Speech-Language

Assessment with English

Language Learners
SARAH LEVINSKY
 Why is this important?

“By the 2030s, say demographers, English language

learners (ELLs) will account for approximately 40% of
the entire school-aged population in the United
States. In some areas, that projection is already
exceeded-in California, for instance, 60%-70% of
schoolchildren speak a language other than English
as their primary language.” (ASHA)
 FLASHBACK TO
GRADUATE SCHOOL…
 Definitions

English Language Learner Individuals in the process of acquiring English as a second

language while learning academic content.
Speech Language DIFFERENCE Present if difficulty in communication (oral/written) and/or
speech production is impacted by the process of learning a
second language.

Speech Language DISORDER Present if difficulty comprehending and using language

(oral/written forms) and/or producing speech (sounds, fluency)
in Language 1 (for monolingual students) and in Language 1
and Language 2 (in bilingual students) or when difficulty is not a
product of a language difference.
 Normal Processes of second-language
acquisition

Interference/ Error is made in a second language (L2) due to the direct influence of a primary
Transfer language (L1) structure.
Silent Period Focus on listening and comprehension; Very quiet or silent
Few weeks-few months for older children; year+ for preschoolers
Code Switching Alternate use of L1 and L2 within an utterance or phrase.

Language Loss/ Loss of skills and fluency in L1 during the course of L2 acquisition if L1 is not
Attrition reinforced or maintained. Can be cognitively and linguistically detrimental to
children's learning and to their family lives (esp. if parents speak only L1).
Accent, Dialect, Maintenance of a native accent (way people sound/pronunciation), dialect (rule-
and Phonetic governed, systematic variation of language; accent, grammar, & semantics), and
Patterns phonetic patterns within L2 is common
Bilingual Acquisition:
Simultaneous or Sequential

u Simultaneous: L1 & L2 acquired simultaneously from birth

u Sequential: exposed to L1 from birth; L2 acquisition occurs
later in child development
u Since L2 proficiency is partially a function of L1
competence, student may not fully develop either
language (“limited bilingualism”). May appear as having a
language learning disability.
 BICS & CALP

u Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS): Context-embedded, everyday

language that occurs between conversational partners, typically requiring 2 years
under ideal conditions to acquire proficiency.
u Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP): Context-reduced language of
academics, typically requiring 5 to 7 years under ideal conditions to develop a level
commensurate with native speakers.
u BICS-CALP gap: Student may develop conversational English that appears fluent and
adequate for everyday communication BUT still struggle with CALP (reading, writing,
spelling etc. where there is little context so support language). Can lead to false ID of
language-learning disabilities.
 Speech-Language
Assessment with ELLs:
Language Difference or
Language Disorder?
 Bilingual Speech-Language Evaluation
Referral

u Likely different for each school AND the process may be altered each year
u Bucktown:
u Contact Tara Bailey (Speech Language & Audiology Coordinator)
u tybailey@cps.edu
u See “How to Submit a Bilingual Speech-Language Referral 16-17” document on
drive
u Reach out to school administration regarding the process or who you should contact
u Some schools need to “okay” your request because they may need to pay for it out of
the schools budget
u Referral at the clinic?
Monolingual SLP’s Role

u Be aware of IDEA and ASHA’s code of ethics. Discrimination

based on race, ethnicity and nationality is illegal and
unethical when testing and providing services.
u The SLP needs to know cultural differences and expectations.
They need to determine the language history, the need for
interpreter/translator or a bilingual SLP, and the availability of
assessment tools in the native language
COLLABORATE: Use your team!

u Family/Caregivers u Paraprofessionals
u ELL teacher u Otherrelated service
u Gen Ed providers
u SPED teachers u Interpreters
 Interpreter

u If a bilingual SLP is not available (and let’s be real.. they RARELY are) we need to look
elsewhere
u Bilingual SPEDà professional translator provided by district à parapro or teacher à
bilingual volunteer from community à parent or family (if all else fails)
u BID method:
u Brief (review history and testing plan)
u Interaction (SLP & interpreter interact as team during interview and assessment)
u Debrief (discuss results/observations)
u If no interpreter was used you must state your reasoning, such as: “No interpreter was necessary
in the assessment of this student since comprehensive assessment in English revealed results to
be within (or above) the average range”
 Red Flags

u Standard ‘red flags’ do not necessarily generalize to CLD (Culturally and

Linguistically Diverse) students
u Potential red flags for CLD students:
Ø Difficulty in learning language and sound production at a normal rate, even with
special assistance in both languages
Ø Communication difficulties in the home
Ø Communication difficulties when interacting with peers from a similar background
Ø Family history of learning problems
Ø Significant birth/developmental history
Ø Slower development than siblings (per parental report)
 1: Referral Source?

