Bilingual Learners and Other Additional Support Needs (P00811)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : EDU-P-P00811

A child's language and cultural background must be taken into account when assessing for special educational needs and when interpreting these assessments. Frequently, a child's development in the first language (when s/he is being brought up as a simultaneous bilingual), and in the second language reveal features which can be misinterpreted as a language disorder or delay, as indicators of a hearing impairment or a specific learning difficulty. Similarly, difficulties experienced when accessing the curriculum through a second language can be mistaken for a general or specific learning difficulty. Such misinterpretations are most likely to occur in contexts where bilingualism is viewed in deficit terms. This module explores these issues critically and provides students with the opportunity to analyse, adapt and add to, professional practice so that assessment, diagnosis and support practices and the principles underlying them do not discriminate against bilingual learners. The module is a core requirement for the Diploma in Educational Support (Bilingual Learners), but will also be of interest to class and subject teachers, school managers, other educational support personnel (in mainstream and special provision) and educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and audiologists.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Access to teaching situation containing bilingual learners

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Education, (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 12 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
26/10/2007	09:30	15:30	Room 1.19, Patersons Land	Central	All sessions in Patersons Land 1.19

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this module, students are required to demonstrate that they are able to:
- Conduct and interpret formal and informal assessments of bilingual learners, taking into account their language and cultural background
- Employ a hypothesis-testing approach to the analysis of evidence regarding a bilingual learner's language development, learning and behaviour
- Evaluate current approaches to the support of children with special educational needs with reference to different cultural and linguistic backgrounds
Make policy recommendations for the assessment and support of bilingual learners.

Assessment Information

Either Describe and critically review the policy and practice demonstrated in one school, centre or service towards bilingual learners, providing brief case studies to support your analysis. On the basis of this review, make recommendations for changes to the approach adopted by the school, centre or service to the diagnosis and support of bilingual learners causing concern.

Or Prepare a detailed case study of an individual bilingual learner who is causing concern. Pay particular and critical attention to policies and practices (written or understood) which have affected or might affect the child's future progress and the family's involvement. On the basis of the case study, make recommendations for change to the practice or procedures discussed.