Overview:
My research topic for Inquiry focuses on identifying English Language Learner’s (ELLs) with learning disabilities from those who do not have learning disabilities (LD). Through my exploration of this topic, I have formed the question: How do we, as teachers, identify English Language Learner’s with learning disabilities from those who do not have learning disabilities, and how they may be supported, once correctly identified?
This topic is highly relevant and current in schools today. Classrooms are becoming more diverse as the number of ELLs increase (Purdy 2008). Hence, more teachers are being faced with the task of meeting the needs of linguistically diverse students (Purdy 2008). According to the Vancouver Sun, ELL students form the majority at over 60 schools across Metro Vancouver (Skelton 2014). Furthermore, it has been reported that 1 in 10 of the student body are classified as ELL students and another 1 in 10 are identified as having special needs (Skelton 2014). Altogether, roughly 30 percent of the students in the Richmond district speak a different language at home other than English, resulting in their classification as English Language Learner’s (Skelton 2014). Likewise, across Metro Vancouver, more than half of the students are English Language Learner’s (Skelton 2014). Clearly, these numbers indicate the significance of ELL students (Language Support 2013).
As future teachers, we will most likely have at least 1 or 2 ELL students in our classrooms. Therefore, it is essential that educators understand the unique characteristics of each individual ELL so that they can appropriately identify those who have learning disabilities. It is important that they are not misdiagnosed and wrongly labeled as special needs, while provided the appropriate services to succeed in their educational path.
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