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Bilingual development: Challenging myths and building equity through collaboration

Genesis D. Arizmendi, PhD, CCC-SLP

University of Arizona�Bilingual Initiatives Symposium, 2024

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Agenda

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Introduction

Parent and teacher reports

Myths

Initiatives

Questions

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Objectives

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Recognize and address

Recognize and address the challenges parents face in preserving and passing on their heritage language.

Advocate

Advocate for collaborative practices to dispel deficit-oriented views of bilingualism and provide consistent messaging across disciplines.

Implement

Implement culturally-responsive collaborations to address educational and healthcare disparities driven by myths.

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Background

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Background

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Background

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Background

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Background

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Clinical and Research Training

Clinical Experience - all Latino students + families

• Early Intervention

• Elementary and Middle Schools

• Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic – Pediatric emphasis

• Home health - Telehealth

​

Postdoctoral Training – UNM:EdPsych & UT Austin:SpEd

• Cognition, Math, and Academic Achievement in EB Children

• Culturally Responsive Test and Intervention Development

​

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Sample Footer Text

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What I learned

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There is a disconnect in what parents and families share with me

There is a disconnect among school professionals in working with one another and with our students

There is a disconnect in the evidence-based practices that are implemented for our students

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As a clinician

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Hard lessons about the realities and gaps in educational and healthcare service due to:

    • Language barriers
    • Cultural barriers
    • Lack of transportation
    • Lack of childcare
    • Few to no providers in rural communities
    • Few to no providers that can communicate in the language of the patient

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As a clinician

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Hard lessons about the realities and gaps in educational and healthcare service due to:

    • Language barriers
    • Cultural barriers
    • Lack of transportation
    • Lack of childcare
    • Few to no providers in rural communities
    • Few to no providers that can communicate in the language of the patient

Impacting the quality of educational and healthcare services that my community receives due to their cultural and linguistic backgrounds and limited training on the professionals’ serving my community.

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Parents

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“The pediatrician told me to stick to English only since he appeared to be having trouble learning both languages”

“Me dijo la maestra que nomas le hable en inglés para que no se confunda”

“I wanted my child to learn both Spanish and English but I kept hearing that it could lead to delays”

“No quiero que se atrace en la escuela”

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What’s going on?

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At the university and other research-based settings, I knew I had my clinical experience to support what families shared with me.

Anecdotal evidence, not supported by the literature

Disconnect between what is going on in the research world vs. what is going on in the real world.

There is both a research to practice gap and a practice to research gap across disciplines and settings.

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My goal after graduation in 2019: Building an interdisciplinary lens and network building among educational and healthcare professionals

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School professionals in training

  • Minimal exposure to: language development, milestones, bilingual developmental differences, interdisciplinary collaboration with speech-language pathologists and related providers, markers of developmental delays and disabilities

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Where’s the proof?

Time to collect data

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February-April 2023�Nationwide study for teachers and Spanish-speaking parents and bilingual parents��Funding:�University of Texas at Austin Provost Early Career Fellows Program

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What I learned

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Not surprised

Very disappointed

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Participants

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Parent background

Bilingual

Spanish monolingual

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Spanish parents

N=525

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In general, I would say my household speaks Spanish...

I am the ___________ of a child under 18 years of age in the household

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Bilingual parents

N=525

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In general, I would say my household speaks Spanish...

I am the ___________ of a child under 18 years of age in the household

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Parents and language development

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Spanish parents

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I have worried about teaching my children Spanish because of concerns ____________.

que no aprenderían inglés

11%

 

que no encajarían en la escuela

11%

 

que no aprenderían en la escuela

20%

 

que ellos serían discriminados

17%

 

que no sonarían como un hablante nativo de inglés

14%

 

de que el inglés es importante para el éxito en este país

32%

 

nunca me ha preocupado enseñarle español a mi hijo/a

36%

 

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Bilingual parents

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I have worried about teaching my children Spanish because of concerns ____________.

that they would not learn English

11%

 

that they would not fit in at school

14%

 

that they would not learn in school

9%

 

that they would be discriminated against

18%

 

that they would not sound like a native speaker of English

11%

 

that English is important for success in this country

16%

 

I have never been worried about teaching my child Spanish

57%

 

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Spanish parents

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Have you ever heard of language disorder?

Do you know what a speech-language pathologist does?

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Bilingual parents

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Have you ever heard of language disorder?

Do you know what a speech-language pathologist does?

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Limited accessibility to profession and available resources

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Common myths

Buckle up

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Spanish parents

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I’ve been told that my child should only hear English so that they don’t get confused with learning two languages.

Who has told you that your child should only hear English so they don't get confused?

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Bilingual parents

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I’ve been told that my child should only hear English so that they don’t get confused with learning two languages.

Who has told you that your child should only hear English so they don't get confused?

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I’ve been told that children that are learning two languages are more likely to have learning disabilities.

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Spanish parents

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I’ve been told that children that are learning two languages are more likely to have learning disabilities.

Who has told you that children that are learning two languages are more likely to have learning disabilities?

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Bilingual parents

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I’ve been told that children that are learning two languages are more likely to have learning disabilities.

Who has told you that children that are learning two languages are more likely to have learning disabilities?

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I’ve been told that children that are learning two languages are more likely to have learning disabilities.

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Spanish parents

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I have been told that my child would be slower to develop their language skills because they would be learning two languages.

I have been told that my child would be slower to develop their language skills because they would be learning two languages.

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Bilingual parents

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I have been told that my child would be slower to develop their language skills because they would be learning two languages.

I have been told that my child would be slower to develop their language skills because they would be learning two languages.

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I have been told that my child would be slower to develop their language skills because they would be learning two languages.

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Teacher surveys

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Participants

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Teacher background

Educational contexts

N = 1267

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Teachers

NABE 2024

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What grade(s) do you currently teach?

What kind of teacher are you?

Are you currently working in a:

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Teachers

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My teacher training was:

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

How many years of teaching experience do you have?

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Interprofessional training and cultural competence

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Teachers

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My _______________ prepared me to work with students with speech, language, and communication disorders.

My ____________ prepared me to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students (e.g., "English learners", students who use another dialect, bilinguals, non-White).

My _________ prepared me to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students with speech, language, and communication disorders.

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Teachers

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Teachers would be more well prepared to serve students if there was more training in ________.

physical development

6

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fine motor movement

7

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language development

3

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communication disorders

2

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learning disabilities

1

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cultural and linguistic responsiveness

5

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sensory differences

4

​

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Common myths

Buckle up

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Teachers

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I think that children learning two languages get confused with using their languages.

Strongly �disagree

Strongly �agree

I think that children should only hear one language if it looks like they're confused with more than one.

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Teachers

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I think that children learning two languages get confused with using their languages.

Strongly �disagree

Strongly �agree

I think that children should only hear one language if it looks like they're confused with more than one.

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Teachers

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Strongly �disagree

Strongly �agree

I think that children learning two languages are at greater risk of having language delays and/or learning disabilities.

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What to do?

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WE CAN’T DO IT ALL.

More interprofessional collaboration

Work with your network of professionals

Learn from one another

Ask for help!

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Education and collaboration is key!

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Initiatives – Current offerings

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SLHS 435/535 Bilingualism, Multiculturalism, Non-Mainstream Dialects*

Multicultural Bilingual Certificate*

Research in the BABEL Lab

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Initiatives – Upcoming

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CGSC 305 Bilingual Language and Learning*

Multicultural Bilingual Certificate*

Spanish in SLHS*

HSI Grant Proposal: Improving access and career awareness

Más!!!!!!!! With you? ☺

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