Individual Versus Small Group Treatment of Morphological Errors for Children With Developmental Language Disorder

Purpose: This study examines the effects of enhanced conversational recast for treating morphological errors in preschoolers with developmental language disorder. The study assesses the effectiveness of this treatment in an individual or group (n = 2) setting and the possible benefits of exposing a child to his or her partner's treatment target in addition to his or her own. Method: Twenty children were assigned to either an individual (n = 10) or group (n = 10, 2 per group) condition. Each child received treatment for 1 morpheme (the target morpheme) for approximately 5 weeks. Children in the group condition had a different target from their treatment partner. Pretreatment and end treatment probes were used to compare correct usage of the target morpheme and a control morpheme. For children in the group condition, the correct usage of their treatment partner's target morpheme was also examined. Results: Significant treatment effects occurred for both treatment conditions only for morphemes treated directly (target morpheme). There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment conditions at the end of treatment or at follow-up. Children receiving group treatment did not demonstrate significant gains in producing their partner's target despite hearing the target modeled during treatment. Conclusions: This study provides the evidence base for enhanced conversational recast treatment in a small group setting, a treatment used frequently in school settings. Results indicate the importance of either attention to the recast or expressive practice (or both) to produce gains with this treatment.acceptedVersio

Accent modification as a raciolinguistic ideology: a commentary in response to Burda et al. (2022)

In this commentary, we collectively examine a recent article titled “Effectiveness of Intense Accent Modification Training with Refugees from Burma” by Burda et al. (2022). Whilst our response is aimed at revealing the theoretical and methodological shortcomings of Burda et al., it will also expose the raciolinguistic ideologies in accent modification and highlight the need for careful ethical considerations on vulnerable populations, such as refugees and asylum seekers

The Acquisition of African American English by Spanish-Speaking Preschoolers

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the phonological development of Spanish-speaking preschoolers who are acquiring African American English (AAE) in North Carolina (NC). Understanding the phonological structure of the Spanish-AAE language combination will improve diagnostic accuracy for this group of children. Method: Four Black monolingual children and four Latinx bilingual children were evaluated across morphosyntactic and phonological measures in order to determine the characteristics of AAE produced by bilingual children as compared to their monolingual AAE-speaking peers. Each bilingual participant is discussed in a case series highlighting their unique sociolinguistic variables in relation to their nonmainstream dialect use. Each bilingual child is compared to their monolingual peers across PCC-R, accuracy on early-, middle-, and late-developing sounds, and rate of phonological processes. The bilingual children from NC are then compared to their bilingual counterparts in Arizona (AZ) who do not have direct contact with AAE. Results: The bilingual children produced both phonological features and morphosyntactic features of AAE at about the same rate. They produced less types and features of AAE overall than their monolingual AAE-speaking peers. They produced the phonological features of AAE in a manner that is different from that of their monolingual peers. Their performance across measures of speech sound ability were comparable to that of their monolingual peers when dialect was accounted for in the scoring procedure. The AZ cohort produced a comparable amount of AAE phonological features as the NC cohort, indicating historical contact with AAE through Chicano English. The performance of the two groups was similar across traditional measures of phonological ability Conclusion: The majority of the bilingual children’s nonmainstream features were due to the influence of Spanish. Still, AAE appears to have a specific influence on their speech-language development. Accounting for this influence is important for achieving accurate diagnosis. The acquisition patterns demonstrated by the bilingual children in this study indicates the importance of obtaining substantial sociolinguistic information about a child’s environment from parents and teachers

Individual Versus Small Group Treatment of Morphological Errors for Children With Developmental Language Disorder

Purpose: This study examines the effects of enhanced conversational recast for treating morphological errors in preschoolers with developmental language disorder. The study assesses the effectiveness of this treatment in an individual or group (n = 2) setting and the possible benefits of exposing a child to his or her partner's treatment target in addition to his or her own. Method: Twenty children were assigned to either an individual (n = 10) or group (n = 10, 2 per group) condition. Each child received treatment for 1 morpheme (the target morpheme) for approximately 5 weeks. Children in the group condition had a different target from their treatment partner. Pretreatment and end treatment probes were used to compare correct usage of the target morpheme and a control morpheme. For children in the group condition, the correct usage of their treatment partner's target morpheme was also examined. Results: Significant treatment effects occurred for both treatment conditions only for morphemes treated directly (target morpheme). There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment conditions at the end of treatment or at follow-up. Children receiving group treatment did not demonstrate significant gains in producing their partner's target despite hearing the target modeled during treatment. Conclusions: This study provides the evidence base for enhanced conversational recast treatment in a small group setting, a treatment used frequently in school settings. Results indicate the importance of either attention to the recast or expressive practice (or both) to produce gains with this treatment

Gaps in framing and naming: commentary to a viewpoint on accent services

Purpose: In this commentary, we offer a critique of A Viewpoint on Accent Services: Framing and Terminology Matter (Grover et al., 2021). We argue that the authors’ proposal to rename and reframe accent modification lacks criticality, which actually hinders rather than advances the movement towards equitable, culturally sustaining, and emancipatory practices. Method: We offer an analysis of the shortfall between the authors’ calls for linguistic justice in A Viewpoint on Accent Services and the actual changes they proposed. We break down major gaps in criticality, reflexivity, practice, and vision and discuss their potential for undercutting meaningful progress as it relates to linguistic justice. Results: We found that the frameworks for the pursuit of equity, cultural-sustenance, and emancipatory practices were misrepresented in the article in such a way that suggests that these goals could be achieved through superficial changes in terminology and attitudes. A Viewpoint on Accent Services upholds a power-neutral frame of operation that does not address the deeper systemic forces that make accent modification problematic. The lack of criticality towards accent intervention fosters complacency towards real transformation. Conclusion: We advocate for a serious and critical interrogation of accent practices and commitment to an emancipatory practice that addresses linguistic discrimination above all else. We emphasize the need to decenter standardized languages and to co-envision linguistic liberation using critical methods in scholarship, pedagogy, clinical practice and policy