Speech Pathologists rely on formal assessment, observation, and informal assessments to determine language disorders. However, with ESL students formal assessments are less helpful. Not only are the tests normed on native English speakers, but simply translating the test into the persons native language does not give a true reflection of the persons language abilities. Therefore, assessments must rely heavily on interviews with the student, teachers and others involved in the student’s life as well as observations in multiple learning environments. Identifying the student’s learning style, noticing strategies used, learning strengths and weaknesses in observation and interviews is the only way to provide and design an effective course of study for ESL students with learning differences.
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