Bilingual SLP

[combustiblecake]

Hi guys!

 

So I'm sorry if this has been discussed once or many times before, but I wanted to know if anyone in here is looking into working with bilingual clients. I'm definitely looking into this (I'm a native speaker in Spanish and have worked with Portuguese, French and Italian) as I'm interested in working with diverse populations. 

 

Does anyone know any good bilingual programs out there? Do bilingual speech language pathologists work with many ages, or just children? Am I limited to one other language (Spanish)? I'm looking into improving my portuguese to be useful for the portuguese-speaking population as well. 

 

 

Thanks!

[karita]

There are tons of great bilingual SLP programs! University of Arizona, University of Texas- Austin, UNC-Chapel Hill (I think), Indiana University- Bloomington, Marquette University... just to name a few. If you go to ASHA's edfind and use the Browse EdFine feature, you can select 'Bilingual Emphasis" or something like that to search more programs.

 

You should have opportunities to work with various populations. I know bilingual SLP's in my area are very high in demand, both in schools and in the medical field. It might be a good idea to look at the focus of a particular program that your interested in to see if it aligns with your future plans. You are definitely not limited to one language depending on the area you work in, but as far as programs that focus on Portuguese.. I have no idea!

[autismadvocate]

In addition to what karita said, Texas State also has a bilingual track, and Florida International University (in Miami) either has a bilingual track or emphasis. I don't know of a single program that doesn't focus on Spanish, but I'm hoping that what I learn with Spanish will also apply to other bilingual children (I also speak Mandarin Chinese, but finding a program that focuses on that seemed pretty impossible).

 

Bilingual speech pathologists can work with all kinds of ages, and once you're actually working you'll find that being multilingual is in high demand. You'll also be able to work with whatever bilingual students you want - what you learned about bilingual Spanish speakers should apply to your other languages as well. The types of bilingual students you get will probably depend on what location you're at and what type of immigrant population and/or border is nearby (North more likely to find French, etc).

 

Good luck!

[tchris]

I'm very interested in working with bilingual clients (Spanish in particular, so my advice may be a little weighted toward that).  I met with a professor that I was interested in working with and he gave me this advice:  

 

Top bilingual programs:

Marquette

Temple

UT Austin

San Diego State (I think.  I know it was one in CA but I wasn't interested in going there so it didn't really stick)

Arizona

 

These are the programs that are cranking out the most research.  Of course, there are other programs that are listed as having a "bilingual emphasis," but you may want to contact them to see exactly what this means.  I found that sometimes it just means they have an opportunity to go abroad for a week or two or they have a bilingual language lab. 

 

One thing to consider is what aspect of bilingual language you're most interested in.  Each of the above programs has a particular area of language that it focuses on.  For example, Temple does phonology while some of the others do narrative development or morphology.  So, if there's an area that you're interested in, it's worth it to contact the professors and ask about their specialties.  I found it very helpful to look up publications done by professors at each school.  Also, the schools differ in how the "bilingual emphasis" group interacts with the "normal" group. In some programs, the two groups function as two separate cohorts, where they rarely interact with each other.  In others, they're treated as the same cohort except the bilingual group takes different elective programs.  

 

I found it unbelievably helpful to meet with somebody that knew what they were talking about.  I would recommend starting to look up some publications in areas you may want to research and contacting the professors and programs that share your interest.  Don't be afraid to start emailing.  You may get mixed results, but the professors tend to appreciate someone being interested in their research.

[caterpillar]

Portland State also has a bilingual track.

[SLPamy]

I am not a native Spanish speaker, but I am applying to a bunch of bilingual programs (all of them in my sig except Northwestern and UIUC). Even if a program says that they have a "bilingual" or "multicultural" track, you should research what the program entails. Some schools have additional classes you have to take that will teach you about serving bilingual populations or things like Spanish phonetics (Marquette, UT-Texas, Indiana-Bloomington) while others just try to place you with bilingual/monolingual Spanish-speaking clients and may offer an independent study in an area related to serving bilingual clients (Chapel Hill). I also think that some schools are willing to give you bilingual clients/placements even if they do not have an established bilingual track, especially for native speakers.

