Serving Bilingual Students in the Schools Lucinda Kennedy

Serving Bilingual Students in the Schools Lucinda Kennedy, MS, CCC-SLP ESL Certification Jill Ungaro, MS ED February 7, 2009

ASHA Principles of Ethics II, Rule B: “Individuals shall engage in only those aspects of the profession that are within the scope of their competence, considering their level of education, training and experience. ” Principles of Ethics I, Rule C: “Individuals shall not discriminate in the delivery of professional services. ”

ACRONYMS • • • ELL LEP ESL L 1, L 2 BICS CALP • • RTI IDEA BETAC NYSESLAT LAB-R CR Pt 117 CR Pt 200 CR Pt 154

Definitions • Enculturation-process by which a person learns appropriate behavior in one’s own culture • Acculturation-process by which a person learns appropriate behavior of the host culture; exchange of cultures when they come in contact • Assimilation-extreme process which takes longer and is all encompassing; generally second generations

Body Ritual of Nacerima (Miner, 1953) • Events must be viewed from the perspective of members of the culture • Not better; not worse: different

True or False • • Adults learn second languages more quickly and easily than children. Cognitive and academic development in the L 1 has an important and positive impact on L 2 acquisition. Many immigrant children have learning disabilities, not language problems. Acquiring more than on language is especially difficult and can lead to academic problems. Second language learners with or without disability will learn English if their parents speak it at home. Once students can speak English, they can handle the academic tasks in the classroom. All children learn the second language in the same way. English Language Learners (ELL) are required to meet the same requirements as Native English Speakers. – Judie Hanyes, www. everythingesl. net, 2002

Language unites and divides! • • • Language Dialect Register Pidgin Creole

Groups in the U. S. • Immigrants with comparable educational, cognitive and literacy development • US born ELLs who start school in kindergarten and have had exposure to English since birth (including American Indian); • Recent arrivals with interrupted schooling in their L 1 and inadequate educational preparation; • Internationally adopted children with no L 1 support at home • Students with no developed literacy skills in their L 1

Most Common Languages in NYS Spanish Chinese ( Cantonese) Russian Chinese (unspecified) Urdu Haitian Chinese ( Mandarin) Bengali Korean Arabic

Common Languages in Grand Island Punjabi Urdu Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin) Spanish Thai Albanian Polish Greek Ukrainian Dutch Korean Russian Arabic German

LEP-Limited English Proficient ELL- English Language Learner Pupils who by reason of foreign birth or ancestry, speak a language other than English, and 1) Understand speak little or no English 2) Score below the state wide reference point or is equivalent on an English language assessment

ESL Instruction • The development of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English by specially trained teachers using specially designed material. • Appropriate situational use of language and gestures are also promoted.

Bilingual Education • Children learn academics in both languages • Bilingual does not mean Spanish and English • Need 20 children of the same age and language to have a bilingual program • Most successful students are ones who can think in two languages • Every year people vote on whether or not to end Bilingual Education

How students are identified as LEP/ELL in NYS • Home Language Questionnaire • Informal Interview • Language Assessment Battery –Revised • New York State English as a Second Language Test

Required Levels of ESL Instruction K-8 English 912 ESL ELA Proficiency Level Beginner 2 3 Intermediate 2 2 Advanced 1 1 Unit= 180 Minutes 1 1 1

Theories of Second Language Acquistion • BICS-Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills • CALP-Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (Cummins, 1980) • Language acquired in social context. (Wong Fillmore, 1991) • Information must be comprehensible • ELLs lower affective filter to allow focus on information (Krashen, 1982)

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills • Social, conversational language for oral communication • Approximately 2 years to acquire • Can comprehend social language by – – Observing non-verbal behavior Observing others’ reactions Voice cues Asking for clarification (Jim Cummins, 1980)

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency • Language in academic classrooms • Early studies showed can take 5 -7 years to acquire, later studies show can take 7 -10, depending on schooling in First Language (L 1) • Challenges – Academic language is often abstract – Less face to face interaction – Literacy demands are high – Cultural/ linguistic knowledge is needed to comprehend (Cummins, 1980; Collier, V. , 1989)

Similarities between acquistion of. L 1 & L 2 • Life long process, dynamic, creative • Developmental stages • Not linear process • Errors in grammar • Chunks of language without knowing meaning of each word • Reliance on source of input to be comprehensible • Development of cognitively demanding skills is critical • Developed through context with meaningful activities that focus on meaning & use rather than form

Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition • • • Motivation First Language Development Language Distance and Attitude Access to Language Age Personality and Learning Style Peers and Role Models Quality of Instruction Cultural Background

Development of Cognition Students need uninterrupted cognitive development. • During the initial years of exposure to English, continuing cognitive and academic development in L 1 is considered to be a key variable for academic success in L 2. » (Bialystok, 1991; Collier, V, 1992; Garcia, 1994; Tinajero & Ada, 1993) • Practicing English at home can actually slow down cognitive development. » (Connor & Kaplan, 1987)

• If students do not reach a certain threshold in L 1, including literacy, they may experience cognitive difficulties in L 2. » (Collier, V & Thomas, 1989; Cummins, 1976, 1982. 1991) • If L 1 is not fully developed, it may effect the extent of L 2 development and result in “semilingualism” a condition in which one can communicate in both languages, but fails to reach monolingual literacy proficiency in either. » (Miller, 1984) • Students with less than 3 -4 years of L 1 schooling are 2 -3 years behind ELL in academic achievement in L 2. » (Collier, V. 1987, Collier & Thomas, , 1988, 1989)

Language Barrier vs Disorder Do ELLs struggle with literacy because of limited English proficiency or because of learning disabilities?

Statistics Department of Ed, National Institute of Child Health and Human Resource • 20% of people over the age of 5 speak another language at home, by 2030 this may increase to 40% • In 2002 - 43% of classrooms had at least one ELL • 56% of ELL’s with Special Needs have LD with reading difficulties • 24% have speechlanguage impairment

Language Difference or Learning Disability • ESL students bring in diverse cultures, languages and literacy experiences which can’t easily be defined for a learning disability • 2 nd language skills may resemble a learning disability- pronunciation, syntax and semantics • Language disability must exist in the L 1 (Collier, C. 2001)

Over-representation & Underrepresentation of ELLs in Special Education • Over- • – Using Culturally biased instruments (Eisner, 1998) – Environmental factors- family, SES (Gonzalez, 2001) – Reactive instead of proactive interventions that lead to referrals (Ortiz, 1997) – Not understanding cultural differences – Schools view culturally diverse students as inherently inferior » (Cummins, 1996) Under– Teachers are afraid to refer too soon, but early intervention is key to success – Not enough expertise to assess – Don’t have personnel to work with ELLs – Some districts prohibit referrals for two years (Ortiz, 1997)

Communicative interaction factors to consider prior to referral • Grammatical errors- errors similar to those of L 1 • Sound difficulty- L 2 learners encounter trouble saying sounds that don’t exist in L 1. Position of sounds in words also varies. • Code Switching- not evidence of language confusion; evidence of fluency rather than disorder. • Language Loss- occurs normally in acquisition of L 2; opportunities to use L 1 are reduced • (Mattes, L. 1991)

Identifying any Student with Disability • Severe school underachievement • A severe discrepancy between formal measures of intellect and academic achievement • Observed difficulties in cognitive skill competence • IDEA says – Learning difficulties must not be explained by environmental factors, such as LEP, or cultural differences

Issues with Referrals • There are no clear legal definitions for culturally and linguistically diverse students who may have language related disabilities • Characteristics of 2 nd language acquisition are mistaken for language disabilities. • Child may have a difficult time with the acculturation process. • Not all ELLs are receiving appropriate literacy instruction • Only 20% of the 56% of teachers with ELLs are certified to teach them • (Waxman, Tellez, & Walberg, 2004) • School teams may lack the expertise to determine learning disabilities in ELLs

Pre-referral Intervention • Follow this sequence and document success – Teach basic skills, subjects or concepts – Re-teach skills or content using different strategies – Focus on prerequisite skills if students are unsuccessful despite using modifications – Vocabulary Development- • National Institutes of Health (2001); Low income families may have a vocabulary of 5000 words and higher income families may have a 15000 word vocabulary by kindergarten, CLD students will have weak vocabulary needing enriched curriculum

Preventing Inappropriate Referrals of Language Minority Students to Special Education (Garcia & Ortiz, 1988) • Pre-referral Process • Flow chart which considers: – student variables, (experiential background, culture, language proficiency, leaning style, motivational influences) – teacher variables, (experiential background, culture, language proficiency, teaching/learning style, expectations/perceptions) – Curriculum (higher cognitive skills, basic skills, mastery & practice) – Instruction (use of ESL strategies & approaches, meaningful communication) – Evaluation of instruction (standards, data collection, modification based on evaluation) » If difficulty persists, then…. .

