“By some estimates, about one in seven Americans has a learning disability, a neurological disorder that can make a basic task like reading, writing or organizing information more difficult than usual. Disabilities cannot be cured, but if identified early they can often be ameliorated. Parents, teachers and specialists can help children develop strategies for dealing …
Author Archives: Kai Long
Gifted and learning disabled?
Is it possible to be “gifted” and “bright” and have a learning disability, especially a language based learning disability? Yes, and to further complicate the matters is the fact that if the deficit areas are in the average range it can be hard to qualify for services. An example of a profile might be someone …
How do you assess language problems in ESL learners?
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, …
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ESL and learning disabilities
I have frequently worked with ESL students who experience difficulties acquiring a new language because they struggle with language impairment. Often people ask how a language disorder can be distinguished from simple normal language acquisition. It’s not always a simple answer, but one place to start is with the acquisition of the first language. If …
What did you say? I didn’t understand you
Waiting for someone to say, “What did you say I didn’t understand you” is not a beneficial strategy for effective communication for a number of reasons. You have lost your audiences’ attention as they mentally flip through their language files to try to understand what has been said. It is possible to convey a message …
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Problem “h”
I went to a program given by someone who was a native Chinese speaker. His “h” was heavily accented because he abruptly cut off the flow of air with his tongue. When producing “h” the mouth is open tongue relaxed and air is pushed through the vocal folds without vibration. For him accent modification would …
What might I learn in an accent modification program?
-Taught to form the English sounds using SAE (idealized) -Taught the prosody and rhythm of English language -Learn to reduce speech rate -Learn to control air flow and breathing Ex.) I went to a program given by someone who was a native Chinese speaker and his “h” was heavily influenced by his primary language For …
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Did you tell me to get rid of my accent?
I’m not saying to get rid of your accent. An accent is not a disorder; it is a normal speech pattern. The muscular pattern that was established with the first language influences other acquired languages. A speech pattern is a muscular pattern like walking; we all have a set way that we form our sounds …
How does decreasing my accent help me?
When someone has a heavy foreign accent many words in a sentence can be lost to the listener. Every time that happens the audience is derailed. Effective communication ceases. Decreasing an accent improves the communication interaction.
Did you hear what I said?
Another strategy that can help increase your intelligibility is slightly reducing the rate of speech. No, not slow long drawn out words, but a slight reduction of speed allows time to modify word endings and can help increase comprehension.