[TerapistaRae]

I'm applying to bilingual programs, and Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, Texas State University, and Texas Christian University, as well as University of Texas at Austin all have awesome programs. I know there's a university in Arizona that has a great one too.

 

Just remember this: being a native speaker of Spanish doesn't automatically mean you know the phonological norms and development of a Spanish speaker! For example, /t/ and /d/, alveolars in English, are dental sounds in Spanish! (I took Spanish Phonetics because I double majored in Spanish). Here's a helpful article that most aspiring bilingual professionals will find informative: www.pediastaff.com/uploads/resources/abad_0707.pdf‎

 

Also, don't get too worked up about "rankings'. Go to the school that has the professors and facilities that best meet your needs. After all, if it wasn't a good program, ASHA wouldn't have approved it!

 

Best of luck to you!

Edited February 6, 2014 by TerapistaRae

[wait_a_moment]

I know that Arizona State has a great bilingual program (that's where I applied). I also know that University of Arizona (a VERY highly ranked program) just started a bilingual track this year (13-14).

 

I have a BA in Spanish and studied in Costa Rica. I am currently working as a bilingual SLPA in a school district in AZ. I am part of the district's speech and language evaluation team, and I go do Spanish speech and language screenings, and I also translate parent input from Spanish to English.

[TerapistaRae]

I got into Texas Christian University's bilingual program with 80% funding! I was told they focus more on clinical applications, but they still do some awesome research (it's private). Also, they have study abroad trips to Australia and Chile (this year) and China (next summer). It's my dream school, but there is another school I would consider (Texas State San Marcos), so I'm waiting to see if they offer me admission. Anyone else going to TCU's bilingual program?

[autismadvocate]

Congratulations, felicidades, and 恭喜 TerapistaRae! (Sorry, I thought that was appropriate for a bilingual thread, lol.) I didn't apply there, but I'm very excited to hear your great news!!!!! :)

[TerapistaRae]

AutismAdvocate,

 

Muchas gracias! Que bueno que sepas tantos idiomas! Seguramente te aceptarán en cualquier univerisad que has solicitado I went to University of Central Florida for undergrad. While they don't have a bilingual emphasis, they might still have an ELL grant program with Dr. Rosa-Lugo (who is awesome). They have a great faculty and living in Orlando is just plain fun. I also applied to Texas State. I REALLY like their facilities and research, so I'm hoping I get in there too to keep my options open! Keep me posted

[combustiblecake]

Me siento TAN contenta de ver que en Estados Unidos se le de importancia a la patología del habla bilingüe. Espero ser aceptada en mi tiempo de aplicación, este tema me interesa muchísimo.

 

I wanted to share with the bilingual pack this website one of the PhD students at my school made about language difference and language disorder: http://www.honeybeeconnection.com/

 

¡Felicitaciones en tu aceptación, TerapistaRae!

Edited February 23, 2014 by waitwhichgaby

[autismadvocate]

AutismAdvocate,

 

Muchas gracias! Que bueno que sepas tantos idiomas! Seguramente te aceptarán en cualquier univerisad que has solicitado I went to University of Central Florida for undergrad. While they don't have a bilingual emphasis, they might still have an ELL grant program with Dr. Rosa-Lugo (who is awesome). They have a great faculty and living in Orlando is just plain fun. I also applied to Texas State. I REALLY like their facilities and research, so I'm hoping I get in there too to keep my options open! Keep me posted

 

¡Espero que sí! Pero lo que me hace nerviosa es que no hablo de nivel nativa en chino ni español. Hablo muy bien y puedo comunicar todo lo que necesito, pero como no son mis lenguas maternas, falto un poco. Me dicen que por esa razón nadie va a permitirme trabajar como SLP bilingüe.

