Suzanne C. Hopf

Linguistic multi-competence of Fiji school students and their conversational partners

ABSTRACT This study explored linguistic multi-competence in Fiji students and their conversational partners through a description of linguistic diversity in one school community. Students’ caregivers (n = 75), teachers (n = 25) and year 4 students (n = 40) in an urban school of Fiji completed paper-based questionnaires regarding: 75 students, 75 mothers, 75 fathers, 25 child-minders, and 25 teachers (N = 275). Participants spoke an average of three languages, ranging between one and six languages including: English (99.2%), Standard Fijian (86.4%), a Fijian dialect (76.8%), Fiji Hindi (66.1%), and additional languages (41.7%, e.g. Standard Hindi, Rotuman, Samoan, Cook Island Maori, Bislama, and Japanese). The common main languages spoken by participants were Standard Fijian, Fiji Hindi, or English. The students typically spoke the main language of both or one of their parents (92%). Consistent with teacher, parental, and student report, English was the main language spoken by the students at school. In the community, the students’ language use was influenced by ethnicity of the communication partner and languages within the students’ repertoire. The students were more likely to code-switch with their father, mother, or siblings than their grandparents. This study demonstrates linguistic multi-competence and emphasises the importance of considering the individuals’ and communities’ total linguistic repertoire and competence.

Validation of the Intelligibility in Context Scale for school students in Fiji

ABSTRACT Fiji is a multilingual nation with few assessment tools addressing children’s communication. This article describes the validation of the Intelligibility in Context Scale for Fiji English, Standard Fijian, and Fiji Hindi. Informants were caregivers of 65 typically developing multilingual children (aged 5;3–10;5) attending a Fiji primary school. The students spoke an average of 2.9 languages (range = 1–5). Their main language was Standard Fijian (41.5%), Fiji Hindi (23.1%), Fiji English (20.0%), or Fijian dialect (15.4%). An ICS mean score of 4.6 was obtained for main language (ICS-ML) and 4.4 for Fiji English (ICS-FE) indicating that students were usually to always intelligible. There were no significant differences between main language, number of languages spoken, gender, age, or socio-economic status. Both scales had good internal consistency, but were not correlated with speech accuracy measures possibly due to ceiling effects. Further validation with younger children is recommended. The ICS may be a useful tool for Fiji with comparative results to other international studies.

Communication disability in Fiji: Community self-help and help-seeking support

Abstract Purpose: To understand how a Fijian community supports people with communication disability (PWCD) and whether their support is associated with participant demographics. Method: Thematic analysis of 144 questionnaires that asked about participants’ actions to support a fictional child and adult with communication disability. Result: Participant responses fell into two categories: what they would do directly (self-help) and people and places where they would seek assistance (help-seeking). Self-help behaviours included: making a change to their own communication style or mode; trying to change their own and others’ behaviour; teaching new skills; praying; changing the physical environment; seeking information independently; assessing or observing; and, using traditional medicine, western medicine, or traditional belief practices. Help-seeking behaviours included seeking help from: other community members; education professionals; a professional in another country; spiritual leaders; traditional belief practitioners; traditional medicine practitioners; western health care practitioners; or, an alternative provider (e.g. home, orphanage, nursing home). Younger participants and those of iTaukei Fijian ethnicity were more likely to seek help from other community members. Conclusion: This Fijian community actively supports people with communication disability within available networks. Development of speech-language pathology services for people with communication disability living in similar communities should harness the informal knowledge within these networks.

Communication Capacity Research in the Majority World: Supporting the human right to communication specialist services

Abstract Receipt of accessible and appropriate specialist services and resources by all people with communication and/or swallowing disability is a human right; however, it is a right rarely achieved in either Minority or Majority World contexts. This paper considers communication specialists’ efforts to provide sustainable services for people with communication difficulties living in Majority World countries. The commentary draws on human rights literature, particularly Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Communication Capacity Research program that includes: (1) gathering knowledge from policy and literature; (2) gathering knowledge from the community; (3) understanding speech, language and literacy use and proficiency; and (4) developing culturally and linguistically appropriate resources and assessments. To inform the development of resources and assessments that could be used by speech–language pathologists as well as other communication specialists in Fiji, the Communication Capacity Research program involved collection and analysis of data from multiple sources including 144 community members, 75 school students and their families, and 25 teachers. The Communication Capacity Research program may be applicable for achieving the development of evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustainable SLP services in similar contexts.

Fiji School Students’ Multilingual Language Choices When Talking with Friends

Abstract Purpose Fiji is a multicultural and linguistically multi-competent country. Historical ethnic divisions have socialised students into language friendships based around common languages. Recent changes to educational policy, specifically the mandating of students learning all three of the Standard languages of Fiji (Fijian, Hindi, and English), have been introduced in hope that cross-linguistic understanding will encourage a greater sense of national identity amongst all Fijians regardless of ethnicity. This study explores one multilingual school environment considering students’ language use, attitudes and friendships in light of these policies. Methodology/approach A convergent mixed-methods research design using surveying, artefact collection, students’ drawing and observation was employed. Findings The majority of students reported some proficiency in the language of their inter-ethnic peers; however, students’ inter-ethnic friendships predominantly relied on English language use. It was observed that most friendships amongst these Fijian primary school students were still established according to main language use at home; however, inter-ethnic peer interaction in English was observed to be friendly and respectful. These language use patterns and friendship behaviours were potentially reinforced by individual and societal multilingualism, in addition to the school environment. Originality/value The chapter presents the first research linking Fijian primary school students’ language choices and friendship development.

