A Double Helping: Serving Multi-Language Learners – An Online Course
January 12 @ 8:00 am - April 5 @ 5:00 pm
Audience: SLPs, teachers, administrators, intervention specialists, psychologists, ESL support staff, general education teachers
- Identify common patterns and influential key factors of multi language development.
- Apply understanding of patterns and key factors of multi language development and evidence-based strategies to distinguish between “language difference” and “language disorder.”
- Learn how to dynamically apply and individualize evidence-based best practices to identify the unique strengths of multi language learners and effectively support them.
Important Session Information:
This accelerated course is designed to support educators (speech language pathologists, intervention specialists, psychologists, ESL support staff, general education teachers, special education teachers etc. in the school-based setting in appropriately supporting, assessing, and treating multi-language learners, i.e., children who are learning a language in addition to English.
The course is set into three primary units. The first unit reviews typical multilingual language development and investigates the research regarding how the brain develops multiple languages. Learners will explore typical and atypical patterns of dual language learning and distinguish between simultaneous and sequential learners.
The second unit contains a practical guide on the intervention and assessment process for dual language learners.
The third unit discusses research based techniques and best practice regarding screening, response to intervention, assessment, and intervention/therapy techniques. The third unit provides technological based recommendations and a review of the course. The third unit also discusses common misconceptions regarding multi-language learners and contains supplemental material on children who were internationally adopted as well as on language attrition.