 

 Here's hoping we all get into the schools we want! :)

[SLPamy]

First of all, congrats TerapistaRae! 80% funding?! That is amazing!!

 

¡Espero que sí! Pero lo que me hace nerviosa es que no hablo de nivel nativa en chino ni español. Hablo muy bien y puedo comunicar todo lo que necesito, pero como no son mis lenguas maternas, falto un poco. Me dicen que por esa razón nadie va a permitirme trabajar como SLP bilingüe.

 

 Here's hoping we all get into the schools we want! :)

Many programs require you to achieve a proficiency rating of "intermediate mid" or "intermediate high" on a test like the ACTFL to consider yourself a bilingual SLP and work with clients in another language. This is completely doable for non-native speakers/second language learners. UT-Austin is the only school that I am applying to that requires students pursuing a bilingual certification to achieve a rating of "advanced mid" (2 levels up). Check out proficiency guidelines here: http://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/public/ACTFLProficiencyGuidelines2012_FINAL.pdf

[autismadvocate]

Oh, fantastic! Having read the proficiency guidelines, I am at the very least there, probably higher. I feel SO much better now! Thanks a million!

 

Also, wow, might I add that intermediate mid or high is a really low bar to set? I was surprised...

Edited February 24, 2014 by autismadvocate

[TerapistaRae]

AutismAdvocate,

 

Fíjate que no tengo ningún pariente hispanohablante así que tranquila. Como mencionaron los otros del foro el nivel que se requiere es Intermediate-High o algo parecido. Yo también dudaba mis capacidades en español hasta que me aceptaran

 

Lo que más importa, en mi humilde opinión, es que puedas pronunciar bien las palabras y además que sepas la trayectoria del desarrollo en los dos idiomas. Saber español y cómo hablarlo no significa que sabes las reglas fonéticas ni los hitos del desarrollo del mismo ¿sabes? Por eso hasta los nativohablantes necesitan entender los hitos tanto en español como en inglés para que sirvieran sus clientes de la mejor manera posible  

 

Vas a tener mucho éxito

 

SLP Amy! Thanks so much, girlie! I wish you the best in your journey too! I'm not a native speaker and I managed to get in, so never give up on your dreams! Lots of these schools take a LONG time to respond.

 

Waitwhichgaby,

 

Muchísimas gracias por las felicitaciones! Seguramente tú también estará aceptada en los programas que has solicitado. Espero que te brinden muchas aceptaciones  

[shuca]

Hey guys I'm interested in learning more about bilingual track of some programs in the US, or practicing as a bilingual SLP in general. This thread has been interesting to follow, but if you guys could write in English, that'd be even more helpful! (I'm bilingual but not in Spanish - I've been using Google translate so far lol Good thing Spanish translates into English fairly easily. haha). Sorry if I came off as rude... it's really not my intention. Thanks

Edited February 26, 2014 by shuca

[SLPamy]

Hey guys I'm interested in learning more about bilingual track of some programs in the US, or practicing as a bilingual SLP in general. This thread has been interesting to follow, but if you guys could write in English, that'd be even more helpful! (I'm bilingual but not in Spanish - I've been using Google translate so far lol Good thing Spanish translates into English fairly easily. haha). Sorry if I came off as rude... it's really not my intention. Thanks

What other language do you speak? I know that at this point, most bilingual programs focus exclusively on the Spanish language. However, if you are fluent in another language, and you do your own research on phonetics/language development/etc., imo it would be completely ethical to refer to yourself as a bilingual slp and work with clients in that language even if you don't pursue a bilingual track.

[CocoCoco]

Hi guys!

 

So I'm sorry if this has been discussed once or many times before, but I wanted to know if anyone in here is looking into working with bilingual clients. I'm definitely looking into this (I'm a native speaker in Spanish and have worked with Portuguese, French and Italian) as I'm interested in working with diverse populations. 

