Browsing by Author "Ranaweera, M."

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Accessing tertiary education: in expectations and realities for student experiencing disabilities
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2014) Hettiarachchi, S.; Attanayake, L.D.; Ranaweera, M.; Walisundara, D.
Accessing tertiary education: Rights and realities for students experiencing disabilities
(University of Kelaniya, 2013) Hettiarachchi, S.; Daskon-Attanayake, L.; Das, A.; Jalil, I.; Chanaka, W.; Walisundara, D.; Ranaweera, M.; Rassool, R.
Although the right to higher education is ensured in the Education Acts of Sri Lanka, in practice, the challenges faced by persons with disabilities within the university system questions this assumed prerogative. Anecdotally, the provision of special recording devices has enabled students with particular disabilities such as visual impairment, to better access the curriculum, while others such as those experiencing hearing difficulties or dyslexia may have inadequate support. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to accessing higher education within two universities: the University of Kelaniya and the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. It aims to gather information via individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The data will be analysed qualitatively using key principles of Framework Analysis (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994). The findings will have important implications for policy and practice.
Colour me…orange? : Incorporating Aspects of the Colourful Semantics Approach into English as a Second Language Lessons at Preschool
(Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Hettiarachchi, S.; Walisundara, D.; Ranaweera, M.
Among the challenges faced by Sri Lankan children learning English as an additional or second language is the accuracy of word order and vocabulary knowledge. The Colourful Semantics approach (Bryan, 2008) has been used successfully in the UK and in Australia with children experiencing language-learning difficulties (Bennington, 2011; Chiat, Law, Marshall & Bryan, 1997), with many programmes devised by Speech and Language Therapists (Morrissy, 2010; Wade, 2009). It uses thematic roles and a colour-coding system to support the development of syntax through a semantic route. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using aspects of Colourful Semantics to develop vocabulary knowledge and the use of Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structures in young learners of English. Twenty preschool children in ESL classrooms were included in the study. Key aspects of Colourful Semantics were introduced as a whole-class approach using children‟s storybooks, colour-coding and signing with lessons offered once a week for 12 weeks together with supplementary activities. Pre- and post-intervention measures were undertaken on five receptive and expressive language and literacy measures of vocabulary and syntax. In this presentation we will discuss the programme offered, the pre- and post-intervention assessment scores and statistical results on vocabulary and discuss the benefits of incorporating aspects of the Colourful Semantics approach into the English language teaching classroom.
Colour Me…Orange? incorporating aspects of the colourful semantics approach into a TESOL programme at preschool
(The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2018) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Walisundara, D.C.
Among the challenges faced by Sri Lankan children learning English as an additional or second language is the accuracy of word order and vocabulary knowledge. The Colorful Semantics approach has been used successfully in the UK and in Australia with children experiencing language-learning difficulties, with many programmes devised by Speech and Language Therapists. It uses thematic roles and a colour-coding system to support the development of syntax through a semantic route. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using aspects of Colourful Semantics to develop expressive language skills (accurate responses to target wh questions, sentence length and syntactic complexity) in young learners of English. Twenty-one preschool children in TESL classrooms were included in the study. Key aspects of Colourful Semantics were introduced as a whole-class approach using children’s storybooks, colour-coding and signing with lessons offered thrice a week for a month together with supplementary activities. Pre- and post-intervention measures were undertaken on two expressive language measures of sentence-length and syntax. In this paper we will discuss the programme offered, the pre- and post intervention assessment results, and the benefits of incorporating aspects of the Colourful Semantics approach into the English language teaching classroom.
Constructing ‘disabilities’ and ‘inclusion’: An explanatory models of disability and inclusive education among teachers in Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Walisundara, D.
The current thrust towards implementing ‘inclusive education’, which is ‘the integration and education of most students with disabilities in general education classes’ (Field, 1998 in Eleweke & Rodda, 2002) poses many challenges in a resource poor country. Arguably, one challenge may be the perceptions, constructs and explanations of disability held by teachers, which could influence their openness to embrace inclusion. The aim of this study is to uncover the constructs, beliefs, attitudes, explanatory models of ‘disabilities’ and inclusive education among teachers. 60 teachers (30 from special schools; 30 from mainstream schools) were interviewed using an interview guide. The interview data were analyzed using the key features of Framework Analysis (Ritchie and Spencer, 1994). In the main findings, the teacher explanations of disability reflected a religio-cultural framework and to a lesser extent, a medical model. While the teachers within special educational facilities asserted the need to offer special educational support, the teachers in mainstream echoed the same view, stressing that these students are better placed within special educational rather than mainstream educational contexts within inclusive education. However, these explanations were not framed within a social model or rights-based model of disability, reflecting a limited understanding of the disability movement. The findings reveal that there is a need for pre-service and in-service training programmes for teachers to include information on the current explanatory models of disability, the need to acknowledge students with disabilities as equal and comprehensive training on mainstreaming children with disabilities within mainstream schools if inclusive education is to be successfully offered across the country.
