Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Distinguishing a Language Difference from a Disability in English Language Learners
Distinguishing a Language Distinguishing a Language Difference from a Disability Difference from a Disability in English Language Learnersin English Language Learners
Margaret Adams, Director of Language and Literacy Margaret Adams, Director of Language and Literacy [email protected]@malden.mec.edu
Jennifer McCabe, ELL Curriculum Specialist Jennifer McCabe, ELL Curriculum Specialist [email protected]@malden.mec.edu
Malden Public Schools
ObjectivesParticipants will• Identify key issues and concerns in
determining a language difference from a disability in ELLs.
• Identify language assessment information needed for determining a disability.
• Discuss several case studies of ELLsexperience difficulty.
• Discuss how RTI provides a framework for identifying disabilities in ELLs.
Agenda• Context of the Problem• Myths of Second Language
Acquisition• Learning Disabilities in ELLs• Response to Intervention• Language Assessment• Case Studies
The Context of the Problem
The Context of the The Context of the ProblemProblem
English language learners with learning disabilities
Children who are English language learners (ELLs) sometimes have learning disabilities (LD). These children have two separate challenges as they learn in school. But those two challenges are intertwined to such an extent that it is often difficult to determine the difference between language difficulties and a learning disability.
There are similar patterns for learning disabilities across languages.• In both Spanish and English for example,
children with dyslexia and those learning English as second language might have trouble:– Processing sounds– Hearing sounds in order– Distinguishing between two similar sounds– Playing with sounds (e.g., rhyming)– Reading single words
Differing Explanations for Differing Explanations for Observable DifficultiesObservable Difficulties
Observable Difficulty
Possible ELL Explanations (difficulty observed in
English)
Possible Disability Explanation (difficulties observed across contexts
in both languages)
Omits words or adds words to a sentence
Has difficulty
retelling the events of a story read
aloud
Becomes distracted
easily
•Direct transfer from L1
•In early stages of academic L2 development
•Word retrieval difficulties
•Expressive language difficulties
•Early stages of English development; may understand story, but does not speak enough English to retell
•Short-term memory difficulties
•Difficulties with sequencing
•Does not understand or speak the language of instruction
•Too much decontextualized oral language during English instruction
•Attention difficulties
•Comprehension difficulties
Myths of Second Language Acquisition
Myths of Second Myths of Second Language AcquisitionLanguage Acquisition
True or False?• Middle and high school students learn
second languages more quickly and easily than primary children.
• Second language learners will acquire academic English faster if their parents speak English at home.
• The more time students spend soaking up English in the mainstream classroom, the quicker they will learn it.
• Cognitive and academic development in native language have an important and positive effect on second language acquisition.
True or False?• If we label an ELL as learning disabled, at
least he will get some help.• We have to wait 5 to 7 years for ELLs to
develop their English language skills before we can rule out language as a cause for the student’s difficulty.
• When an ELL is identified as having a disability, instruction should be only in English, so as not to confuse the student.
Interference• ELL children may manifest interference or
transfer from their first language (L1) to English (L2). This means that a child may make an English error due to the direct influence of an L1 structure.
• For example, in Spanish, "esta casa es masgrande" means "this house is bigger." However, a literal translation would be "this house is more bigger." A Spanish-speaking child who said "this house is more bigger" would be manifesting transfer from Spanish to English.
• This is a normal phenomenon-a sign of a language difference, not a language disorder.
Silent Period• Children may also manifest a common second-
language acquisition phenomenon called the silent period.
• When children are first exposed to a second language, frequently they focus on listening and comprehension. These children are often very quiet, speaking little as they focus on understanding the new language-much, in fact, as adults do when traveling in foreign countries.
• The younger the child, the longer the silent period tends to last. Older children may remain in the silent period for a few weeks or a few months, whereas preschoolers may be relatively silent for a year or more.
Codeswitching• Many children who are ELLs also engage in a
behavior known as codeswitching. • This involves changing languages over phrases or
sentences. • For example, a Spanish speaker might say, "Me
gustaria manejar-I'll take the car!" ("I' d like to drive-I' ll take the car").
