association on higher education and disability july 11, 2013

Foreign Language Accommodation: Foreign Language Accommodation: Incorporating Evidence-Based Practices Incorporating Evidence-Based Practices

Under the AHEAD Documentation Under the AHEAD Documentation GuidanceGuidance

Association on Higher Education and DisabilityJuly 11, 2013

Sally Scott, Ph.D.Director, Disability ResourcesAssociate Professor of EducationUniversity of Mary [email protected]

Manju Banerjee, Ph.D.Vice President and DirectorLandmark College Institute for Research and Training Landmark [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Session OverviewSession Overview

2Scott & Banerjee, July 2013

Common misconceptions about foreign language learningComplexities of foreign language accommodation decision-makingFrom theory to practice – foreign language accommodations on different campusesUnderlying constructs for learning a languageTypes and sources of evidence Linking evidence to accommodation – tipping pointsCase Studies

Common Misconceptions about Foreign Common Misconceptions about Foreign Language (FL) LearningLanguage (FL) Learning


FL disability is a distinct disability category under the ADA AA

Learning Disability implies FL difficulty …. Or does it? Traditional accommodations (e.g. x-time, note-taker)

should be able to address any FL learning difficulty There are specific tests (e.g., MLAT) which can

diagnose a foreign language disability

FL Accommodations on Your CampusFL Accommodations on Your Campus


In your group please discuss:

What accommodations are available in foreign language courses on your campus?

What is the protocol for decision-making?

Foreign Language Accommodation on Foreign Language Accommodation on Different CampusesDifferent Campuses


FL coursework, but no FL requirement

General accommodations available in all classes

Accommodations specific to foreign language

Course substitutions/waivers

Decisions by ODR, academic dean, FL committee

Other?

Complexities of FL Accommodation Complexities of FL Accommodation Decision-MakingDecision-Making


Not based on diagnosis alone Language learning demands are varied across different

languages Instructional approaches may differ across institutions

and classrooms Traditional accommodations don’t address frequent

barriers Other?

Components of Language Competence Components of Language Competence From L2 literatureFrom L2 literature


Broad Underlying Constructs in Learning a Broad Underlying Constructs in Learning a Language from LD literatureLanguage from LD literature


Decoding the sound/symbol system Phonology Orthography Syntax Semantics Information processing Auditory processing Working memory Processing speed Automaticity/fluency in decoding

Three Basic Steps in Accommodation Three Basic Steps in Accommodation Decision-makingDecision-making


Mining Documentation for EvidenceMining Documentation for Evidence


Banerjee & Shaw, 2007

Foreign Language AccommodationForeign Language Accommodation

Rationale for requestRationale for request: : Unable to learn a foreign language (FL) Unable to learn a foreign language (FL) despite multiple attempts; difficulty speaking another language; despite multiple attempts; difficulty speaking another language; cannot remember; was exempted/struggled with (FL) in high cannot remember; was exempted/struggled with (FL) in high schoolschool

Objective EvidenceAuditory ProcessingAuditory Processing

Working MemoryWorking MemoryPhonological awarenessPhonological awareness



Foundational literature for

Objective Evidence:

Auditory Processing (Hodge 1998;Tallal et al. 1996; Prevatt et al. 2003)

Speed of Auditory Processing(Tallal, 2000)

Auditory Discrimination(Dinklage, 1971)


Tests of Auditory Processing: WJ-III NU – Sound Blending (phonetic coding and synthesis); Auditory Attention; Incomplete Words (phonetic coding/analysis)Paced Auditory Serial Attention Test (PASAT)- (sustained attention, processing speed, auditory information processing)

Documentation Markers



Objective Evidence:

Verbal Memory(Torgesen et al. 1994)Auditory Memory(Prevatt et al. 2003)

Short term memory(Papagno, Vatentine, Baddeley, 1991)

Phonological Awareness, Syntax, Semantics (Ganschow, Sparks, Javorski, 1998; Sparks, 2006;

Aidinis & Nunes, 2001)Vocabulary(Barr, 1993)


Documentation MarkersTests of Memory:WJ-III NU – Memory for Words; WAIS –Working Memory Index; Digit SpanWide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML)Test of Memory and Learning 2 (TOMAL)California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT)



Objective Evidence:

Phonological Awareness, Syntax, Semantics (Ganschow, Sparks, Javorski, 1998; Sparks, 2006;

Aidinis & Nunes, 2001)Vocabulary(Barr, 1993)


Tests of Phonological Awareness:WJ-III NU –Spelling of Sounds; Sound AwarenessComprehensive Test of phonological Processing (CTOPP)Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) – Pseudo word (phonetic) DecodingTests of Language LearningTest of Language Competency (TLC-2) - Ambiguous Sentences; Listening Comp.WIAT-II - Listening ComprehensionMLAT - Phonetic coding; grammatical sensitivity, rote learning


Findings across research studies: A difference in aptitude for learning a second language will likely have affected native language learning (“cross linguistic transfer”)


Authentic and Relevant Evidence:

Dinklage (1971) early case studies from Harvard Downey & Snyder (2000) 10 yrs of interviewing students at

Univ of Colorado)Sparks, Patton, Ganschow, & Humback (2009) 10 yr

longitudinal studySparks, Patton, & Ganschow (2012)

Prevatt, et al, (2003)DiFino & Lombardino (2004)



Rationale for requestRationale for request: : Unable to learn a foreign language (FL) Unable to learn a foreign language (FL) despite multiple attempts; difficulty speaking another language; despite multiple attempts; difficulty speaking another language; cannot remember; was exempted/struggled with (FL) in high cannot remember; was exempted/struggled with (FL) in high schoolschool

Authentic Evidence Documentation Markers

Developmental historyDevelopmental history Early hearing or speaking difficulty Family link

Early learning history Early learning history Difficulty learning to read (phonics, sound discrimination, syllabication)Difficulty with spelling Educational intervention in elementary school

HS learning historyHS learning history Poor grades in EnglishWeak written and oral language skills

HS foreign languageHS foreign language WaiverTwo years of two different languagesGrades alone are not good predictors!


Compiling Salient InformationCompiling Salient Information


Foreign Language Case Review (handout)- Developmental history- Early learning history- FL learning history- Standardized testing

Sources of Information (AHEAD’s primary, secondary and tertiary sources)

The role of campus-based decision-making

Linking Evidence to Accommodation – Linking Evidence to Accommodation – Tipping PointsTipping Points


Adapted from Banerjee & Shaw, 2007

Case Study ApplicationsCase Study Applications


Group break outs:Case 1: SarahCase 2: David

In your group please consider:- What are your sources of documentation?- Is there a pattern of evidence over time?- Is the documentation compelling?- Recommendations?

Other Alternatives and Supports Other Alternatives and Supports


If not a substitution or waiver…. Then what? (see handout)

- Programmatic options- Additional supports- Administrative accommodations- Instructor supports- Creating additional programmatic options

Audience Q and AAudience Q and A


association on higher education and disability july 11, 2013

Documents

decodingscott banerjee

banerjee shaw

sally scott

foreign language fl

foreign language courses

fl disability

tests of auditory processing

auditory processing