This article suggests a method to deal with cross-linguistic differences in children with Specific Language Impairment. The differences in vulnerable structures reflect typological properties of the surrounding language (e.g., Leonard 2014a, 2014b). This article adds a developmental perspective to the discussion by interpreting the vulnerable…

This report summarizes and further develops ideas discussed at a national working session held on May 23, 2014, to examine issues and options associated with initially classifying English learners (ELs). It is the third in a series of guidance papers intended to support states in large-scale assessment consortia that are expected to move toward a…

Coursebook evaluation helps practitioners decide on the most appropriate coursebook to be exploited. Moreover, evaluation process enables to predict the potential strengths and weaknesses of a given coursebook. Checklist method is probably the most widely adopted way of judging coursebooks and there are plenty of ELT coursebook evaluation…

This paper examines the role of orthographic information used during training on the ability to learn a non-native vowel contrast. We investigate whether exposure to novel grapheme-to-phoneme correspondences can help learners in the acquisition of a new phonological contrast. Three related experiments were carried out on the acquisition of the…

This article describes a procedure to aid in the clinical appraisal of child speech. The approach, based on the work by Dinnsen, Chin, Elbert, and Powell (1990; Some constraints on functionally disordered phonologies: Phonetic inventories and phonotactics. "Journal of Speech and Hearing Research", 33, 28-37), uses a railway idiom to track gains in…

Over 2000 samples of the writing of eleven to eighteen year olds were analyzed as part of an attempt to formulate and validate a system for categorizing student writing. The system that resulted has two dimensions: the function served by the piece of writing and the audience to which it is addressed. Significant associations were found between the…

The taxonomy developed by J. Klecan-Aker et al. to investigate the use of various speech acts in response to questions during a structured picture-description task was evaluated. Results indicated that the taxonomy was sufficient to handle the responses of a group of 12 language-impaired children, aged 7-11. (JDD)

Six children were studied from the age of 6 months to 1 year and 6 months to chart their developing comprehension vocabularies from the first to the 100th word. Observational data were used in the first instance to identify newly comprehended words and then controlled testing was carried out for each word to confirm and expand the observational…

Improvements in English-language skills made by hearing-impaired students can be assessed using the taxonomy of semantic development phases from L. Bloom and M. Lahey. Teachers are encouraged to transcribe, code, and analyze bimodal language samples and to write both form and content language objectives for hearing-impaired students. (JDD)

Systems for classifying speakers' communicative intents are typically limited in scope, in applicability across the full developmental range of language abilities and disabilities, and in their theoretical foundations. Criteria for an adequate system for analyzing communicative intents are discussed, and a system is proposed which meets those…

This article examines the difficulties in diagnosing Asperger syndrome (AS) and differentiating AS from autism. It stresses the need for gathering a developmental history and reviews considerations in conducting different assessments related to medical condition, psychological condition, communication, language, occupational and physical therapy,…

This document compiles abstracts of papers that were presented at a 3-day conference of experts which developed a consensus statement on early identification of hearing impairment in infants and young children. Papers addressed taxonomy; epidemiology; developmental consequences of early hearing impairment; methodology, instrumentation, and…