• Or, a Filipino speaker might say, "With my teacher, I have utang ng loob [debt of gratitude] because she has been so good to me."
• Again, this is a normal phenomenon engaged in by many fluent bilingual speakers worldwide.
Language Loss• Some children who are ELLs undergo the
phenomenon of language loss. • As they learn English, they lose skills and fluency
in L1 if their L1 is not reinforced and maintained. This is called subtractive bilingualism, and it can be cognitively and linguistically very detrimental to children's learning and to their family lives (especially if the parents speak only the L1 and no English).
• Ideally, children should experience additive bilingualism, where they learn English while their first language and culture are maintained and reinforced.
Learning Disabilities and English Language LearnersLearning Disabilities and Learning Disabilities and
English Language LearnersEnglish Language Learners
IDEA 94-142 Reauthorization
• Illegal for LEP diagnosis based on English-only assessment
• ELL students to be assessed in English and native language
• Students must show delays/difficulties in both languages to be looked upon as having a learning disability
Other Important Definitions
• A language-learning disability is defined as a student’s underlying inability to learn and process any language adequately.
• A language –learning disability exists when a student tries to learn two language codes with an underlying linguistic system that is inadequate even for one.
• Bilingualism: Adequate proficiency in two languages systems in all expression areas (balanced/additive, subtractive, semilingual).
Other important Other important definitions definitions (cont.)(cont.)
• A communication difference or dialect is a variation of a symbol system used by a group of individuals that reflects and is determined by shared regional, social, or cultural/ethnic factors.
• RtI (Response to Intervention): Short term intensive services in general ed– Not a “wait-to-fail” model to identify LD students– Three tiers: increasing interventions, frequency of
monitoring=decrease number of students involved/– Key: teacher modifying instruction & documentation of
monitoring
Language Development (L1) vs. Language Acquisition (L2)• Most but not all markers are present around
the same time for both processes when the languages are close
• Same manner of progress: receptively then expressively
• Both depend on environment & support• Development: easier to check against charts• Acquisition: individual’s own pace and based on
background
Response to Intervention with ELLs
Response to Response to Intervention with Intervention with ELLsELLs
Ultimate Purpose of RTI• Not to determine whether a student
qualifies for special education, but rather to enhance the success of students with a variety of academic and/or behavioral needs.
RtI Defined• Response to Intervention is an approach that
promotes a well integrated system connecting general, compensatory, gifted, and special education in providing high quality, standards-based instruction & intervention that is matched to students’ academic, social emotional, and behavioral needs.
• A continuum of evidence-based, tiered interventions with increasing levels of intensity and duration is central to RtI.
• Collaborative educational decisions are based on data derived from frequent monitoring of student performance and rate of learning
The overarching purpose of RtI implementation is to improve educationaloutcomes for all.
Includes appropriate instruction in English Language DevelopmentPromote language and
vocabulary development throughout the day
Scaffolded language opportunities
Implement intensive reading
and language interventionDecrease group
size, increase intensity, duration
Core is culturally and linguistically appropriate
Include opportunities for language and vocabulary
development
Interventionists knowledgeable of best ELL practices
When Tier 2 interventions aren’t showing progress, move to Teacher Assisted Team.
Decrease group size, increase intensity, duration
Key Differences in Learning to Read in a Second Language
• Vocabulary knowledge is highly significant in second language readers’ success.
• Phonological awareness is an important predictor in second language achievement also. Alphabetic knowledge may proceed phonological awareness.
• When less proficient ELL readers were taught strategies and the subsequently used the strategies their comprehension improved.
• Predictors vary by grade level, and whether or not ELLsare proficient readers in their first language. The best predictor of English achievement in grades 3-5 was native language reading ability, and in grades 6-8 the best predictor was oral proficiency.
What are the implications for reading instruction and intervention?
Less Proficient ELL Readers
Less proficient second language readers tended to• focus more on surface aspects of reading,• use fewer and less effective comprehension
strategies,• tap into schematic knowledge less,• have more limited vocabularies.
