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English Language Learners

Information about English Language Learners and the difficulties they may have with the English Language

  • Limited English proficient students: not born in the United States or native language is not English

    • ages 3-21​

  • Interference: aka transfer. the incorporation of language features into a nonnative language based on the occurrence of similar features in the native language

  • Silent period: a period of time when a child may speak very little as she or he focuses on understanding the new language

  • Code switching: aka code mixing. a developmental process in which English language learners alternate between language 1 and  language 2

    • also refers to the changing back and forth between dialects

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Spanish American English

  • There are many dialects and language variations of Spanish

  • Vowels not in Spanish Inventory: [ɪ, ɛ, æ, ʊ, ʌ, ə, ɝ, ɚ]

    • ex. /sɪk/ would be pronounced as /sik/​

  • Consonants not in Spanish Inventory: [v, z, ð, θ, ʃ, ʒ, dʒ]

    • ex. /hæv/ would be pronounced as /hæf/​

  • No [s] is any blend in the initial position

Vietnamese American English

  • Vietnamese is a tone language

  • Vowels not in Vietnamese Inventory: [ɪ, ʊ, ɝ, ɚ] and most diphthongs

    • ex. /pɪk/ would be pronounced as /pik/​

  • Consonants not in Vietnamese Inventory: [g, ð, θ] and in some dialects: [v, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ]

    • ex. /ðɪs/ would be pronounced as /tɪs/​

  • No consonant clusters

    • so reduce blends or insert schwa​

Korean American English

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  • Vowels not in Korean Inventory: [ɪ, æ, ʊ, ɝ, ɚ]

    • ex. /ʃɪp/ would be pronounced as /ʃik/​

  • Consonants not in Koran Inventory: [f, v, ʃ, ʒ, ð, θ, ɹ, j]

    • no distinction between [ɹ] and [l]

  • No consonant clusters in syllable-initial or final​

Cantonese American English

  • Vietnamese is a tone language

  • Vowels not in Cantonese Inventory: [æ, a, ʌ, ə, ɝ, ɚ]

    • ex. /ist/ would be pronounced as /jist/​

  • Consonants not in Cantonese Inventory: [v, z, ʃ, ʒ, ð, θ, ɹ]

    • no voiced syllable final plosives

    • ex. /rob/ would be pronounced as /rop/​

  • No consonant clusters

    • so delete blends or insert schwa​

Filipino/Tagalog American English

  • Vowels not in Filipino/Tagalog Inventory: [ɪ, ɛ, æ, ʊ, ʌ, ə, ɝ, ɚ]

    • ex. /kʌp/ would be pronounced as /kap/​

  • Consonants not in Filipino/Tagalog Inventory: [f, v, z, ʒ, ð, θ]

    • no voiced syllable final plosives

    • ex. /ðe/ would be pronounced as /ze/​

  • No consonant clusters (some in initial position from borrowed words)

    • so reduce blends or insert schwa​

Hmong American English

  • Vowels not in Hmong Inventory: [ɪ, ɛ, ʊ, o, ʌ, ə, ɝ, ɚ]

    • no central vowels

  • Consonants not in Filipino/Tagalog Inventory: [ʃ, ʒ, ð, θ, w, ɹ]​

  • No consonant clusters

Arabic American English

  • Vowels not in Arabic Inventory: [ɪ, e, ɛ, æ, o, ʊ, ʌ, ə, ɝ, ɚ]

    • no central vowels

  • Consonants not in Arabic Inventory: [p]. Inconsistent productions [b, g, v, ʒ, tʃ]​

  • Fewer consonant clusters

Bauman-Wängler, J. A. (2020). Articulation and phonology in speech sound disorders: a clinical focus (6th ed.). Hoboken: Pearson Education.

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