Page 14 - Difference or Disorder Digital Version

Chapter

The Framework

Both linguistic and cultural knowledge are critically important when working with

families and children from different language backgrounds. Linguistic information, the sound

and language systems, and cultural knowledge must be taken into account when determining

appropriate educational targets. This information further aids decisions about whether the

errors of an English language learner are typical errors or whether those errors are indicative

of a language learning disorder. The framework for error analysis provides parents, teachers,

and other educators with an effective process for making this distinction. The concept

supporting the framework is simple: if sounds or structures exist in both languages, they

should not be affected in second language production; if sounds or structures do not exist in

both languages, the influence of one language on another can be expected. The goal then is

to understand the different sound systems and structures of a language in order to identify

which errors are of true concern.
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