(Ammon, 1987; Garcia, 1991; Hardin,2001; Jiménez, García, & Pearson, 1995; Jiménez, García, & Pearson, 1996; Langer, Bartholome, Vasquez, & Lucas, 1990)
What are the implications for reading instruction and intervention?
Case Studies Case Studies Case Studies
Key Questions for Case Studies
• What assessments would support understanding further the students’language and academic development?
• What specific interventions might support the student?
• Should the student be referred for assessment for special education?
Scenario #1Ana is a five-year old kindergarten student who comes from a Spanish-speaking home. She has had no prior school experience. She seems to be very shy and keeps to herself. She can follow routine-based directions in the classroom, but seems "lost" during phonological awareness activities and has a lot of difficulty answering questions about stories. Mom, through an interpreter, has reported no developmental difficulties. You are not sure about Mom's educational background, but believe it to be limited. You have heard Ana talking to her little brother using long strings of Spanish.
Scenario #1• Child has normal language-learning ability and
limited formal educational experiences and/or parents with little educational background.
• Ana is a very young child just beginning school, when language demands are not as intense. Kindergarten curricula provide for use of context to help children "crack the language code." Many bilingual children with normally-developing language skills succeed in the early grades, perhaps due to this factor.
• To continue to succeed when language and academic demands increase, Ana will require additional supports as offered through ESL and sheltered English.
Scenario #2• George is a nine-year-old third grade student who has been in
the United States For 2 1/2 years. He has passed the LAS, showing that he is "proficient" in oral English, so he no longergets ESL services. His ESL teacher reported that he learned English quickly.
• Parents have limited educational background, and do not speak English. Since he has come to the U.S., both parents have been working long hours, and George is in an English after-school program.
• George is a very social child, speaking with his peers in English and in Spanish. He seems to have limited vocabulary compared to the other students in your class. He appears to understand and can answer questions about short stories read aloud to him. However, he is only on a beginning second grade level for reading decoding, and reading comprehension is even more difficult.
Scenario #2• Child has normal language-learning ability and limited
formal educational experiences and/or parents with little educational background.
• George is in third grade, when the language demands of the classroom typically become less contextualized. Oral and written language is now being used as a vehicle to learn content material. Although George likely has intact language-learning ability, he has not had time to learn English to the same level as children who have been exposed to it all their lives. In addition, he may be experiencing some loss of his first language due to limited exposure.
• Basic interpersonal conversation skills in English have developed, but it may take 4-5 more years for cognitive academic language proficiency to fully develop. This does not mean George is in need of special education, but other support services such as ESL or sheltered English and reading support may help him to progress in terms of reading.
Scenario #3• Jose is an eight-year-old third grade student who recently
moved to the United States from Chile. His parents were a psychologist and a lawyer in their home country. They speak a fair amount of English.
• There are very limited records from his school in Chile, but parents report that he was receiving some kind of special education services there. They state that he was "slow to talk" compared to his sister.
• In the classroom, Jose seems to have very limited attention. His ESL Teacher reports that she has been working on basic conversational greetings in English with him for the past month, but he has not learned them.
• He speaks to other children in your class who speak Spanish, but they often look puzzled when he talks. When asked, they say he "sounds funny" or doesn't make sense. Parents have requested that he be tested.
Scenario #3• Jose's limited attention span, difficulty learning
basic greetings in English, and difficulty communicating effectively with other Spanish-speaking children are red flags.
• Parent report that he was receiving special education services in the home country and that his speech/language development was slow in relation to his sibling also strongly support referring this child for evaluation.
• It is not necessary to wait a specified amount of time if there is such evidence of impairment.
Scenario #4• Mariela is a nine-year old girl who was born in this country. Her parents speak only
Spanish. They went to school through the third and fourth grade in their home country of Ecuador. She has two older brothers, so has been exposed to English since the oldest started school, when she was three.
• She attended a sheltered English Kindergarten class, and sheltered English grade 1-2 class for two years. She is now in a regular third grade class with continuing ESL support. She is significantly below grade level in reading and math, especially reading -she is only at a readiness level.