u Parents
Ø May give greater insight into skills in L1 (e.g., comparison to siblings, language skills
with family versus community members speaking L1, etc.)
u GenEd or SPED teacher
Ø May over or under identify concerning students due to ELL status
u ELL teacher
Ø May note similar concerns to teacher BUT have specialized knowledge of L2
acquisition and greater number of ELL students which whom to compare progress
► Pediatrician
Ø Was this surprising for parents? Did they request that the pediatrician write request
to school?
2: Gather Background Information

u Thorough case history (forms on SHARED)

Ø Can be difficult to gather information from family at school – try to
gather information at the domain (suggest/request a domain for
initials with ELLs)
u Record Review
u Student & Family
 2: Gather Background Information
(continued)
u Country and region of origin u Describe communicative contexts of typical day
& home activities
u Age of immigration
u Contact with native speakers of L1 (primary
u Age and manner of acquisition of the
language)
language(s)
u Progress in receiving English as a second
u Language(s) used at home and at school/work
language (ESL) services or adult English
u Language(s) used within the family language learning classes
u Literacy level of parents u Language of academic instruction
u Length of exposure to each language u Academic performance in each language
u Language of choice with peers & family u Age of immigration
u Simultaneous or sequential bilingual acquisition
 3: Gather Current Information

u Current concerns
u Try to determine dominant language
Ø Parent & student report; ELL & teacher report
Ø Language proficiency screening (e.g., student oral language observation
matrix) (form on SHARED)
u Classroom Observation (form on SHARED)
u Questionnaires/Interviews for student, teachers, parents, and others who interact
with child on a regular basis (e.g., ELL teacher, para)
u Academic Information (e.g., grades, DIBELS, NWEA, classroom,
supports/accommodations, ELL services, student portfolio to assess
progress/learning)
 4: Standardized Assessment

u Linguistic and cultural biases:

Ø standardization samples do not take education levels, bilingual abilities,
background experiences, dialect differences, etc. into account
u Recommend not reporting standard scores if the standardized assessment
was not normed for that language/population.
u Use the information as qualitative data to support the rest of your findings.
u You can get great information from administering a test in a non-
standardized way…
 4: Standardized Assessment
Modifications

u Access to a standardized assessment in u Provide additional time for response

L1 and have interpreter administer
u Repeat test stimuli
portions and help score/provide
informal information u Have client explain their answer
u Reword or expand instructions u Accept culturally appropriate responses
u Provide instructions in both L1 & L2 u Accept responses in either L1 or L2
u Record all comments, responses, u Test beyond the ceiling
prompts/cues used
u Re-administer portions
u Add practice items, examples,
demonstration
 4: Standardized Assessments:
Disclaimer

u Must be aware of and DOCUMENT limitations and modifications of testing

instrument (example reports on SHARED)
u Example disclaimer:
u “The following test/s __________were normed on typical English speaking
children. Testing materials are not available in standardized form for child‟s
unique bilingual/bicultural background. In accordance with IDEA 2004 (The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) [20 U.S.C..1414(3)], official use of
standard scores for this child would be inaccurate and misleading so the
results reported are presented in descriptive form. Raw scores are provided
here only for comparison with future performance.”
6: Criterion Referenced Assessment

u Can be quick and simple to administer

u Focuses on student’s interaction with specific content
material to obtain a description of the specific
knowledge and skills each student can demonstrate
u Checklists (on the SHARED), rubrics, rating scales,
grades, % correct, etc.
 5: Alternative Assessments
Dynamic Assessment

u Used to assess students ability to learn when provided with

instruction.
u Test, Teach, Retest model
u Resource on drive for additional information: “Dynamic
Assessment with ELL_Q&A”
u https://blog.asha.org/2014/05/01/dynamic-assessment-how-
does-it-work-in-the-real-world-of-preschool-evaluations/
 5: Alternative Assessments
Dynamic Assessment Examples

u Noword Repetition Tasks (hear, retain, repeat nonsense syllables)

u Fast Word Mapping (learn new words)
u Example activity: “Planning for a Picnic” – 1) put in familiar objects
(apple) and introduce new vocab with abstract objects (“This is a
TOWDAY. What is this? A TOWDAY! Put the TOWDAY in. 2) Repeat for
about 5 items 3) test (“Give me the TOWDAY”)
u Difficulty with these tasks may indicate disordered ability to learn
new words from the environment
5: Alternative Assessment
Conversation Sample