Developing and validating a Sinhala phonology assessment for children aged between 3 to 6 years: trends observed and lessons learnt
(Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, 2014) Nonis, P.D.M.; Ranaweera, M.; Saleem, S.; Udugama, K.L.L.G.; Lokubalasuriya, T.; Hettiarachchi, S.
Clinical experience of speech and language therapists working in Sri Lanka has put into question the current reliance on norms for English (Grunwell, 1985) to determine a child’s speech skills and phonological acquisition in Sinhala. Cross-linguistic studies have revealed differences in ‘universal principles’ and ‘language-specific’ aspects (Amayreh & Dyson, 1998). At present, there is an urgent need to develop and validate formal language-specific standardized assessments for speech and phonology for Sinhala. The aims of the study were; 1)to develop and validate test items for a Sinhala speech and phonology assessment for children aged between 3;0 to 6;0 years, 2)to document the typical phoneme acquisition and typical phonological processes in Sinhala-speaking children aged between 3;0 to 6;0 years. The ‘Sinhala Speech and Phonology Assessment’ was devised based on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (Dodd et al. 2002) and administered to 250 Sinhala-speaking children between the ages 3;0 to 6;00 years. The use of test items were determined by measures of content validity, test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability. The trajectory of Sinhala speech sound acquisition showed universal sound acquisition sequences and language-specific features in both the order and rate of speech sound development. The sequence of speech sound acquisition for Sinhala showed early acquisition of plosives and some nasals with comparatively later acquisition of fricatives, the palatal nasal and flap/tap sound. Language-specific phonological processes of lateralization and denasalisation of prenasalised stops were also evident. The test items demonstrated effectiveness at generating target speech data and typical phoneme and phonological development in children between 3;0 to 6;0.
The Effectiveness of a multisensory traditional storytelling programme on target vocabulary development in children with disabilities accessing English as a second language: A preliminary study
(SAGE Publications, 2022) Hettiarachchi, S.; Walisundara, D.C.; Ranaweera, M.
ABSTRACT: The current deliberations on increasing access to English and the democratization of English in post-war Sri Lanka must extend to students with disabilities. Research evidence from speech and language therapy promotes the use of multi-sensory stimuli to advance the development of communication and language skills in children with intellectual disabilities. In this preliminary study, 3 local children's stories, together with relevant story-making activities, were offered to 7 children with intellectual disabilities in one special school across 12 lessons. Vocabulary measures of word naming of target vocabulary were undertaken pre- and post-intervention using picture-based tasks presented via PowerPoint. A positive difference was found post-intervention on the target vocabulary naming test. The findings of this small preliminary study should be interpreted with caution. However, the findings are suggestive of the potential benefit of using culturally relevant familiar local traditional stories with a range of multi-sensory stimuli and storytelling activities to aid learning of new vocabulary in children with disabilities accessing English as an additional language. Further research using a large sample together with a control group will be required to substantiate the positive trend of vocabulary gains observed within this preliminary study. KEYWORDS: English; intellectual disability; multisensory; stories; traditional.
The Effectiveness of using multi-sensory children’s stories on vocabulary development in young deaf and hard-of-hearing children
(Taylor & Francis, 2021) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Disanayake, H.M.L.N.
ABSTRACT: Young deaf and hard-of-hearing children enrolling in school in Sri Lanka often display language delay due to limited amplification and limited language stimulation. The scarcity of speech and language therapy support within the educational context at present necessitates a rethink of service-delivery models to reach more children. Multi-sensory stimuli and traditional children’s stories have been used in speech and language therapy to promote vocabulary development in children experiencing language-learning difficulties. Fifteen deaf or hard-of-hearing children from three different educational contexts were offered a three week “Katha malu” multi-sensory children’s story programme through the class teacher. The programme focused on developing receptive and expressive vocabulary of a set of 30 target words. The programme was offered using a combination of Sri Lankan Sign Language and Spoken Sinhala. The participants' receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge on the target words was assessed using a specially devised picture-based vocabulary assessment pre- and post-intervention. The results show positive gains at both group and individual levels on receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. There was a positive effect of familiarity with the story with the overall vocabulary gains more prominent for the older, more traditional story. The findings of this study highlight the possibility of offering access to language stimulation programmes at classroom-level facilitated by the class teacher, under the guidance of a speech and language therapist. KEYWORDS: Early childhood education, language facilitation, engagement of children with adequate or inadequate amplification, multi-sensory, traditional stories
The Effectiveness of using the colourful semantics approach to support language development with children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.