 

Does anyone know any good bilingual programs out there? Do bilingual speech language pathologists work with many ages, or just children? Am I limited to one other language (Spanish)? I'm looking into improving my portuguese to be useful for the portuguese-speaking population as well. 

 

 

Thanks!

 

Waitwhichgaby - If you're interested in working with CLD populations, the first languages that clients will speak will differ greatly depending on the region.  I see you live in Illinois (me too!), and as you know, there are fewer concentrations of, say, Portuguese speakers (Fala portugues?  Eu tambem falo!)  here than in Boston, Rhode Island, Miami, etc.  If you do a quick job search (http://www.slpjobs.com/speech-therapy-jobs/), you can see that there are many bilingual SLP careers for Eng/Port in Massachusetts.  So, a lot of working with CLD clients depends on the focus of your grad program's bilingual training, your own personal/professional goals for working with CLD populations, where you do your job search, and ultimately, your proficiency level in the second language.  I would say that to answer your question about being limited to one other language - probably not.  Again, your ability to best meet your future clients' needs will depend on whether or not they need therapy/service in that language, what language their family/caregivers/stakeholders speak, and your understanding of cultural nuances.  So if you are a proficient speaker of many languages, ¡enhorabuena!  Good luck with your search! 

 

Also, some other programs to consider for bilingual certificate:  Minnesota, University of New Mexico, both AZ state and Uni of AZ, IL State, Elmhurst, Florida Int'l, University of Puerto Rico.  You can use the ASHA EdFind, but I found some of its information out of date and inaccurate.  

[smartypants14]

ok, so all that matters is that we meet the desired requirement for proficiency? i'll be really bummed if im not allowed to practice as a Bilingual SLP, especially since I feel the Hispanic community needs to be reached out to.

[scion]

I love chicharrones.

[SLPamy]

ok, so all that matters is that we meet the desired requirement for proficiency? i'll be really bummed if im not allowed to practice as a Bilingual SLP, especially since I feel the Hispanic community needs to be reached out to.

I think I wrote about this before, but because there is such a high demand for Spanish-speaking SLPs, it is likely that employers will hire anyone who can speak Spanish (especially native speakers), even if they don't have a "bilingual certification" or haven't taken the ACTFL. Even having minimal Spanish skills can be useful when working with bilingual clients. You may not be able to do actual therapy in Spanish, but you can use your Spanish skills to communicate to families or to help you better understand a client's responses/errors.  But obviously completing the coursework required for bilingual certification will be incredibly helpful for both native and non-native Spanish speakers, because it teaches you about Spanish phonetics, bilingual/second language development, interference points between Spanish and English, etc. It will give you more insight into assessing your bilingual/Spanish-speaking client's needs, and also better prepare you to do therapy in Spanish.

 

Every bilingual program I have seen requires that you to either take the ACTFL or interview with a faculty member in order to assess your proficiency. If you aren't going to a bilingual program but plan to work with Spanish-speaking clients after grad school, it would probably be a good idea to have your Spanish proficiency assessed via the ACTFL so that employers know what they are getting. I don't believe this is required, though.

[CocoCoco]

I agree with SLPamy regarding the statement on bilingual certification programs.  Even if you don't attend one of these programs, but you speak another language, you still have a useful set of skills.  To me, one of the biggest advantages that is found within these bilingual programs is developing and acquiring clinical competence working with bilingual clients/students.  It seems like one of the most critical components for delivering appropriate service, and many of these programs have placements in bilingual settings with a specific requirement for contact hours with patients who need services in their respective first languages.  

 

Ultimately, once you graduate from a program and are part of the work force, you "self designate" as bilingual for ASHA based on a set of guidelines.  

