Bilingual Training Program Interventions Essay

Treating bilingual children with language disorders can be more effective with the use of bilingual training programs. According to Before (2010), there are two prominent reasons why working on both languages in the intervention will be more beneficial than sticking to an English-only training program. Firstly, bilingual children and language development have specific cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Thus, in working with children from diverse families, assessment and training programs should consider cultural differences. Furthermore, the author suggests that language development in bilingual children can progress in both types of training programs, but the use of bilingual programs enables the component of supportive context in family support (Bedore, 2010). Therefore, choosing an English-only program for intervention can eliminate the helpful component of family support in a child’s language development, reducing the efficiency of the training for the child’s progress.

Next, in defining the importance of language choice for intervention, cultural responsiveness and parental involvement are acknowledged as primary factors. For example, Nellum Davis and Banks (2012) point to cultural background differences and suggest gathering more information about the child and family. The authors determine that considering cultural and linguistic differences can improve the connection between professionals and families and provide the foundation for successful parental involvement in the intervention (Nellum Davis & Banks, 2012). Furthermore, the cultural considerations can be integrated into home language training programs through physical environment elements and therapy activities (Nellum Davis et al., 2002). In particular, according to Nellum Davis et al. (2002), culture-sharing activities make clients feel empowered in the intervention process. Thus, working on both languages in intervention can be helpful in improving bilingual child’s progress by providing them with more comfortable and encouraging culturally responsive conditions. Moreover, using both languages in intervention enables the valuable component of family support in the language development process.

References

Bedore, L. M. (2010). Choosing the language of intervention for Spanish–English bilingual preschoolers with language impairment. EBP Briefs, 5(1), 1-13.

Nellum Davis, P., & Banks, T. (2012). Intervention for multicultural and international clients with communication disorders. In D. E. Battle (Ed.), Communication disorders in multicultural populations (4^th ed.) (pp. 279-296). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Nellum Davis, P., Gentry, B., & Hubbard-Wiley, P. (2002). Clinical practice issues. In D.E. Battle. Communication disorders in multicultural populations (2^nd ed.) (pp. 461-486). Butterworth-Heinemann.