ABSTRACT: The lack of early identification, suboptimal language stimulation and limited remedial services in Sri Lanka for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing place them at-risk of language delay. The reality for many preschool and primary school children entering formal education in Sri Lanka is a language delay in spoken language and/or sign language compared to their age-matched hearing peers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Colourful Semantics approach as a whole-class language enrichment programme to develop the use and responses to target wh questions. Thirty primary school children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing between the ages of five-ten years were included. The programme was offered once a week for 12 weeks through the class teacher. Individual pre- and post-language measures and statistical analyses were undertaken on receptive knowledge and expressive use of the target wh questions using a picture naming task and tasks based on three local children’s story books. A statistically significant improvement was observed in the understanding of target wh questions post-intervention by all the children. There was also a positive change in the responses to the target wh questions by all the children post-intervention with many combining signs or spoken words with signs. The Colourful Semantics approach has potential as a whole-class language-teaching approach to strengthen the understanding and use of wh question forms. This study emphasizes the benefits of collaborative partnerships between speech and language therapists and teachers in delivering intervention particularly in resource-limited contexts. KEYWORDS: Deaf, children, language delay, Sri Lankan sign language, Colourful Semantics
Explicit instructional techniques used in teaching vocabulary through reading
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2013) Ranaweera, M.
The objective of this action research is to find out the instructional techniques used in class to teach vocabulary items that are encountered in reading passages. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used. Primary data were collected through self-observation and attentive classroom observation supported by record keeping in the form of note taking. First, a checklist of techniques for direct vocabulary instruction reflecting the researcher’s own teaching was made. This checklist was based on the sample checklist of ‘Techniques for Direct Vocabulary Instruction’ published in Grabe & Stoller, 2002. The data were analyzed to find out the trends in the use of certain vocabulary–teaching techniques and to understand why certain approaches had been preferred over certain others by the teacher. The explicit vocabulary teaching techniques that had been used are analysis of word parts, anecdotes or stories highlighting word meaning, definitions, dictionary consultation, discussing of word meaning, games, illustrations /drawings on the blackboard, synonyms/antonyms and translation. The data very clearly show that the vocabulary–teaching technique that is used mostly, with a total of 76, is giving dictionary definitions to students. The techniques that are under-used are games and analysis of word parts.
Explicit Instructional Techniques Used in Teaching Vocabulary through Reading
(University of Kelaniya, 2012) Ranaweera, M.
Numerous researchers have indicated the importance of explicit vocabulary teaching for developing reading, (Fisher & Frey, 2008; Schmitt, 2000; Stahl, 1999). The objective of this action research was to find out the instructional techniques used in class to teach vocabulary items that are encountered in reading passages. The researcher initially made a list of the direct instructional techniques used in class to explain vocabulary items and later incorporated additional vocabulary building techniques into the teaching approaches. As a participant observer, the teacher analyzed her teaching with an objective of adding variety, improving the style of teaching and helping the students to expand their vocabulary learning effectively. A combination of both quantitative and a qualitative data collection methods was used. Primary data was collected through self-observation and attentive classroom observation supported by record keeping in the form of note taking. A checklist of techniques was used for recording direct vocabulary instructions. The checklist was based on the sample checklist of ‘Techniques for Direct Vocabulary Instruction’ published in Teaching and Researching Reading (Grabe & Stoller, 2002). Other teachers in similar teaching environments were consulted to find out how they teach vocabulary to their students and those approaches were added to the checklist. The vocabulary items encountered in the reading passages using the explicit instructional approaches were discussed in class, followed by tests which evaluated students’ acquisition of vocabulary items. The data was analyzed to find out the trends in the use of certain vocabulary –teaching techniques and to understand why certain approaches had been preferred over certain others by the teacher. Moreover, this study will reveal which explicit approaches had been effective for the students.
Including all: Perceptions of mainstream teachers on inclusive education in the Western Province of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Hettiarachchi, S.; Das, A.; Ranaweera, M.; Attanayake, L.D.; Walisundara, D.
