| Spanish is the most rapidly growing language in the United States. The development of verbal memory and learning tests for use with Spanish speaking children and adolescents is essential in the differentiation of language based learning differences from language disorders. The acquisition of new learning is described as a linear relationship that includes the more fragile attentional system as well as the more stable short term and long term memory storage units. Individuals can recall important information of various types and forms with a well functioning memory and learning system that includes efficient storage and retrieval strategies. In a comprehensive evaluation, assessment tools that can look at what and how much is remembered, but also how verbal learning occurs or fails to occur is essential in identifying learning strengths and needs. Recent research has substantiated the bilingual advantage which includes advanced attentional control as well as stronger skills in the reorganization of new learning, concept formation and other metacognitive learning strategies. Current assessment tools that measure verbal memory and learning in Spanish previously were normed on monolingual Spanish speakers. There is a need for normative samples that include bilingual Spanish/English speakers because of the additional confounding factor of reduced vocabulary knowledge in both languages for the bilingual speaker. Language proficiency for the bilingual speaker is influenced by a number of social and cognitive factors including parent and child education levels, settings in which the second language is used, and time living in the United States. The development of a research protocol to identify words in Spanish for use in the memory and learning test with bilingual speakers living in California is outlined in this project. A verbal memory and learning test in Spanish using a selective reminding format for youth aged 5 to 15 is proposed and that will include five trials of list learning, an interference task, immediate recall trial and a later recognition trial. In addition, other procedures used to gather cognitive levels, multiple measures of language proficiency and academic skills are also discussed in proposed research project. |