• She speaks with other students in the class, seeming to hold basic conversations appropriately. However, she has difficulty answering questions in class, uses short sentences and does not seem to understand many of the concepts other children of her age and background know.
• Parents do not seem concerned, and are unable to support her in doing her homework since they do not speak the language and have limited education themselves. Her brothers do help when they can.
• In speaking with other teachers, you find that both of them learned English fairly rapidly and demonstrated low average academic performance. You have offered after-school tutoring and homework help, but parents have not responded.
Scenario #4• Child has language impairment and limited formal
education/literacy experiences and parents with little educational background.
• Mariela has had several years of exposure to English, and three of formal sheltered English education.
• The fact that she is having so much difficulty with both reading and math, does not use expanded sentences, and has difficulty understanding concepts children her age from a similar background know, suggest that there is likely a language and/or other impairment impacting her ability to learn.
Scenario #5 • Ignacio is a ten-year old who arrived a year ago from a large city in
Ecuador. He attended a private school there and parents have provided records that show he was progressing well in school.
• He was placed in an all-English classroom with pullout ESL support. He spoke no English when he arrived, but now able to hold basic conversations in English and follow directions. He converses with other Hispanic students who a fluent in Spanish. She states that his Spanish is easy to understand and that he speaks in grammatically correct sentences. She cannot assess his level of vocabulary.
• In class, he has trouble answering higher - level questions about the material being taught, and sometimes seems "lost," especially when there are a lot of people talking at once. He does not understand many of the figurative expressions that we use in English. When he reads aloud in class and has to answer a question about what he read, he often cannot do so.
• He makes grammatical errors, such as mixing up "on" and "in" an saying things like "more bigger." Math is a strength for him, except for word problems. You feel that since he speaks English so well already, he should be picking up the reading faster than he is.
Scenario #5• Child has normal language-learning ability and adequate
background, including formal educational experiences and educated parents.
• Ignacio is experiencing typical difficulties that second language learners face, such as not understanding figurative/idiomatic expressions and using grammatical constructions that show interference from the first language. This is very normal after having been only exposed to English for one year.
• It is likely he simply needs more time and continued exposure to the language and reading materials. Since parents are supportive and educated, they will be able to help by continuing to provide him literacy materials in the native language.
AssessmentAssessmentAssessment
Some facts to remember about language assessment
• There are only a few tests in Spanish and almost none in other languages (not formal)
• Some are only direct translations from English versions which invalidate scores
• Some languages or dialects are so rare that interpreters are not available (parents are not a good choice)
Start with Collecting Data• Interview parent to find out
educational history and if there was concerns in the students’ first language. Ask parent about medical and developmental history.
• Home Language Survey• Review cumulative record. How long in
the US? What was the length and duration of ESL services if any? Are there any gaps in education?
Language Assessment• Language dominance and proficiency should be
determined– Language proficiency is the student’s skill level in the
use of the language– Language dominance refers to the language in which the
student shows the greatest level of skill• A student can be dominant in a language but not
proficient in it!• Language assessment data should not be more
than 6 months old If so, student should be reassessed.
• Look for MELA-O and MEPA which are statewide language assessments.
Language Assessment
• Determining language dominance and proficiency is important because the assessment for eligibility must demonstrate that the disability is evident in the dominant language or rule out limited English proficiency as the cause of the learning difficulties.
The Final Answser Is….When do I Refer?
The Final The Final AnswserAnswser IsIs……..When do I Refer?When do I Refer?
To refer or not to referTo refer or not to refer……Refer when…• Parents are
concerned • There is history of
learning difficulties in native language
• Evidence (RtI or otherwise) reflects possible disability
• Too long in ESL!-Consider amount and duration of ESL. ESL for 30 minutes once a week isn’t adequate support.
Do not refer if…• A comprehensive
history not collected
• NEP or in initial stages with poor prior academic/linguistic background
• No RtI in place• No evidence to
support claims
For more information visit,
http://www.MaldenELLs.wikispaces.com
