Early Messages: Facilitating Language Development and Communication [Video] [Spanish] SUPPORTING MATERIAL: Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Language Development and Communication; Trainer's Manual Module III: Learning and Development; Modu
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies, California Department of Ed., Child Development Division
Summary for Early Messages: Facilitating Language Development and Communication [Video - Spanish Version]
This 28-minute closed-captioned videotape opens with an overview of language development and communication during infancy. Starting at birth, infants actively build connections between sounds, gestures, and meaning. As infants grow, their biologically built-in potential to learn language unfolds. The video underscores that this development is rooted in the child's family and culture. Through rich examples of infant-caregiver communication and infants' early language, it illustrates ten strategies caregivers can use to enhance communication and language development. These strategies include being responsive when infants initiate communication, engaging in nonverbal communication, using child-directed language, helping children expand language, supporting bilingual development, attending to individual development and needs, engaging infants with books and stories, being playful with language, and creating a communication-friendly environment. Voice-over in Spanish with some captions.
Summary for Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Language Development and Communication
One of several guides developed by the California Department of Education for caregivers in centers and family child care homes, this guide offers information based on current theory, research, and practice that will support the language development and communication of infants and toddlers and their families. Each of the five sections focuses on either a particular developmental period or on the impact of culture on early language development and communication. Taken as a whole, the sections underscore the importance of providing flexible
and individualized caregiving based on the child's developmental level and the family's linguistic and cultural heritage. Following an introduction and statement of the series' philosophy, the first three sections discuss the developmental capabilities of the young, mobile, and older infant. Sections four and five discuss the impact of bilingualism and culture on the early development of infant language and communication. All five sections describe appropriate practices; provide questions for caregivers to ask themselves; and list references and resources.
Summary for Trainer's Manual: Module III: Learning and Development:
This trainer's manual covers module III of the Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC), a four-module video training course for providers of family and center day care. The manual is intended to be used by module instructors and includes an overview of the PITC and instructions for using the manual and its accompanying videos. The module contains 13 lessons, designed to be covered in one- to two-hour sessions. The first section, "Cognitive Development and Learning," contains lessons on (1) Learning Schemes and Cause and Effect, (2) Tools and Object Permanence, (3) Space and Imitation, (4) Facilitating Learning: The Role of the Caregiver, (5) Caregiver Responsiveness, (6) Setting the Stage for Learning: The Environment, (7) The Ages of Infancy: Young Infants, (8) The Ages of Infancy: Mobile Infants, and (9) The Ages of Infancy: Older Infants. The second section, "Language Development and Communication," contains lessons: (10) Language in the Multicultural Child Care Setting, (11)
Language Development in Young Infants, (12) Language Development in Mobile Infants, and (13) Language Development in Older Infants. An outline of the two accompanying videos for this module, and pricing and ordering information for all four PITC modules, are also included.
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies, California Department of Ed., Child Development Division. Early Messages: Facilitating Language Development and Communication [Video] [Spanish] SUPPORTING MATERIAL: Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Language Development and Communication; Trainer's Manual Module III: Learning and Development; Modu (1998). California Department of Education: Sacramento, CA.
Sponsoring Agency: The California Department of Education and various foundations
Language: Spanish
Reading Level: Average
Formats Available: Printed Material, Videotape
(Contact the California Department of Education for current price information. PITC videos are available in Spanish, English and Cantonese; accompanying video magazine in English and Spanish; Trainer's Manual Handouts and Transparencies in English and Spanish. Guides English
only at the present time.
)
California Department of Education
CDE Press, Sales Unit
P.O. Box 271
Sacramento, CA
95812
Phone: (800) 995-4099
Fax: (916) 323-0823
Email: jblack@cde.ca.gov
URL: http://www.pitc.org/
Languages Available: Chinese, English, Spanish
Intended User Audience:
The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers was developed primarily for professional providers working in family child care homes and centers serving children zero-to-three years old. Beginners and individuals with advanced level of experience will find these materials useful. These materials were developed for a universal population. These materials may be used in a variety of settings including inservice training and college settings. These materials were initially developed for use in the state of California. However, they are being used throughout the United States and its territories.
Product Development:
These materials were developed through funding received from the California Department of Education and various private foundations. For more information regarding funding sources, please contact WestEd. The staff of the California Department of Education and WestEd collaboratively developed these materials with the help of practitioners, administrators, and nationally-recognized experts from the field of early education with a focus on children ages zero-to-three years. In addition, film experts assisted in the development of the videos. A California-based professional translator did the Spanish translation of the trainer's manual handouts and transparencies. An early childhood professional and translator did the Chinese (Cantonese) translation of the materials.
Product Evaluation:
The developers of these materials are in the process of evaluating the project and the module training institutes. Based on anecdotal reports from users (e.g., practitioners, trainers, and experts), these materials have been highly rated and are well received. The program has also been awarded a Golden Apple award from the National Educational Film Festival.
Product Dissemination:
As of 1998, over 150,000 copies of these materials have been distributed and sold in the United States (including its territories), Australia, Israel, Italy, Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand.
