Heila Jordaan

Clinical Intervention for Bilingual Children: An International Survey

This paper reports on the results of an international survey undertaken by the Multilingual Affairs Committee of the IALP, to investigate the intervention provided to bilingual children. Information pertaining to 157 children was obtained from 99 speech-language therapists in 13 countries. The survey addressed biographical details and language background of the children, the diagnosed communication disorder, language competence of the therapists, issues pertaining to the language of intervention, use of interpreters, advice given to parents regarding the use of each language, and possible results of intervention. The findings are specific to each country and related to the sociolinguistic context. Very few therapists provide bilingual intervention, although many have strategies for ensuring the development of both languages, such as advising parents to speak only the home language. Therapists were generally unable to provide quantifiable intervention results due to a paucity of assessment materials for bilinguals. The IALP Multilingual Affairs Committee used the results of this survey to develop guidelines for working with multilingual populations with communication disorders.

Cognitive and Linguistic Profiles of Specific Language Impairment and Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder in Bilinguals

This study explored the notion that the extent to which language-impaired children can become bilingual depends on the type of language impairment. Single-case studies were conducted on two 7-year-old bilingual children, who had both been exposed to English and Afrikaans consistently and regularly from an early age. The subjects presented with specific language impairment (SLI) and semantic-pragmatic disorder (SPD), respectively. They were assessed on a battery of cognitive and linguistic tests in both their languages. Results indicate that the SLI subject, who presented with a deficit in successive processing on the Cognitive Assessment System, had difficulty in acquiring the surface features of both languages. She developed much better proficiency in English than in Afrikaans, despite substantial exposure to the latter. The SPD subject, whose cognitive profile was characterised by planning and attention deficits, but a strength in successive processing, presented with equal proficiency in both languages. The theoretical and clinical implications of this research are discussed.

Academic Literacy and Cognitive Processing: Effects on the Examination Outcomes of Speech-Language Pathology Students at a South African University

This study was conducted in the South African context, where education is in a state of transition. One of the central issues in higher education is the development of academic literacy. However, as a result of an inadequate focus on educational linguistics and a lack of explicit instruction in academic literacy, many students do not achieve their full potential. This study focuses on aspects of academic literacy in the examination responses of a group of students studying in the discipline of speech-language pathology. The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not there is a relationship between the students’ academic literacy skills and their ability to answer examination questions. By means of an exploratory retrospective longitudinal record review, the examination scripts of 20 students were rated for evidence of various academic literacy skills. The ratings were highly correlated to the actual examination marks in both years of study, suggesting that there is a need to incorporate explicit instruction in academic literacy to develop students’ metacognitive processes while reading and writing for academic purposes.

Phonemic awareness of English second language learners

Background The PA skills of phonological blending and segmentation and auditory word discrimination relate directly to literacy and may be weak in English second language (EL2) learners. In South Africa, literacy skills have been found to be poor in especially EL2 learners. Objectives The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of vowel perception and production intervention on phonemic awareness (PA) and literacy skills of Setswana first language (L1) learners. These learners are English second language (EL2) learners in Grade 3. Method The present study employed a quasi-experimental, pre-test–post-test design. Results The findings of low–literacy skill levels concurred with previous investigations. However, post-test results of intervention in PA seemed to improve the literacy skills of EL2 learners. Conclusion PA skills should be a crucial part of the literacy curriculum in South Africa.

Editorial to the South African Journal of Communication Disorders special issue

No abstract available.