Assessment : The disability must be present in L 1. • Obvious physical or cognitive disability • Poor academic and language performance • History of learning problems in home country

ASHA: Knowledge & Skills Needed by SLPs and Audiologists to Provide Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (2004) 5. 2 Assessment materials/tests/tools: A. Appropriate use of published test materials in language assessment including standardized norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests, including analyzing normative sampling limitations, general psychometric issues especially related to validity and reliability, and inherent cultural and linguistic biases in these test materials. B. Application of appropriate criteria so that assessment materials/tests/tools that fail to meet standards be used as informal probes, with no accompanying scores. C. Appropriate use of alternative approaches to assessment including dynamic assessment, portfolio assessment, structured observation, narrative assessment, academic and social language sampling, interview assessment tools, and curriculum-based procedures, including analysis of validity, reliability and inherent cultural and linguistic biases.

Informal & Formal Assessment Proceduresto determine student’s level of functioning and possible disability “EVERY TEST ADMINISTERED IN ENGLISH TO NON-NATIVE SPEAKER BECOMES A LANGUAGE TEST. ” (Collier, 2008) • • Tests and evaluation materials must be provided and administered in L 2 and English Should be culturally non-biased Assess specific areas of educational need and not just to gain IQ Structured observation in primary educational setting and L 2 observation Non-biased culturally and linguistically sensitive persons administer all tests. (C. Collier, 2008)

Assessment and Reporting for Special Education • Assessment should focus on process of assessing not the final product. • Ideally- should be done by bilingual SLP, psychologist… • Use a variety of sources • School records • Observation • Task analysis *Interviews *Criterion referenced tests *Work samples *Portfolios • Reports should be descriptive( e. g show child adapts to new learning situation, potential to modify and generalize) • Unethical to use scores if being used to identify for special education if: – Not standardized on cultural/linguistically diverse populations – Modifications were made to test – Even translated tests

Problems Using Standardized Tests • Identify reliability and validity data; standardization data to determine population sample. • Examine test illustrations and structure to determine if within student’s experience • Different cultural and linguistic background • Limited experiences with types of testing procedures • Results do not provide appropriate strategies for intervention

• • Criterion Referenced Provides answers to specific performance questions More meaningful for instructional purposes Ongoing assessment and modification of instruction Less culturally and linguistically biased • Non-referenced interpretation

Common Characteristics between ELL and Students with Language Disability • Pronunciation • Omissions, substitutions , & additions • Syntax • Negation, word order and mood • Semantics • Forms of figurative language • Case &Taylor- 2005

SYNTAX The woggily thenk squonked zurrily mire the herp. 1. What squonked? 2. How did it squonk? 3. Where did it squonk zurrily? 4. What kind of thenk was it? 5. Draw a woggily thenk. 6. Why did it squonk mire the herp?

Semantic The Boat in the Basement A woman was building a boat in her basement. When it was finished she couldn’t get the boot out of the basement because it was too wide to go thought the door. So she had to take the boat a part to get it out. Perhaps he should of planned a head.

How to differentiate • Syntax- students with disabilities have trouble understanding word order and negation, ELLs’ understanding of syntax changes over time • Semantic relationships mature over time for ELLs

Assessment • Often data gathered does not reflect an understanding of LEP, 2 nd Language Acquisition, or cultural differences that impact learning, • Often the CLD students are compared to their Anglo peers

Translators/ Interpreters translators- written / interpreters- oral • Inappropriate to use family members • Must have proficiency in both languages and able to understand the content • Beware of prejudice within language and cultures

Recommendations for Assessment • Assess in the student’s dominant language. This becomes difficult if there is a low incidence language or student is English Dominant( disability is in L 1) • Use interpreters if possible • Use tools to compare L 2 and English language and academic achievement • If only standardized test measures are used, the question- Why did the student score low? Will still exists. Standardized tests are not standardized on minority populations are not valid • Multidisciplinary teams must include people with experience working with CDL.