Innovations actively shaping speech-language pathology evidence-based practice

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a central tenet of standard practice set out as a professional standard for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The result of this professional focus on EBP is that speech-language pathology is an innovative profession that actively reflects on the outcomes of past practices and invests in our future practices to provide the best evidencebased care for our clients. Through challenging old assumptions and conventions, and striving for better evidence-based care, we ask ourselves, ‘‘Is this the best way?’’ and ‘‘Is there a better way to support this client?’’ The 2017 Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) National Conference theme, ‘‘Working and Investing in Future Innovations’’, embodied the spirit of innovation borne out of a desire for EBP. The myriad of ways that embodies the spirit of innovation borne out of a desire for EBP. The myriad of ways that SLPs are reflecting, questioning, and innovating to improve evidence-based care are reflected in the papers presented in the current special issue. The 2017 SPA National Conference theme attracted clinical and research workshops, presentations, and posters that demonstrated the strength of EBP and practice-based evidence. Fittingly, the conference was set in a new and innovative presentation space where participants were immersed in a melting pot of knowledge that seamlessly blended traditional conference procedures and protocols with new technologies (e.g. ePosters) and methods of knowledge dissemination (e.g. trending #SPAconf social media hashtag). Conference papers evaluated novel ways that SLPs are applying well-known assessment (e.g. conversation and traumatic brain injury communities; Brunner, Hemsley, Togher, Dann, & Palmer 2017), intervention (e.g. telehealth and social communication therapy; Garnett, Davidson, & Eadie, 2017), and research (e.g. Language Environment Analysis; Choo, Dettman, Dowell, & Cowan, 2017) methods. Especially engaging were opportunities to hear first-hand about the experiences of clients and their families who had worked with SLPs (Kitchin et al., 2017). The 2017 conference highlighted SLPs’ engagement in self-evaluation of practice and that we stand together to share, learn, and grow the knowledge base of our profession. The papers that are presented in this special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language reflect the diversity of topics, settings, and professionals who presented at this conference. Eight articles appear in this special issue, with three of these representing the invited papers from the keynote speakers. In the Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture paper, Professor Tricia McCabe articulates principles from behavioural economics that inspire SLPs to practice what we preach; namely, to strive for evidence-based practice through understanding the tensions that exist in achieving this goal (McCabe, 2018). McCabe hypothesised that tensions and disconnect between evidence and practice can be managed more effectively when we take the time to analyse and recognise positive and negative behavioural patterns in our work. McCabe suggests that when we understand and embrace these behavioural patterns and challenges there is a collective advantage for our clients, colleagues and our profession as a whole. Associate Professor Emily Plowman’s keynote address on neural plasticity and rehabilitation challenged traditional conventions and thus resonated with Professor McCabe’s call to view our existing practices in new ways. The paper in this issue, by Plowman and Humbert, extends Plowman’s keynote and brings in material covered during an associated

Cultural and linguistic diversity in speech-language pathology

Embracing cultural and linguistic diversity in speech-language pathology is a necessity of an increasingly globalized world. Currently, the research evidence upon which speech-language pathology practice is based is still largely drawn from western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) societies; and assumptions are made that these data are generalizable to all human populations without consideration of the vast diversity that exists between societies (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). Across the world, professional bodies are recognizing the need for increased research regarding culturally and linguistically diverse populations to ensure that recommendations for practice are based upon the best available evidence (Goldstein, 2012; International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children’s Speech, 2012; RCSLT Specific Interest Group in Bilingualism, 2007; Speech Pathology Australia, 2009). This special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology responds to the need for embracing cultural and linguistic diversity by providing data to support practice with diverse populations. Indeed, the impetus for the special issue was the number of manuscripts received by the editor-in-chief that addressed this need. Three key topics are covered in this special issue. These are: (1) the acquisition of speech and language in diverse languages; (2) the impact of the communicative environment and interlocutors upon multilingual children’s language use; and (3) enhancing the identification of speech and language difficulties in multilingual speakers. Speech and language acquisition is influenced by conversational context. As a result, patterns of speech and language acquisition vary depending on language exposure, proficiency and use. Understanding these patterns in diverse languages is essential for SLPs’ clinical decision-making, as highlighted in four papers in this special issue. Másdóttir and Stokes (2016) and PhAm and McLeod (2016) make critical advances in the understanding of speech acquisition and phonemic inventories in two languages for which these data have rarely been published in English: Icelandic and Vietnamese. The study of children’s consonant acquisition in Icelandic (Másdóttir & Stokes, 2016) importantly adds further evidence to support studies in other languages (e.g., English: Dinnsen, Chin, Elbert, & Powell, 1990) that have found phonological acquisition in children is influenced by an implicational hierarchy of phonetic features. PhAm and McLeod (2016) acknowledge the rich diversity in one of the world’s most commonly spoken native languages through a detailed description of the differences between the consonants, semivowels, vowels, diphthongs and tones for four main dialects of Vietnamese: Standard, Northern, Central and Southern. Whilst Han, Brebner, and McAllister (2016) and Klintö, Salameh, and Lohmander (2016) consider languages previously reported, the populations on which they focus are under-reported. Specifically, Han et al. (2016) discuss the complexities of speech and language acquisition in bidialectal and bilingual Chinese speakers and Klintö et al. (2016) describe the speech acquisition patterns of Swedish-speaking children with unilateral cleft lip and palate. All four papers enrich our understanding of speech and language acquisition and reinforce the need for careful consideration of every language in a speaker’s repertoire when making clinical decisions. The impact of the communicative environment and interlocutors upon multilingual children’s language use are described in two papers. Dennaoui, Nicholls, O’Connor, Tarasuik, Kvalsvig, and Goldfeld (2016) and Rojas, Iglesias, Bunta, Goldstein, Goldenberg, and Reese (2016) support