The linguistic interaction in the classroom has long been perceived as a process of embracing monolingualism as means to promote the learning and active use of the language. However, when it comes to bilingual children, their linguistic repertoire has proven to be highly interdependent with their source and target languages. As a result, bilingual students challenged to conform to the norms of one language are deprived of the opportunity to master their linguistic skills in another language.
In order to address this issue of linguistic limitation in bilingual students, the idea of translanguaging has been embraced in the classroom. Essentially, the idea of translanguaging stands for the process of enhancing knowledge of a particular language through the lens of engaging with another language. In the context of the classroom, translanguaging encourages the students to use both target and home language when expressing ideas, simultaneously creating the environment of sharing linguistic skills in both languages and educating each other without the urge for the minorities to conform to the standardized norms (Bauer et al., 2020). In such a way, by embracing the students’ knowledge in both languages, individual learners and the classroom benefit from the linguacultural exchange and critical perception of the information.
The ability to implement formative language assessment with the help of translanguaging and dual-language classrooms, in particular, is beneficial to language-speech therapists. Since speech-language therapy embraces a variety of issues such as articulation, fluency, and cognitive-communication skills, it is important to realize that the monolinguistic assessment of bilingual learners is distorted and inefficient. For example, it is natural for the students to be slower and more self-conscious when communicating in the target non-native language or a standardized form of English. Hence, a formative assessment of a Latinx learner’s English language will limit their ability to communicate and perform cognitive skills. A prime example of such limitation can be the skill of counting. A bilingual English language learner (ELL) is likely to spend more time counting from one to ten in English than their monolingual English-speaking counterpart. The issue, however, will not be rooted in the cognitive impairment of the former, as their ability to count when using both target and home language can be even more efficient than counting in one of the languages (Ascenzi-Moreno, 2018). For this reason, it is critical for a speech-language pathologist to ensure that the assessment of one’s skills is held on equal terms.
When conducting speech-language assessments such as the clinical evaluation of language fundamentals, pathologists are encouraged to combine target and home language for the evaluation, as one’s home language is likely to provoke quick responsiveness and reaction. Thus, when addressing such fundamental tasks as narrative understanding and quick naming, the learners should be allowed to respond bilingually to a monolingual task in order to facilitate cognitive-communication properties. Another idea to assess ELLs’ language is to motivate the learner to use both languages when reacting to the abstract concepts and language comprehension. Indeed, when learners resort to their linguistic skills, they are able to use both languages to a similar extent and focusing on one of them can be rather challenging for a child. Hence, translanguaging is a phenomenon that encourages bilingualism as a central tool to learn a language rather than an additional aspect of one’s communication abilities. When using this technique to encourage multilingualism and cultural enrichment, translanguaging helps not only to secure cognitive development but cultural sensitivity and critical thinking.
The successful speech and cognitive development of the child depend on a variety of factors, including education, support, and timely interventions. The responsibility for these interventions is taken mostly by classroom educators and their ability to provide a holistic approach to learning. However, engagement with an interdisciplinary team can provide many insights into the child’s behavioral patterns and directions for learning. A significant role in this team is played by a speech-language pathologist, as this professional is invited to the classroom to work with the learners who have difficulties in their communication, articulation, and linguistic skills. In fact, many teachers today are qualified as speech-language professionals in order to secure a proactive approach to the early development of children (McLean et al., 2021). However, in most situations, there are two separate professionals to address children’s education and development.
In this case, the first way of communication with the teacher I will choose as a pathologist will be to secure an integrated collaborative approach in learning. According to Bauer et al. (2010), this collaboration secures the inclusion of compensatory strategies such as visual and written communication aid tools in order to promote holistic cognitive-communication development in the classroom. This strategy is beneficial for the learners because frequently, language teacher places more focus on such standard language-learning aspects as listening, reading, writing, and speaking, paying little attention to interpersonal interaction cues existing besides the learning intervention. When collaborating with a speech-language pathologist, teachers can ensure informal communication in the classroom that masters the cognitive perception of a learner.
The second strategy to embrace will be to provide mutual expertise and knowledge exchange with the teacher in order to learn how to cooperate with children. Undeniably, speech-language pathologists are expected to pay specific attention to the efficient interaction with children, but their primary goal always remains unaltered, as the professionals need to address the speech and cognitive-communication challenges of an individual. Teachers, on the other hand, spend more time building rapport with the young learners, obtaining insights into their personality specifics on a daily basis. If speech-language therapists spend more time learning the teachers’ collaboration techniques, their chances to provide meaningful intervention increase significantly. Moreover, professional teaching resources place emphasis on the psychological aspect of educating. This feature is also relevant to the pathologists, as their ability to establish a connection with the learner is a chance to find the right motivation for the child to undergo therapy.
Finally, it will be of paramount importance to make sure that teachers embrace therapy intervention tools in the classroom. Thus, for example, when a child in the classroom has specific challenges in terms of speech and communication, as a speech-language professional, I will address the teacher with the favor to encourage coping mechanisms and learning tools in the classroom for this student. When motivated by the teacher, the learner will not feel isolated and marginalized from the rest of the learning group. Moreover, it would be extremely beneficial to introduce certain warming-up activities and assessment tools to the classroom to prevent the possible development of speech and language imparities among learners. Considering the specifics of the teacher-speech professional collaboration, it may be concluded that without this interaction, learners are at a higher risk of developing issues related to their communicative and cognitive functions.
References
Ascenzi-Moreno, L. (2018). Translanguaging and responsive assessment adaptations: Emergent bilingual readers through the lens of possibility. Language Arts, 95(6), 355-369.
Bauer, E. B., Colomer, S. E., & Wiemelt, J. (2020). Biliteracy of African American and Latinx kindergarten students in a dual-language program: Understanding students’ translanguaging practices across informal assessments.Urban Education, 55(3), 331-361. Web.
Bauer, K. L., Iyer, S. N., Boon, R. T., & Fore, C. (2010). 20 ways for classroom teachers to collaborate with speech-language pathologists.Intervention in School and Clinic, 45(5), 333-337. Web.
McLean, E. J., Snow, P. C., & Serry, T. A. (2021). Dual-qualified teachers and speech-language therapists reflect on preparation and practice in school-based language and literacy.Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 37(3). Web.