Review #1
About the reviewer:
The reviewer is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and has
been working with the Latino community (in Puerto Rico and the
United States) for fifteen years, in both urban and rural settings.
She has worked with monolingual and bilingual children.
During the past seven years, she has conducted research in the areas of
first (Spanish) and second language acquisition, including
typical and atypical development. She has also worked as
teacher and clinical supervisor in bilingual training programs.
She holds a certificate of clinical competence in speech-language
pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Presently, she is assistant professor in the Department of
Speech and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University at Bloomington.
Audience:
According to the developers, the intended audience includes parents, teachers, educators, students and caregivers that work with young children (infants and toddlers). Because it is in Spanish, the audience must have native-like comprehension abilities in the language. Although the authors include parents as intended audience, the content seems to focus more on how caregivers within a preschool or daycare context can use specific strategies (based, in reality, on mainstream interaction patterns between young children and adults) to support language development. In addition, the examples provided were of caregivers in these contexts, and not of parents working with their children in their home environment.
Strengths of the Material:
The video quality (sound, visual presentation) is excellent. The time allotted is more than adequate for the description of the various strategies that purport to enhance language development and examples of how to implement these. Eight strategies are discussed. These are: (1) being responsive to child-initiated communication, (2) engaging in nonverbal communication with the child, (2) using child-directed language, (3) using self-talk and parallel talk, (4) expanding the child's language, (5) using parallel and self-talk, (6) supporting bilingual development, (7) attending to individual development and needs, and (8) engaging infants with books and stories. Because the video is divided into a discussion of each of these strategies, with examples of implementation techniques, it is easy for the facilitator or trainer to stop the video and discuss in more depth the activities suggested in the video. Thus, it can be used as a visual aid or as a teaching tool by trainers of caregivers in infant and toddler programs.
A very positive aspect of the video is that it acknowledges (albeit only verbally) that children learn language within their cultural context, and that cultures may differ in how parents interact with children and in the communication expectations during early childhood. In addition, the authors should also be commended for stressing the importance of supporting bilingual language development in toddlers that come from a linguistically diverse background. The video developers use individuals, both adults and children, of varied ethnicities, and some examples of strategies include exchanges in different languages (e.g., Chinese, ASL). Not only are the caregivers and children of diverse backgrounds, but the experts that provide useful information are also diverse (Caucasian, African American, and Latino).
Limitations of the Material:
The Spanish translation essentially dubs the videotape to Spanish. After viewing the English version, it becomes apparent that the material is a word-for-word translation of English. Even the children's productions that are not adult-like are translated in written form as if a Spanish-speaking child has produced in a non-adult manner (e.g., "zaholia"/zanahoria because the child in the tape had not pronounced "carrot" in an adult-like fashion). As a result, some of the written and oral translations seem "contrived" (e.g., "el comenzar de la comunicación" / the beginning of communication). Nevertheless, the translation is adequate and a Spanish-speaking individual should not have difficulty understanding the oral and written content. The only exception would be individuals not familiar with certain technical terms or outdated terms that have negative connotations (e.g., "discapacitación auditiva" for hard-of-hearing). Although the videotape is dubbed in Spanish, the manual that accompanies it is not.
The main limitation of the material is that although the authors do acknowledge cultural differences in child-rearing, and that children learn language via various means (we are "wired" for language learning), the various strategies suggested for enhancing language development are, in a sense, Eurocentric. The only exception would be supporting bilingual language development, and this is not necessarily a strategy, but an endorsement of early bilingualism. The strategies are based on how middle class mainstream mothers interact with their babies (research on motherese). For example, parallel or self-talk are strategies seen in mothers who engage in motherese, and may not be typical exchanges between a mother and child in other cultures. Because of this focus, the video fails to provide strategies that adapt to the parent's interaction patterns and cultural preferences, or even to discuss how the strategies they suggest can be adapted to more home-based interactions (rather than a nursery or preschool). As a result, its use with diverse parents may be limited. A further limitation is that there is no Spanish translation for the manual that accompanies the video.
Adaptations:
A Spanish translation of the manual is recommended. Because of the above mentioned limitations, the professionals using this video as a possible tool for parent training should focus on those strategies presented in the video that are more sensitive to the parents' interaction patterns with their infants and toddlers.
Generalizability:
The Spanish translation should only apply to professionals and caregivers who are fluent Spanish-speakers. As mentioned previously, because of the Eurocentric perspective on adult-child interaction, how well the strategies will apply to our work with parents of diverse backgrounds is questionable.
Recommendations:
The reviewer recommends this video, if used for training teachers and caregivers who will work with children in day care facilities. The strategies are explained well, and excellent examples are provided of how these can be incorporated in adult-child interactions. When working with parents, though, the material should be used with significant modifications. Great care should be taken to consider cultural differences in child-rearing practices when suggesting any of the strategies recommended in the video.
Producer's Response:
See producer's response after second review below.
Review #2
About the reviewer:
The reviewer holds a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology and
the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. She is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and has
12 years experience working with the Hispanic community. Her work
during the last six years has involved research in the language
development of NICU Mexican American infants and the emergent
literacy skills of migrant Mexican American children and Puerto Rican
preschoolers.
