Assessing the pragmatic skills of a child or a young adult from another culture can be challenging. As SLP’s we are trained to assess pragmatic skills of monolingual language learners as part of a comprehensive language assessment. We look for direct eye contact, turn taking abilities, interpersonal space use, and so on.
But what should we expect when dealing with dual language learners and culturally diverse students? Is it appropriate to expect those kids to have the same nonverbal / social skills as a child enculturated in the United States and speaking its dominant language? The short answer is no. Obviously all children are different and their circumstances are different, but with sensitivity to other cultures and appropriate knowledge SLP’s can accurately diagnose differences versus disorders.
Let’s look at a scenario as an example:
A second grader is referred by her teacher due to poor eye contact and extreme difficulty even in answering personal questions. The student is described as quiet, dependent upon other classmates for academic performance, and has difficulty retelling or producing novel stories. According to the teacher English is her only language. Her parents are reported as being uninterested in her academics. The teacher is concerned that there may be a potential learning or processing problem.
The SLP sends home a permission to evaluate form and it is returned signed. Since there is no ELL /ESL classification she performs language testing in English only. During the assessment she notes the same behaviors the teacher reported. There is a lack of eye contact. With questions and urging the child’s head bows even further. She is extremely hesitant in answering personal questions, but complies upon persistent urging. She exhibits significant pauses while speaking. Her facial expressions are subtle, if not absent.
During the standardized testing she performs poorly on timed tasks, exhibits verb tense challenges, and sequencing difficulty in narratives. In some sub tests she simply doesn’t give answers. The results of the timed testing indicate receptive and expressive language disorders that are further impacted by her poor social skills. When the IEP team meets the SLP intends to recommend therapy services.
Do you think she was correct in her recommendation?
Unfortunately, this situation is more common than it should be. Some districts do not require multidisciplinary evaluations prior to implementation of IEP services. In the case of articulation, this benefits professionals and families. In the case of language questions, it is essential to complete a full profile.
Several factors would be consisdered “red flags” in her case. The fact that she just moved would lead me to question her stress and family stress levels. I might ask the school counselor and psychologist to evaluate her with parental permission. A health examination and hearing / vision screen would be in order…is she “relying on others because she cant see the board?” It may be prudent to call her previous school with parental permission to discuss her performance there. An important missing piece is the family / parent interview. Had the SLP called the family she would have learned that in fact, this student, is bilingual and bicultural.
With the information provided by the mother the SLP learns invaluable diagnostic information. The child in question comes from a Native American background and is in fact bilingual, with English being her second language learned in a sequential fashion. Her verb tense errors are reflective of her primary language (L1) influencing her English (L2 or second language) productions. Her delayed response time is appropriate in her L1, as is her nonlinear sequencing in stories. From a pragmatic perspective, lack of eye contact is considered a sign of respect in her culture. Among her people, personal information is highly guarded and is not readily given and the person asking questions is viewed as prying. Her reliance on classmates is cultural as well. Her community places an emphasis on cooperative learning versus individual work and competition.
In this case, service recommendation would be errant. Pulling her out of the classroom could utimately lead to a greater academic gap. Giving the teacher strategies to help the child and perhaps pulling in the ESL team (if available) could aide that student. But she was not language disordered, she was exhibiting a difference based on length of language exposure. understanding that her language and classroom challenges were stemming from a language / pragmatic difference due a primary language and cultural influence.
What should this teach SLP’s??? Always seek out the input from a child’s parents. It is invaluable. They may not divulge alot, they may not be cooperative. But that is the exception rather than the rule. I’ve learned that “the apple never falls far from the tree” and you can learn plenty about language models, cultural differences, and expectations in a five minute phone call.
There will be kids from diverse backgrounds that have language and learning disorders. With appropriate knowledge and an appropriate assessment that is comprehensive and linguistically and culturally sensitive, your ability to separate a difference from disorder will be there!
So when you are looking at the general social skills of your culturally diverse kids here’s a couple of examples you can expect as a difference:
Criteria: Student maintains appropriate proximity to conversation partner (e.g., does not stand too close or touch other person).
In America, we expect a personal space of about two feet from another speaker.
In Asian cultures, men and women touch each other on a regular basis, holding hands between same sexes is common. Public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex are not common.
In Latin American cultures touching is common with a conversational partner and proximity is much closer.
Criteria: Maintain appropriate eye contact.
In multiple cultures, asian, native american, and latino cultures direct eye contact is disrespectful or a sign of defiance of authority.
With African Americans, direct eye contact is considered respectful while speaking, but rarely is eye contact insisted upon while listening.
Criteria: Use an appropriate voice volume.
In African American culture and others loud volume and emotionally intense behavior is viewed as within normal limits and non aggresive.
In Asian cultures, children and adults do not challenge and are taught not to be aggressive in conversation. Tone is therfore considered low and monotone to the American listener.
Criteria: Answer subjective questions such as “what do you like to eat/drink?†or “what is your favorite color/video?â€).
In African American, Native American, and Latino cultures direct questions are frowned upon as being too intrusive and improper.
The list goes on and on as do cultural differences. The idea is to become sensitive to the person you are screening and pitentially evaluating and “think outside of the box.” Monolingual / Amercian social norms do not apply to culturally different students. Look at those kids with a therapuetic eye, not a political eye if inclined.
Get involved!
What is your experience with culturally diverse students?
What additional information would be helpful?