"Bilingual" could be quite a varied and subjective label.  Here is some more info:

 

http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/111220/What-It-Takes-to-Call-Yourself-a-Bilingual-Practitioner.htm

http://www.asha.org/policy/RP1989-00205.htm

 

I think that it's important to keep in mind that, while you do get to decide whether or not you get to call yourself a bilingual practitioner, as practitioners we adhere to a set of ethical principles.  Part of what is governed in this set of principles is representation/misrepresentation.  If one were to have, say, an intermediate proficiency level in his/her second language, I think it would be really important to carefully consider the impact/resulting set of expectations that a "bilingual" label might convey. 

[autismadvocate]

AutismAdvocate,

 

Fíjate que no tengo ningún pariente hispanohablante así que tranquila. Como mencionaron los otros del foro el nivel que se requiere es Intermediate-High o algo parecido. Yo también dudaba mis capacidades en español hasta que me aceptaran

 

Lo que más importa, en mi humilde opinión, es que puedas pronunciar bien las palabras y además que sepas la trayectoria del desarrollo en los dos idiomas. Saber español y cómo hablarlo no significa que sabes las reglas fonéticas ni los hitos del desarrollo del mismo ¿sabes? Por eso hasta los nativohablantes necesitan entender los hitos tanto en español como en inglés para que sirvieran sus clientes de la mejor manera posible

 

Vas a tener mucho éxito

 

Awwww...thanks so much! And np, Shuca, I'll swap to English (although I'm also interested in what language you speak!).

 

I actually do have a Spanish-speaking parent and grandparents....I even have a Spanish-speaking grandparent on the other side, too! Unfortunately, though, we have a terrible tradition in my family of not passing the language on, so my grandmother never taught my mother and my father never taught me. (A tradition I have sworn to break!) That said, even though I never learned to speak or understand Spanish as a child, I was exposed to it fairly frequently - TV, music, phone calls to abuelos, etc - so my pronunciation is native-level.

 

Learning about bilingual development is I think where I might be lacking post-Masters. Since I prioritized autism specialties in my search (and it's still the number one variable I'm weighing), it's just a bonus if a school has bilingual classes as well. Which means it's pretty likely I won't emerge from a program with this bilingual development background. I'd hoped that there'd be some distance learning certificate programs that I could complete while working as an SLP, but having looked, it seems like that's not the case...

[autismadvocate]

I agree with SLPamy regarding the statement on bilingual certification programs.  Even if you don't attend one of these programs, but you speak another language, you still have a useful set of skills.  To me, one of the biggest advantages that is found within these bilingual programs is developing and acquiring clinical competence working with bilingual clients/students.  It seems like one of the most critical components for delivering appropriate service, and many of these programs have placements in bilingual settings with a specific requirement for contact hours with patients who need services in their respective first languages.  

 

Ultimately, once you graduate from a program and are part of the work force, you "self designate" as bilingual for ASHA based on a set of guidelines.  

"Bilingual" could be quite a varied and subjective label.  Here is some more info:

 

http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/111220/What-It-Takes-to-Call-Yourself-a-Bilingual-Practitioner.htm

http://www.asha.org/policy/RP1989-00205.htm

 

I think that it's important to keep in mind that, while you do get to decide whether or not you get to call yourself a bilingual practitioner, as practitioners we adhere to a set of ethical principles.  Part of what is governed in this set of principles is representation/misrepresentation.  If one were to have, say, an intermediate proficiency level in his/her second language, I think it would be really important to carefully consider the impact/resulting set of expectations that a "bilingual" label might convey. 

 

Oh, wow, there are so many bilingual continuing education classes! I have hope! Thanks so much for passing on those links!

 

Yes, I never call myself trilingual with laypeople or when interviewing for jobs. I am trilingual, but to the layperson that sounds like I mean I speak my other languages just as well as I do English. And I don't. Could you send me abroad to a Chinese or Spanish speaking country and I'd be able to navigate everything in the native language? Yes - actually, I've worked/taught/studied/lived in both Chinese and Spanish speaking countries. But what trilingual means in practice and what it means to laypeople are very different things.