The changes made to the local constitution (Parliament of Sri Lanka, 1997), the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN, 2005) in 2016 and the first World Report on Disability (WHO, 2011) support a new era for the education of children with disabilities in Sri Lanka. The emphasis of this legislation is the inclusion and full participation of students with disabilities in regular schools. It guarantees non-discrimination and removal of barriers, both physical and psychological or attitudinal; to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools. It urges policy makers, educators, parents and other service providers to consider the premise that special education should be seen not in the context of separate education but as an integral part of regular education. Arguably, the success of implementing a policy of inclusive education requires mainstream school teachers to understand, accept and be competent at supporting students with disabilities within the mainstream classroom context. To uncover perceptions of ‘inclusive education’ among mainstream teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 mainstream teachers from the Western Province using a topic guide. Thematic coding of the interview data was undertaken using the key principles of Framework Analysis (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994). The main themes to emerge were of incongruous conceptual understandings, fear of incompetence, limited training facilities and the lack of incentives. These findings will be discussed with regard to its implications for policy and practice. The results underpin the need to consider local teacher perceptions and to address these concerns within pre-service and in-service training in order to support the establishment of education reforms, which are relevant and sensitive to the cultural needs and cognizant of local realities.
Including All? perceptions of mainstream teachers on inclusive education in the Western Province of Sri Lanka
(International Journal of Special Education, 2018) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Walisundara, D.; Daston-Attanayake, L.; Das, A. K.
This study aimed to uncover perceptions of 'inclusive education' using semi-structured interviews with 15 mainstream teachers from the Western Province in Sri Lanka. Thematic coding of the interview data was undertaken using the key principles of Framework Analysis. The main themes that emerged were incongruous conceptual understandings of 'inclusive education' and 'integration', discrepancies in the use of terminology, fear of incompetence, concerns regarding limited training facilities, the lack of incentives offered to work within special education settings, the pressure of working towards school examination success and the lack of policy awareness. These findings will be discussed with regard to its implications for policy and practice. The results underpin the need to consider local teacher perceptions and to address these concerns within pre-service and in-service training in order to support the establishment of education reforms of equal access for all, which are relevant and sensitive to cultural needs and considerate of local realities.
International feedback in naturalistic interaction between L2 English learners
(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2015) Ranaweera, M.
Language matters: an analysis of the language of disability within selected political speeches of the elections of 2015 in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Walisundara, D.; Daskon-Attanayake, L.
Introduction: Arguably, language has the power to formulate, promote, uphold or deter stereotypes. Politically, this year was significant in its representation of persons with disabilities within the electoral system. Within this historic context, there were references made to persons with disabilities with the political speeches by politicians of the main political parties. Aim:To evaluate the representation of persons with disabilities within selected political speeches of the past year in newspapers and on television. Methods: A representative sample of speeches from the main political parties were reviewed with reference to the representation of persons with disabilities. A conceptual and linguistics analysis was undertaken. Results:The results indicate the use of references to persons with disabilities to evoke humour, in derogatory terms and to propagate negative stereotypes r as objects of pity.
Story Boxes: using a multisensory story approach to develop vocabulary in children experiencing language-learning difficulties
(Infonomics Society, UK, 2013) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.
One challenge faced by special education teachers in Sri Lanka is in the implementation of whole-class vocabulary enrichment activities. There has been a growing interest in using multisensory, interactive storytelling as a means of encouraging vocabulary development. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating local stories into multi-sensory story-telling and story-making activities as part of a whole-class speech and language therapy programme to assist the teaching and learning of target vocabulary. Two local children’s stories together with relevant story-telling and story-making activities were introduced to 30 children with language learning difficulties accessing special education in the south of the country. The children received weekly storytelling sessions for 3 months via trained teaching staff. Receptive and expressive vocabulary measures were undertaken before and after the introduction of the approach together with teacher and parent comments. There was a positive difference in the target receptive and expressive vocabulary of each student following the block of therapy using the Story boxes multi-sensory storytelling/story-making approach. Additional positive changes were noticed in the children’s attention and listening skills and in their motivation to attend to activities during ‘story time’. The use of local, traditional stories incorporating a multi-sensory story telling and story-making framework was found to aid the receptive and expressive vocabulary skills of children with language-learning difficulties.
/t/ before /ʈ/ or /ʈ/ before /t/: Emerging trends from a preliminary study of consonant acquisition in typically developing sinhala-speaking children aged 3 to 6 years
(Ubiquity Press., 2021) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Rajapaksha, R.M.W.
