Learning Disabilities and ESL

“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 with them.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/health/20patient.html?pagewanted=1

Learning disabilities are not simply an American phenomenon. It is possible to discover while acquiring English as a second language that a learning disability is interfering with the acquisition of the second language. Differentiating normal language acquisition from abnormal can be difficult, but a trained professional can help assess and teach strategies that ameliorates the disability.

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 with above average verbal skills; however their written output is reduced compared to their verbal skills, but because they “test well” and score in the average range they are not eligible for services. I have often sat in on IEP meetings strongly advocating for the child with such strengths and weaknesses and I am often frustrated by the lack of understanding. It is easy to believe that if you are good in one area then you must be equally good in all others but this is not true. It is also easy to believe that if you are average in an area everything is okay, but in fact that is also not true. We all have strengths and weaknesses and being “gifted” or bright in one area does not make us less prone to deficits in other areas. Here is more information on supporting bright and “gifted” individuals. http://www.sengifted.org/

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, 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.

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/special_education.php

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 someone has problems acquiring their primary language, then it is highly likely that they will also have difficulty acquiring their second language. However, someone may not show signs of a learning difference in their primary language and still have a learning difference that presents itself only when they attempt to learn a second language. Here is a link for more in depth information on this subject.

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.

  1. You have lost your audiences’ attention as they mentally flip through their language files to try to understand what has been said.
  2. It is possible to convey a message different from the one intended
  3. The confusion caused by the communication disruption can erode self-confidence
  4. People may perceive you as knowing less than you do or perceive you as being less intelligent.

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 include learning how to relax the tongue while producing the “h” sound with an uninterrupted flow of air. He would need to practice at home for short periods several times every day once he was able to produce the sound correctly. The effort put in to practice directly relates to the results.

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 him accent modification would include learning how to relax the tongue while producing “h” so produces an uninterrupted flow of air

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 that is unique. Instead of getting rid of the accent, the goal is to know how to “code switch.” We code switch all the time. No one speaks to their mother the same way they speak to their boss. We use different language and speech depending on whom we are speaking. The goal when reducing an accent is to be able to choose to make your speech more intelligible when it is important.