Understanding vocabulary use by Native American students and the relationship with special education

• Main Authors: Leslie Costa-Guerra, Boris Costa-Guerra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2016-12-01
• Series: Cogent Education
• Subjects: diversity; native american; assessment; special education; language
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1180737

The Pueblo People of the Southwest face numerous challenges with reference to language issues. A substantial number of Native American students are placed into special education possibly due to different linguistic abilities. The over-identification of Native American students for special education programs may be due to the lack of knowledge as a product of a limited research base on linguistic differences in the English spoken by Native populations. This study examined one aspect of language, oral vocabulary, spoken by Tewa Pueblo children. The goal of this study was to determine whether there were similar patterns in the use of oral language among the Tewa children. The methodology utilized was qualitative narrative analyses based upon interviews, transcriptions, observations, and field notes. The results revealed that all of the participants used a noticeable amount of non-specific vocabulary and required probing to produce specific vocabulary. The implications indicate the need for more research on Tewa linguistic patterns as well as the need for educators to understand such linguistic patterns to better assess and teach Tewa students.