Audience:
According to the authors, this videotape is intended for parents, teachers, educators, students and caregivers who work with bilingual English/Spanish-speaking families or monolingual Spanish-speaking families.
Strengths of the Material:
The translation of this video has many strengths. The most important strength is that a Spanish video is now available to expose monolingual Spanish-speaking parents and/or bilingual (English/Spanish) families to techniques used for facilitating language development. The presentation is clear and relatively easy to follow. The comprehension level of the narrated Spanish translation is appropriate for the intended user. Another major strength is the fact that the language in the material acknowledges diversity, even though it primarily acknowledges diverse family structures.
Limitations of the Material:
While it is appreciated that someone has attempted to provide a Spanish video for use with bilingual (Spanish/English) speakers or monolingual Spanish speakers, the translation of this video does have several limitations. One of the major weaknesses is the fact that the translation is primarily a verbatim, word-for-word translation of an English version of the video.
Another major limitation is the use of Spanish subtitles to denote what the actors say, as the various facilitation techniques are demonstrated. The publishers have chosen not to
translate everything that is said by the families, child care providers, and children portrayed in the video, and this allows for important information to be lost. The cognitive load required for parents to read subtitles and watch the demonstration of the activities on the video could be a negative factor. The use of subtitles denies access for non-literate families to some very important information.
Another limitation is the lack of background information regarding training and education of the translator. The Spanish translation does not always provide an effective explanation of some of the technical terms used within the video. This is because the actors demonstrate techniques and terminology used by the narrator, but not all of the verbal expressions are translated. On two occasions, Spanish words are misspelled. In addition, dialectal variances of Spanish-speaking communities across the United States are not taken into consideration when translating the English version into Spanish. Another major weakness is that the booklet accompanying the video is not translated into Spanish.
Adaptations:
In order to use this material appropriately, users need to engage in the following adaptations: 1) Translate the accompanying booklet into Spanish; 2) Provide background information regarding training and education of the translator; 3) Include a disclaimer stating that the Spanish translation provided in the video does not take all of the dialectal variances of Spanish-speaking communities across the United States into account; 4) Stress that users of this product be present when families view the video, to clarify any dialectal variances that families may not be familiar with; 4) Take family literacy into consideration when choosing which families will use the video; and 5) Use live demonstrations of the facilitation techniques, since the use of subtitles negates the very purpose of this training video.
Generalizability:
The video potentially may be used in any Spanish-speaking community throughout the United States; however, the developers need to include a disclaimer stating that the video was intended for use by Spanish-speaking families in California. Since the video's Spanish translation does include subtitles, users need to be aware of family literacy to avoid offending families who may be non-literate. Since the express purpose of the video is lost when the Spanish translation of the facilitation techniques is provided in subtitles, users need to remember that it would be more effective if they demonstrated the techniques themselves.
Recommendations:
Since there are such a limited number of Spanish videos available for use with families, the reviewer is recommending the Spanish translation of this video with adaptations. The information provided by the narrator is good, but the purpose of the video is to educate families on how to facilitate early language development. The express purpose of the video is lost when the Spanish translation of the facilitation techniques is provided in
subtitles.
Producer's Response:
We appreciate the thoughtful and knowledgeable critique of Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers materials by CLAS reviewers. In particular, it is helpful for us to see our Spanish-language materials from the perspective of reviewers of varying backgrounds, both linguistic and professional. We are pleased to report that Spanish-language versions of the video magazines (referred to here as manuals) are now included with every Spanish video, and are available for purchase in packets of 50, as well.
The translation process is one that rarely, if ever, can meet the needs of all people speaking that language, particularly with respect to the Spanish language, which is spoken, with variations, so extensively throughout the world. Nevertheless, we have attempted to produce Spanish language materials that are as universal as possible, with an emphasis on the countries from which our largest population of Spanish-speaking people come, i.e., Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. We regret any errors or misjudgments of choice of words. Highly qualified professional native Spanish speakers work in consultation with other translators from a range of countries and regions to translate our videos into Spanish. In addition, culture and language experts supervise the recording and production of the Spanish audio and titles.
We used subtitles for conversations during the scenes in order to minimize confusion for the viewer with the voice-over narrative. We also feel that the most important information is communicated to both literate and non-literate viewers through the tone of voice and visual and audio give-and-take between the caregiver and child. Without understanding the words, the viewer can hear and see responsiveness, non-verbal communication, short sentences, etc., of child-directed speech, expanding language, supporting bilinual development, attention to individual needs and engaging infants with books and stories. The self-talk and parallel talk points may need to be illustrated in a supplementary way, but this could also be true for the English-speaking audience.
In the subtitled translations of the "baby talk" of English-speaking infants into Spanish-language "baby talk," we attempted to offer forms of words commonly used by Spanish-speaking infants during their early language learning. The observation that the strategies for enhancing language development are not necessarily appropriate for audiences of all cultures or all parents is a valid one. The video is based on the latest research on early language development available to us at this time. The reviewers' recommendations for adaptations are very appropriate.
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