Contacts BETAC-Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Center: 821 -7545 Anne Henry-Montante: ahenry@elb. org Alexia Rodriguez Thompson, Ph. D. • Associate in Bilingual Education • VESID-Program Development & Support Services • Room 1623 One Commerce Plaza, Albany, NY 12234 • 518 -486 -7462, 518 -402 -3583 (Fax) ATHOMPS 2@MAIL. NYSED. GOV Catherine J. Crowley, MA, CCC-SLP, JD • Program in Speech-Language Pathology • Teachers College, Columbia University • 525 West 120 th Street, Box 180 • New York, New York 10027 • 212 -678 -3890 crowley@tc. columbia. edu • • • http: //www. tc. columbia. edu/bbs/speechlanguage/detail. asp? Id=Bilingual+Extension+Institute&Info=Overview+and+Faculty the specific link to the 2009 Institute which begins in May: http: //www. tc. columbia. edu/bbs/speechlanguage/detail. asp? Id=Bilingual+Extension+Institute&Info=200 9+Institute

Case Studies This male child was born in Syracuse, N. Y. He acquired Arabic as his L 1 and was exposed to English upon entering kindergarten. At that time, he was told to speak English only to promote his English proficiency. He was promoted to grade 1 and received speechlanguage/ESL services but experienced significant difficulty and was retained. He exhibited difficulty following directions, responding to y/n questions and wh? . He had no apparent reading skills. He was referred to CSE prior to grade 2. Testing revealed: VIQ: 80 PIQ: 74 FSIQ: 76 TOLD: P Listening: 6 Speaking: 5 Semantics: 4 Syntax: 6 Picture vocabulary: 3 What would you do? What information would have been needed prior to his referral? What kids of program alternatives would you like to try?

This Amerasian young man was enrolled in high school but would age out soon. He had very limited English. His education focused on ESL but he participated in gym, mechanical drawing and math. Described as intelligent, conscientious, and enthusiastic, he possessed appropriate work habits and skills. Because of language limitations, he continued to have difficulty in expressing himself and following verbal or written directions. The youngest of three, he was premature and spent the first few weeks of life in an incubator. Malnourished in his preschool years, he was often fed rice water as there was no money for milk. His mother died when he was 15 years old; then, cared for by his siblings. He repeated one grade in Thailand but finished a technical Junior High School program. Incomplete records made it difficult to determine if they equated to US programs. What would you do to help this student? He must pass the English Regents exam and meet the NYS standards.

Case Study: • This female student’s L 1 was Arabic. She attended a monolingual preschool prior to entering kindergarten at 5. 6 years. She was a cooperative student and eager to demonstrate her skills, although she struggled through kindergarten and first grade. She was retained in grade 1 and continued to experience difficulty with sound/letter recognition, following directions and answering all types of questions. Despite minimal academic success, she remained and enthusiastic student. This child was referred to the Child Assistance Team. • What would you do with her? What information do you need to gather? Would you test and, if so, how would you do it?

This student, who only spoke Ukrainian, was put into a Russian classroom. She was a pleasant child whose attendance was poor because she had many responsibilities at home. Her family moved frequently which also interfered in consistent programming. Although she made steady gains, she experienced much difficulty especially in the areas of reading and writing. Prior to entering sixth grade, she was referred to CSE. A social history we elicited through the help of an interpreter. Psychological testing was done by a bilingual psychologist and an interpreter. Testing revealed a significant gap between her verbal and performance IQ. Speech-language assessment revealed strong BICS and scattered CALP ability. Sound-Symbol skills were determined to be weak. What other information would you want to know? What recommendations would you make?

Case Study • Sisters are internationally adopted from Russia at the end of 5 th and 7 th grades. The fifth grader was bounced around from orphanage to orphanage with inconsistent schooling. She is not literate in L 1. The seventh grader was in one orphanage and is literate in L 1. The girls have very different personalities. The 7 th grader is motivated, likes school and loves to read. The 5 th grader does not like to read and becomes frustrated easily. They have been in NYS schools for about three years. Compare the girls’ writing samples. What difficulties do you think the girls will face? Would you refer either or both for testing?

Case Study • This seventh grade female was born in the US but moved to China and back to the US. Her parents don’t speak English and she often works as a translator for her parents at their restaurant and at school. She can’t read nor write Chinese. She has had consistent schooling and has been in the US and in the US for the past three years. • What issues do you see with her writing? Would you refer her to special education?

Case Study This is a sixth grade female from Jordan. She has been in the US for two years. In her first year she made little progress in all academic areas. After meeting with her mother, it was revealed though the interpreter, that the girl had always struggled in school. In Jordan, according to the mother, students are socially promoted. Because the mother speaks only Arabic, she was not able to help with homework. What difficulties do you see for this student? Would you refer her to Special Education?