ABSTRACT
There has been an increasing awareness of issues of cultural diversity in the work of speech-language therapy over recent times (Battle, 2002; Isaac, 2002; Martin, 2009). Indeed, there are few parts of the world in which speech, language and hearing clinicians operate without “challenges” of cultural and linguistic diversity. However, most models of speech-language therapy/ pathology are based on the monolingual speaker in a monocultural context, in which “normal language” is the language employed by a monolingual (English) speaker. Therefore “normal language development” is that of a monolingual learner; and therapeutic talk and interaction is based on dominant culture1 norms. Sometimes clinicians are aware of some of these issues, and bi/multi-lingualism and bi/multi-culturalism are superimposed onto those models. In this way, Spanish norms might be adopted for English tests; or additional courses may be added in to educational programs that deal with cultural issues and the adaptations that clinicians may need to make to span language and cultural barriers.