Purpose: Speech and language therapists use developmental norms established for consonant acquisition to determine whether a child has age-appropriate, delayed or disordered speech skills. There are currently no established norms for the acquisition of Sinhala consonants, which have implications for accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study was to document preliminary trends observed in the trajectory of consonant sound development in Sinhala-speaking young children so as to form a set of ‘working norms’. Method: A picture-based articulation assessment was administered to 70 typically developing children who were between 3 years and 6 years 11 months of age. Results: Regarding the rate of acquisition and order of acquisition, the findings displayed trends comparable to general patterns of consonant mastery reported within cross-linguistic studies. In addition, a different rate of acquisition and order of mastery was observed for both uncommon Sinhala language-specific speech sounds showing ambient language effects and for a few common sounds occurring in Sinhala and other languages. Conclusion & Implications: The convergence and divergence in the rate and order of Sinhala consonant acquisition compared to the cross-linguistic literature has important clinical implications for assessment, early identification of speech difficulties and intervention within speech and language therapy practice in Sri Lanka. © 2021, Vrije University. All rights reserved.
/t/ before /th/ or /th/ before /t/: Assessing the trajectory of Sinhala speech sound and phonology development
(University of Kelaniya, 2011) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.
To make clinical decisions about a client‟s speech skills, a speech and language therapist requires an in-depth understanding of the trajectory of typical speech sound and phonology development in children. In order to ascertain whether the speech sound „errors‟ observed are developmentally appropriate for the child‟s age, delayed or disordered, requires a comparison with established norms for speech sound development and typical phonological processes. At present, clinicians depend on a combination of established norms for English (Grunwell, 1982) and their own clinical experiences to determine a child‟s speech sound competence. While there is some preliminary data by Wickremasinghe and Rajapakse (1999), there are no clearly established speech and phonology norms for Sinhala. The purpose of this pilot study was to establish preliminary speech and phonology norms for Sinhala. A „Sinhala Speech and Phonology Assessment‟ was devised and administered to 30 children aged between 2 –9 years from two geographical locations (Colombo and Gampaha). Analysis of the data indicates a trend towards Sinhala-speaking children acquiring most speech sounds earlier than suggested within the norms for English. The findings also display evidence of both similar and dissimilar typical phonological processes compared to phonological processes in English. The implications of these early findings for the proposed larger study and for service delivery are discussed.
When No Speech Norms Exist: Observations From Sinhala
(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2024-11) Hettiarachchi, S.; Ranaweera, M.; Saleem, S.; Krishnaveni, K.
PURPOSE A well-established set of language-specific norms for phonological development is imperative in the assessment of child speech sound difficulties. Currently, English norms are used clinically (in the absence of norms for local languages) to determine if a child displays age-appropriate, delayed or disordered speech patterns in Sinhala. This preliminary exploratory study aimed to document phonological processes observed in typically developing Sinhala-speaking children aged 3;0-6;11 (years;months).METHOD The Test of Articulation and Phonology-Sinhala, a picture-based assessment, was devised by the researchers and administered to 102 Sinhala-speaking children from three geographical locations (Colombo, Kandy, and Gampaha). The quantitative measures included percent consonants correct, percent vowels correct, and percent phonemes correct, while the qualitative analysis identified phonological processes.RESULTS The quantitative results showed a marked influence of age on phoneme production accuracy with over 75% consonants correct by 3 years 6 months. The qualitative findings demonstrate common typical phonological processes and less common phonological processes in Sinhala compared to the speech pathology and cross-linguistic literature. Common phonological processes included fronting, stopping, and weak syllable deletion widely documented in linguistic and speech-language pathology literature. Many shared phonological processes were observed between Sinhala and Sri Lankan Tamil, the two main local languages, including fronting of retroflex sounds and lateralization. The phonological process of denasalization of prenasalized stops was observed in Sinhala, with no documentation of the phonological process found within the mainstream speech-language pathology literature.CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings reinforce the need to document and use language-specific typical phonological processes in Sinhala given the implications for early and accurate identification of speech difficulties and intervention.
When to Teach What: A Study of Natural Order of L2 Morpheme Acquisition
(University of Kelaniya, 2007) Ranaweera, M.
It would be a relief for ESL teachers anywhere in the world to have a knowledge about the order of acquisition of grammatical morphemes of their students, especially in designing syllabus and in assessment. Morpheme order studies help language teachers in determining the acquisition order of morphemes by the learners and thereby design a more learner- centered curriculum. Being the first of its kind. the rationale behind this study is to find out whether adult ESL learners in Sri Lanka produce grammatical morphemes as predicted by previous morpheme order studies in English and thereby use the findings to assist curriculum design. The production of English morphemes was observed in the writing of 35 Sri Lankan adult ESL learners in a university setting. Essays written by ESL learners in Sri Lanka were analyzed for determining the acquisition of grammatical morphemes. The results showed an order of morpheme production close to the order of acquisition of English grammatical morphemes by ESL learners with diverse 1,1 backgrounds in previous research. The findings are discussed in terms of the pedagogical implications for curriculum design, lesson material preparation and suggestions for future research in this field.