Second Language Competence Beneficial but often Misunderstood

Second language learning has associated with it many types of benefits. Among them include: social, economic, intellectual and linguistic. Children who engage in second language learning typically outperform their peers in the area of vocabulary development as well as intellectual development. As important as learning a second language is, learners can be viewed as experiencing difficulties with language development when in reality they are displaying linguistic differences.

There is often a period of time when a second language learner is viewed to not speak much, this is due to their processing information in the new language and has been termed as the silent period. Additionally, speaking with an "accent" is a normal part of second language learning because the person is using the sounding system of the first language while speaking the new one. Often, help is required so that the person can enjoy positive communication interactions with others in the second language.

Children who come from homes where English is not the primary language also are at risk within the educational system of being labeled as special and deficient when in reality they have not acquired enough English to be able to succeed in school. Specialized support is often needed for children like these and is not always provided by school districts. The topic of second language acquisition is one that needs to be better understood and supported in our social, educational and business communities.

Clearly, this help is available to those who seek it out. When doing so, please make sure the professional you choose has a background in second language learning and has access to research and experience in best practices relevant to providing language support to English language learners. This can make the difference between a child receiving the help they need when they need it or being referred to a restrictive setting like special education. For accent training, it is important to look for a professional with a background in articulation, sound systems, and second language learning which will enable them best to understand your situation and tailor a program that will suit your needs.

Deborah Chitester MS CCC SLP is a bilingual Speech Language Pathologist who has extensive expertise with second language learners and provides accent training services as well. Her practice is Second Language Literacy and Learning Connection, LLC. She is working on a book and a tutorial to be used by teachers in schools so as to minimize the amount of second language children being referred to special education due to the presence of second language differences. She also provides supports and education to parents in order that they learn valid information concerning how to raise bilingual children.Please see our website http://www.slllc.org

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Google News Updated : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:55:22 GMT As Web Traffic Grows, Crashes Take Bigger Toll - New York Times Canada.com As Web Traffic Grows, Crashes Take Bigger Toll New York Times - 10 hours ago By BRAD STONE SAN FRANCISCO - Alex Payne, a 24-year-old Internet engineer here, has devised a way to answer a commonly asked question of the digital age: Is my favorite Web site working today? MSFT’s acquisition of Powerset is not about search ZDNet Powerset Grab Shows Microsoft's Commitment To Search InformationWeek ReadWriteWeb - Ars Technica - Inquirer - PC Magazine all 284 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:32:17 GMT A Side Competition in Beijing: Island vs. Mainland - New York Times Xinhua A Side Competition in Beijing: Island vs. Mainland New York Times - 14 hours ago The Taiwanese Olympic table tennis team practicing at Kaohsiung. Taiwanese players have hopes of winning medals next month in a sport China has dominated. KMT honorary chairman hails weekend charter flights, mainland ... Xinhua Taiwan tour operators sceptical about China boom Economic Times AllAfrica.com - International Herald Tribune - Wall Street Journal - BBC News all 902 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:16:20 GMT ECB's dovish tone weakens euro - Financial Times ECB's dovish tone weakens euro Financial Times - 56 minutes ago By Peter Garnham The euro sold off sharply this week after the European Central Bank signalled it was not planning another rise in eurozone interest rates. France's Sarkozy Questions If ECB Rate Increase `Reasonable' Bloomberg Fighting Inflation, Europeans Raise Rate New York Times MarketWatch - Reuters - Forbes - Wall Street Journal all 1,859 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:59:10 GMT Jesse Helms, former senator, conservative icon, dies - Newsday Wall Street Journal Jesse Helms, former senator, conservative icon, dies Newsday - 8 hours ago Jesse Helms, the former five-term US senator from North Carolina whose relish for thwarting initiatives he opposed as too liberal earned him the nickname "Senator No," died Friday at age 86. Video: A Look Back At Jesse Helms CBS NC Senator's Hard-Line Conservatism Helped Craft Republican Social ... Washington Post Wall Street Journal - Boston Globe - San Jose Mercury News - Washington Times all 2,328 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:58:21 GMT Obama Predicts Political ‘Realignment,’ Tries to Put Montana in Play - FOXNews New York Daily News Obama Predicts Political ‘Realignment,’ Tries to Put Montana in Play FOXNews - Jul 4, 2008 by FOXNews.com Barack Obama takes questions from supporters during a campaign stop in Fargo, ND, Thursday, before heading to Montana. Obama to set up shop in South Carolina The State Obama's centrist emphasis gives GOP ammo Austin American-Statesman Fort Worth Star Telegram - Los Angeles Times - Times Online - Wall Street Journal all 1,282 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:22:26 GMT Google trying to take privacy seriously - ZDNet Boston Globe Google trying to take privacy seriously ZDNet - 7 hours ago This week was a very interesting week as far as Google and privacy goes. First, a burglary (the same on that affected CNET earlier last month) was confirmed to have affected all Google employees hired before December 31, 2005. Court order on YouTube user data fans privacy fears Reuters Finding Fault With Google's Privacy Policy Slashdot Washington Post - BusinessWeek - Los Angeles Times - InternetNews.com all 901 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:49:42 GMT Oil Prices Drive Stocks to Bear Market - Washington Post Boston Globe Oil Prices Drive Stocks to Bear Market Washington Post - 1 hour ago US stocks fell last week, giving the Dow Jones industrial average a 20 percent bear-market drop from October's all-time high as record oil prices threatened global economic growth. A Bear Market, Mauling Not Included New York Times Stocks end mixed following jobs, services data The Associated Press CNBC - Bloomberg - Forbes - Pittsburgh Post Gazette all 641 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:50:10 GMT Clickbank Affiliate Work From Home

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