Language Support Program

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Module 1.1 Introduction to the Professional Learning Guide

Communication and language difficulties

It is estimated that one in seven children, young people and adults in Australia has a communication disability. This equates to 2.7 million Australians (Speech Pathology Australia website, 2008 http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au).

These disabilities can be present at birth or acquired later in life. Communication disorders can arise from a range of challenges including speech (articulation), producing and understanding language, voice, fluency (stuttering) or hearing.

Speech Pathology Australia has identified that in the Australian states and territories:

  • 386,000 children have speech delay problems
  • 577,000 school-aged children have language difficulties
  • 326,000 people stutter
  • 2.5 million people have a hearing impairment
  • 25,000 people have a severe brain injury every year.

(Speech Pathology Australia n.d.(a))

See:

 

Professional learning activities

  • Locate resources on the internet

Explore, download and read relevant Fact Sheets from the public section of the Speech Pathology Australia website relating to language disorders and disabilities. Identify any content that interests you relating to teaching and learning.

Professional learning activities

  • Use reflective learning techniques

Consider starting a reflective journal to use when engaging with the Language Support Program Professional Learning Guide. You might like to start a K-W-L-H organiser to identify ‘What you Know’ and ‘What you Want to learn’. Complete ‘What you have Learnt’ and ‘How you learned it’ after completing Module 1.1.

The K-W-L-H organiser provides you with a framework to explore prior knowledge about a topic and consider what you want to know and learn. It can be used in a group learning strategy but is most effective when you reflect personally before sharing ideas with others.

Download a K-W-L-H organiser (Word - 30Kb)

Professional learning activities

  • Use reflective learning techniques

Are you familiar with the eight areas of literacy knowledge outlined by Dr John Munro (Munro 2007)? Test your understanding of each by referring to 8 Areas of Literacy Knowledge (PDF - 94Kb). You might use a reflective journal to explain key literacy concepts and to build a linguistic vocabulary for language learning.

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