English Language Learners (ELLs) in a School Environment (Part 1)

Its no secret that there is an increasing diversity in the population of the US.  The most recent data available from 2013 indicates that over 61 million people in the United States spoke a language other than English in their home, and approximately 40% of those people were considered Limited English Proficient (LEP).  In fact, only about 8% of that 61 million people felt that they spoke English “with no difficulty”.

How does this relate to schools and special education?

Language is a huge part of how we determine a student’s knowledge, their understanding of concepts, how they interact with their peers, and how they function in the classroom environment.  When a child has a limited understanding of English, they may appear to be performing below their peers.  However, we cannot fully understand a child’s knowledge without considering their native language.  If we do not properly consider such factors, children may be mis-identified as having delays, disorders, or learning problems.

Let’s first consider how humans learn a new language.  When first exposed to a new language, an individual may go through a silent period, lasting anywhere from 6 weeks to a year, during which time the individual is taking in and absorbing the new language around them.  We then advance through stages of acquiring the language, including vocabulary and grammar.  Social language, such as what we use in everyday conversation, comes first.  Social or conversational fluency may occur in 6 months to 2 years.  Academic language (think of the specific vocabulary you need for subjects like chemistry, geography, or calculus) takes much longer to acquire.  Academic language often includes abstract concepts and less common words, meaning less opportunities for exposure and practice.  Additionally, this vocabulary is also intertwined into complex subjects, so someone with LEP is learning not only the language, but the concepts behind the language.  Academic fluency can take anywhere from 5 to 7 years to develop.  This means that if a student is exposed to English for the first time when they enroll in kindergarten, they may still be mastering English proficiency into middle school.    

Another factor to consider is how an individual’s first language and culture may influence how they learn and speak English.  Two of the most common languages in the US outside of English are Spanish and Chinese. Spanish-influenced English may include substitutions or “errors”, such as replacing “b” for “v”, omitting plural -s or other final consonant sounds, and changing word order.  Chinese-influenced English may be characterized by difficulty pronouncing “th” and consonant clusters, omission of plurals and gender pronouns, and changing in stress patterns.  So what may look like a speech or language disorder in a native English speaker is actually a result of the influence of their native language as they learn a new language.

So how can we identify if a student has a language disorder or a language difference (aka not yet proficient in their new language)?  If a child has a language disorder, it will appear in any language the child uses or knows.  This means a child with a native language of Spanish and a second language of English will show deficits in both Spanish and English.  A child with a language difference will show age appropriate or “typical” skills in their native language and deficits in their second language.  For this reason, it is essential that we consider the child’s language as a whole unit, not only their skills in English or Spanish or Chinese, etc. This is best done through bilingual assessment with someone fluent in the child’s native language; however there are alternatives for monolingual educators and therapists.  Check back in part two for more information about ELL in schools!