Perspectives on Global Issues in Communication Sciences and Related Disorders

Coordinator's Column

Salas-Provance, M. — 2013-05-15T09:00:25-07:00

ICA International Mosaic on Cluttering: Historic Origins, Research, Assessment, and Treatment

2013-05-15T09:00:25-07:00

This article presents the highlights of an International Cluttering Association (ICA) international initiative featuring ten experts in fluency disorders from various countries, describing the historical and current state of awareness, research, diagnosis, and treatment of cluttering across countries and continents. In addition, authors discuss the challenges facing people with cluttering and ways of overcoming them in developed and developing countries.

International Clinical Standards and Cultural Practices in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Education: A Model from Trinidad and Tobago

Molrine, C., Drayton, K.-A. — 2013-05-15T09:00:25-07:00

Global directions is one of seven societal trends identified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA, 2010) as expected to influence the profession of speech-language pathology (SLP) worldwide. In the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), only a small cohort of SLPs currently provide private service delivery. To increase the number of qualified practitioners, a graduate SLP program has been proposed. The program must reflect the values of the Trinbagonian people, while aligning competencies and standards of evidence-based practice with the World Health Organization’s (WHO, 2011) 21st-century mandate. The 12 SLPs currently practicing in T&T were surveyed about their international graduate educational and clinical experiences and service delivery practices in T&T. They were invited to indicate which of the 2014 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (ASHA, 2012) would be necessary for graduate SLP program preparation in T&T and what additional content and/or clinical skill areas would be needed for competent culturally sensitive service delivery. The results indicated that all Trinbagonian practitioners support a graduate program modeled on the 2014 SLP Certification Standards, but they identified challenges to service delivery in T&T that need to be addressed in specific graduate program coursework and clinical education.

Accent Policy and Accent Modification Enterprises as Potential Indicators of Intercultural Power Relations: A Call for an Updated Research Agenda

Ovalle, B. D., Chakraborty, R. — 2013-05-15T09:00:25-07:00

This article has two purposes: (a) to examine the relationship between intercultural power relations and the widespread practice of accent discrimination and (b) to underscore the ramifications of accent discrimination both for the individual and for global society as a whole. First, authors review social theory regarding language and group identity construction, and then go on to integrate more current studies linking accent bias to sociocultural variables. Authors discuss three examples of intercultural accent discrimination in order to illustrate how this link manifests itself in the broader context of international relations (i.e., how accent discrimination is generated in situations of unequal power) and, using a review of current research, assess the consequences of accent discrimination for the individual. Finally, the article highlights the impact that linguistic discrimination is having on linguistic diversity globally, partially using data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and partially by offering a potential context for interpreting the emergence of practices that seek to reduce or modify speaker accents.

Volunteering in a Short-Term English Immersion Program for Spanish-Speaking Adults

Berkowitz, S. S. — 2013-05-15T09:00:25-07:00

This article describes English immersion programs in Spain, where native English speakers volunteer as conversation partners and informal tutors for native Spanish speakers. These Spaniards are at an intermediate skill level in English and wish to improve their oral/aural communication. The most well-known immersion programs, VaughanTown and Pueblo Ingles, are approximately 1 week in duration and take place at resorts in Spain, where only English is spoken for the duration of the program. These programs are run by for-profit companies, which do not release any data on the Spanish participants’ immediate or long-term progress as a result of the immersion. It is, therefore, difficult to know if the short-term immersion programs produce long-lasting changes in participants’ language and speech perception or production. However, the cultural exchange that takes place among the various cultural groups is extremely rich, and many international friendships are formed on these programs. Anecdotal information shows that Spaniards and English-speaking volunteers report great satisfaction with the programs, and many attend more than once. The author offers suggestions regarding volunteering on these immersion programs and for replicating the programs with the addition of collecting objective evidence.