilities ◽  
Production Accuracy

Purpose This study examined factors of language ability that predict consonant production accuracy in young Spanish–English dual language learners (DLLs). Method Participants were 695 Latino DLLs, ages 3;0–6;5 (years;months). Single-word productions were elicited using the Bilingual Phonological Assessment (Miccio & Hammer, 2006). Children's consonant productions were assessed using Percentage of Consonants Correct–Revised (PCC-R; Shriberg et al., 1997a). Vocabulary abilities were assessed using the Woodcock–Muñoz Language Survey–Revised (Woodcock et al., 2005). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the effects of vocabulary abilities and cross-language consonant production abilities on children's consonant production accuracy in each language. Results Large amounts of the variance in PCC-R scores for English ( R 2 = .65) and Spanish ( R 2 = .43) were predicted by children's age, vocabulary scores within the same language, and PCC-R scores across languages. Conclusion Spanish–English DLLs' consonant production abilities in both languages improve with age between 3;0 and 6;5. DLLs' accuracy in each language is also affected by vocabulary abilities within the same language and by their consonant production abilities in the other language. In particular, children's consonant production abilities in each language were highly predictive of their consonant production abilities in the other language, which suggests that shared phonological skills support their development across languages.

Effects of a Supplemental Spanish Phonological Awareness Intervention on Latinx Preschoolers' Dual Language Emergent Literacy Skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 1283-1300
Author(s):  
Xigrid T. Soto ◽  
Andres Crucet-Choi ◽  
Howard Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Emergent Literacy ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Probe Design ◽  
Emergent Literacy Skills

Purpose Preschoolers' phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge (AK) skills are two of the strongest predictors of future reading. Despite evidence that providing at-risk preschoolers with timely emergent literacy interventions can prevent academic difficulties, there is a scarcity of research focusing on Latinx preschoolers who are dual language learners. Despite evidence of benefits of providing Latinxs with Spanish emergent literacy instruction, few studies include preschoolers. This study examined the effects of a supplemental Spanish PA and AK intervention on the dual emergent literacy skills of at-risk Latinx preschoolers. Method A multiple probe design across four units of instruction evaluated the effects of a Spanish supplemental emergent literacy intervention that explicitly facilitated generalizations to English. Four Latinx preschoolers with limited emergent literacy skills in Spanish and English participated in this study. Bilingual researchers delivered scripted lessons targeting PA and AK skills in individual or small groups for 12–17 weeks. Results Children made large gains as each PA skill was introduced into intervention and generalized the PA skills they learned from Spanish to English. They also improved their English initial sound identification skills, a phonemic awareness task, when instruction was delivered in Spanish but with English words. Children made small to moderate gains in their Spanish letter naming and letter–sound correspondence skills and in generalizing this knowledge to English. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary evidence Latinx preschoolers who are dual language learners benefit from emergent literacy instruction that promotes their bilingual and biliterate development.

Dynamic Assessment Language Tasks and the Prediction of Performance on Year-End Language Skills in Preschool Dual Language Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 1226-1240
Author(s):  
Janet L. Patterson ◽  
Barbara L. Rodríguez ◽  
Philip S. Dale
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Achievement Testing ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Language Screening ◽  
Relationship Of

Purpose Early identification is a key element for accessing appropriate services for preschool children with language impairment. However, there is a high risk of misidentifying typically developing dual language learners as having language impairment if inappropriate tools designed for monolingual children are used. In this study of children with bilingual exposure, we explored performance on brief dynamic assessment (DA) language tasks using graduated prompting because this approach has potential applications for screening. We asked if children's performance on DA language tasks earlier in the year was related to their performance on a year-end language achievement measure. Method Twenty 4-year-old children from Spanish-speaking homes attending Head Start preschools in the southwestern United States completed three DA graduated prompting language tasks 3–6 months prior to the Head Start preschools' year-end achievement testing. The DA tasks, Novel Adjective Learning, Similarities in Function, and Prediction, were administered in Spanish, but correct responses in English or Spanish were accepted. The year-end achievement measure, the Learning Accomplishment Profile–Third Edition (LAP3), was administered by the children's Head Start teachers, who also credited correct responses in either language. Results Children's performance on two of the three DA language tasks was significantly and positively related to year-end LAP3 language scores, and there was a moderate and significant relationship for one of the DA tasks, even when controlling for age and initial LAP3 scores. Conclusions Although the relationship of performance on DA with year-end performance varies across tasks, the findings indicate potential for using a graduated prompting approach to language screening with young dual language learners. Further research is needed to select the best tasks for administration in a graduated prompting framework and determine accuracy of identification of language impairment.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (14) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
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.

Beyond the written word: The role of text on preschool teachers’ book sharing styles

2021 ◽  
pp. 146879842098516
Author(s):  
Adina R Schick ◽  
Lauren Scarola ◽  
Silvia Niño ◽  
Gigliana Melzi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Picture Books ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skill Development ◽  
Wordless Picture Books ◽  
Book Sharing

Teachers’ sharing of picture books is a quintessential activity in early childhood classrooms, and has been found to be predictive of children’s language and literacy skill development. Although most research, to date, has focused on the manner in which preschool teachers share text-based books with their students, recent work has recommended that teachers include wordless books as part of their classroom book sharing routines. Yet, little is known about how the absence of text might influence teachers’ discourse styles. The present study, thus, explored the discourse styles used by preschool teachers of Latino dual-language learners when sharing both text-based and wordless picture books with their class. Results showed that, while there were common features across both book types, when sharing wordless books teachers tended to adopt a more co-constructive style, by asking questions and supporting children’s participation in the sharing of the story. At the same time, they were more likely to elicit predictions and analyses from the children. The findings highlight the importance of including wordless books in preschool classroom book sharing interactions, especially in classrooms serving dual-language learners.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document