CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

Debbi Badgley and Katy Watrous

Key Terms

Basic interpersonal communication Skills (BICS) are a set of communication skills that facilitate day-to-day or practical oral communication. Code switching is the practice of moving back and forth between two languages. Cognitive / academic language proficiency (CALP) is a level of language proficiency that facilitates academic and more abstract dialogue. Culture is the complex system of meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a given group of society. It is also the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, dress, social habits, music and arts. It is shared beliefs, traditions, and values of a group of people. Culturally and linguistically diverse students are students whose home culture and/or language differ from that of the school. Such students may require special assistance to succeed in general education. Interference is the effect of carrying over features of pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary from one language or dialect to another. Stereotypes are qualities or characteristics assigned to groups of people related to their race, nationality and sexual orientation, to name a few.

Stats

Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for up to 80% of the nation growth in 1990s In 2000, nearly 87 million minorities backgrounds living in US; up 43% from 1990 Over the past 20 years, minority population increased over 90% By 2020, one out of three will be from a minority group

Barriers

Professionals working with these students lack preparation Limited availability of bilingual-bicultural professionals at school Limited availability of research to develop assessment and treatment services Time frame allotted for assessments Limited availability of appropriate materials

Cultures and Languages

Learn about other cultures Culturally competent Values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors Legally, when students are assessed because of learning problems, nondiscriminatory assessments must be used IDEA 1997 Students not eligible for special education due to problems limited English language Immigrants/migrant/refugee workers

African American - family life

Families may include blood relatives, non blood relatives but with special relationships Households designated female single head of household Authoritative child rearing Flexible family roles Concerned with overcoming racial obstalces than gender obstacles

African American - education

Emphasis on education Educational barriers Difficulty in school because language used on school is different than language used at home Gifted and Talented students may be underidentified in schools

African American things to consider

Address family members formally Address students needs with family focus approach Poverty in not necessarily an indicator of dysfunction Local religious organizations can be used as allies Learn better when teaching strategies emphasize interpersonal interaction rather than independence

Hispanic family life

http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/spanglish/one-tear?play=1

Family life is important Homes maintained by married couples Children viewed as purpose of marriage Large and extended families are common Children taught to listen, obey and not challenge authority Man is the breadwinner, woman cares for the family

Hispanic - education

Families hold teachers in high regard Education is very important Family moves frequently Parents encourage students to be responsible for their own actions School drop out rate is high Students underrepresented in gifted and talented

Hispanic things to consider

Include the entire family in student procedures To gain trust, teachers should use humanistic orientation rather than task orientation Some uncomfortable collaborating with professionals Be aware of child rearing norms; ex. Puerto Rican child may be weaned off the bottle at 3 years old Some parents may be resistant to early intervention

Native American family life

Close-knit extended families are common Family ties are more important than anything Extended family often care for children; long term nursing care for elderly family members Family members expected to support others in the family Children are given individual responsibility Encouraged to become independent and master self care

Native American - education

Information is passed down from one generation to the next by story telling Use of language other than English is common Students may miss school due to traditional family obligations Highest drop out rate of any other minority group Children should learn by observation and display knowledge later

Native American things to consider

Taking life as it comes and accepting all circumstances Consult with medicine person before intervention Grandparents may show up for conferences instead of parents Address all family members, not just parents Some families may be reluctant to take advantage of aid or services

Language

http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/spanglish/no-space-between-us?play=1

Normal processing of second language acqistion

Interference Fossilization

Interlanguage
Silent

period Code- Switching Language Loss

Language

Additive Bilingualism
Occurs

when both languages spoken by the student are reinforces, resulting in high levels of proficiency in the two languages First language nurtured and encouraged as they learn the second language

Subtractive Bilingualism
Students

first language is replaced by second

language Language loss in the first language occurs

Language

Truly language- disorder, problems in communication should be evident in BOTH ENGLISH and PRIMARY LANGUAGE Affects child ability to learn any language Program options
Sheltered

instruction Transitional Bilingual Education Developmental Bilingual Education Two-Way Immersion Newcomer Programs

Assessments

Behavior commonly observed among second language learners may be seen as abnormalities. Testing must conform to legal requirements and must be non-discriminatory. Use a pre-evaluation process to obtain students background to determine if special education is necessary. Include informal and non-standardized assessments to determine individual students needs.

Strategies

Students' ability to speak English does not reflect their academic ability Incorporate students' cultural experiences into your instruction Bilingual aide may be effective Include information about different cultures in your curriculum Avoid cultural stereotypes Encourage students to share their cultures in the classroom Provide outlines in advance to give second language learners the opportunity to review materials Allow sufficient time for second language learners to answer questions

Strategies

Collaborative instruction
Whole-parts-whole
Check

frequently for comprehension Multimodal instructional approach Teach names for common objects Input comprehension Short sentences Avoid slang

Strategies

Work with families Encourage Community & School Support Structure the learning environment Expressive language activities Preview- View-Review Routines

"A Senegalese poet said 'In the end we will conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.' We must learn about other cultures in order to understand, in order to love, and in order to preserve our common world heritage. Yo Yo Ma

Work Cited Lewis, Rena B., Donald H. Doorlag, and Rena B. Lewis. Teaching Students with Special Needs in General Education Classrooms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2011. Print. Roseberry-McKibbin, Celeste. Multicultural Students with Special Language Needs: Practical Strategies for Assessment and Intervention. Oceanside, CA: Academic Communication Associates, 2002. Print.