Linguistic Diversity and Socioeconomic Impacts on Language Development

Discussion 1: Linguistic Diversity

Many children and adolescents have the ability to speak two or more languages. Sadly, this skill is not always seen as an asset but a drawback. Children in the United States who do not speak English as a first language, for example, may be inappropriately discriminated against. As a result, these children and adolescents may face challenges not faced by monolingual English-speaking students or some of their more English-proficient peers.

To prepare:

· Consider the value of knowing a second or other language.

· Think about possible strategies to counteract those who may perceive second language learners (or non-English speakers in the United States) to be deficient.

· As you review the Learning Resources, think about how diversity of language is as asset.

· Think also about assumptions made about multilingual children/adolescents

Post by Day 3:

Describe at least one advantage and one challenge for child and adolescent development in a multilingual environment. Provide one recommendation to help ameliorate the challenge you identified.

Discussion 2: Socioeconomic Impacts on Language Development

As discussed in Week 6, socioeconomic status has far-reaching implications on child and adolescent development. Like so many other areas of development, socioeconomic status plays an important role in language development.

To prepare:

· Consider the impact of socioeconomic status and social class on both positive and negative child and adolescent development and language development.

· Think about possible long-term effects of socioeconomic status on language development.

· As you review the Learning Resources, think about how language development may differ between socioeconomic groups.

Post by Day 4:

Explain how socioeconomic factors affect the language development of children and adolescents. Explain how these factors further influence the development of child and adolescent linguistic identities. Finally, explain the potential long-term effects of these factors.

Readings

· Ardasheva, Y., Thomas, R., Tretter, T. R., & Kinny, M. (2012). English language learners and academic achievement: Revisiting the threshold hypothesis language learning. Language Learning: A Journal of Research in Language Studies, 62(3), 769–812.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Boyer, V. E., & Martin, K. Y. (2012). Invented rule with English language learners. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 26(7), 613–627.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Gorman, B. (2012). Relationships between vocabulary size, working memory, and phonological awareness in Spanish-speaking English language learners. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(2), 109–123.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Leclair, C., Doll, B., Osborn, A., & Jones, K. (2009). English language learners and non-English language learners perceptions of the classroom environment. Psychology in the Schools, 46(6), 568–577.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Mise, T. M., & Hupp, J. M. (2012). The influence of socioeconomic status, home environment, and childcare on child language abilities. Current Psychology, 31(2), 144–159.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Paquette, K. R., & Rieg, S. A. (2008). Using music to support the literacy development of young English language learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(3), 227–232.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Ranney, S (2012). Defining and teaching academic language: Developments in K-12 ESL language and linguistics compass. Language & Linguistics Compass, 6(9), 560–574.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Sohr-Preston, S. L., Scaramella, L. V., Martin, M. J., Neppl, T. K., Ontai, L., & Conger, R. (2013). Parental socioeconomic status, communication, and children’s vocabulary development: A third-generation test of the family investment model. Child Development, 84(3), 1046–1062.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Souto-Manning, M. (2006). Families learn together: Reconceptualizing linguistic diversity as a resource. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(6), 443–446.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Spencer, S., Clegg, J. & Stackhouse, J. (2012). Language and disadvantage: A comparison of the language abilities of adolescents from two different socioeconomic areas. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(3), 274–284.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Media

· Laureate Education (Producer.) (2014b). Cognitive development and language [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.

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