u Engage in conversation with peer about a preferred and familiar topic

u Observe peer in conversation with peer or adult
u Think about…
u Code-switching
u Attempt to repair communication breakdowns
u Language used most frequently
u Adequate vocabulary to make ideas understood
u Communicative intents observed
5: Alternative Assessment
Story Retelling

u Wordless picture books, sequencing pictures

u Examines student’s narrative skills and ability to organize
information
u Best practice suggests that the student be asked to
retell stories in L1 and L2
u Analyze content and form: “Assessment of Fictional
Narratives” on SHARED is very helpful
u Tip: Record this for further analysis of articulation skills
 5: Alternative Assessment
Cloze Tests

u Examines the student’s background knowledge and u Read entire passage without any words deleted
knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures
u Ask student general questions about story to make sure
u Best practice suggests that the student completes tasks student comprehends
in L1 and L2 u Read story again but leave out deleted words. If
u Recommendations: student does not provide missing word, go back to the
beginning of the sentence and read forward to the
u Choose a passage/story that contains 250-350 words next missing word. Continue.
u Delete every 5th, 6th, or 7th word until at least 50 words u Think about…
have been omitted
u Grammar
u Do not remove the first word in a sentence or a proper
noun u Vocabulary

u Following procedure may be used when administering: u Word alter meaning of author’s passage?

u Present several examples of what is expected by u Make sense?

reading sentences with a word deleted (e.g., “The ____
is barking loudly”) Ask student to supply the word.
Articulation

u Contrastive Analysis
u Resources on SHARED for English and Spanish
(contrastive analysis of phonemes, phonological
patterns, etc.)
u Similar sounds across 2 languages may not be used in the
same way (e.g., only used in WF versus all word positions)
u Errors on sounds not present in L1 would not be considered
a disorder. SLP can provide guided practice and
instruction to ELL for facilitation of sound production.
 Analysis of Results

uTakes
time, collaboration, and research
uCheck out resources on SHARED
Eligibility

u “A language disorder is a disability that affects the child’s ability to learn in any
language. Exposure to two languages is not the cause of the disability” (Roseberry-
McKibbin, 2002)
u “A language disorder is present when speaking behavior is defective to such an extent
that it interferes with one’s ability to convey messages clearly and effectively during
interactions with community members who speak the same language and dialect”
(Mattes & Omark, 1991)
Eligibility:
Questions to help guide your decision

u In addition to the general education teacher, have others (e.g., the ESL teacher, remedial program personnel,
and parents) noted similar difficulties?
u Does the problem exist across contexts (e.g., in general education and ESL classes, at school, and at home)?
u Are the problems evident in the student's first language?
u Is the student’s progress in acquiring English significantly different from that of peers who started at about the
same level of English language proficiency and have had comparable instruction?
u Is there evidence that difficulties (e.g., lack of eye contact) can be explained by cross-cultural differences?
u Are there other variables (e.g., inconsistent school attendance) that could explain the difficulties?
u Is there evidence of extreme test anxiety (as can occur when the child being tested has been in the country for
only a short time)?
u Can problematic behaviors be explained by procedural mistakes in the assessment process?
u Does data show that the student did not respond well to general education interventions?
u Are the assessment results consistent with the concerns of the student’s teachers and parents?
 Benefits of Bilingualism

u “Many research studies cite the cognitive-linguistic benefits of being

a fluent bilingual speaker. Experts have found that children who are
fluent bilinguals actually outperform monolingual speakers on tests
of metalinguistic skill.”
u Research shows that students will only become as proficient in L2 as
they are in L1. Therefore, parents should be encouraged to promote
use of dominant language in the home. This includes reading and
writing. (Crowley, 2004)
Helpful Websites

u ASHA
u Bilingual Service Delivery Info
u https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589935225&section=Key_Issues

u Working with interpreters:

u https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Professional-Issues/Collaborating-With-Interpreters/

u Bilinguistics
u Lots of helpful information for monolingual and bilingual SLP assessment and
intervention
u https://bilinguistics.com/
 ELL folder on SHARED:
Check it out and add to it
J
Follow Up PART 2?!

u Actually
finish going through this lengthy
PowerPoint :/
u Go further into resources for analysis of results
u Share
different materials, resources, articles, etc.
we have found helpful!
u Case studies