Strategies for placement educators: Learning and competency development in placements with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Professional placements may be challenging learning contexts for speech pathology students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This workshop will provide a framework for speech pathology placement educators to consider how all students learn in professional placement settings, and factors that influence learning and competency development for CALD students. Through small group discussion, reflection and teaching, participants will use theories of acculturation and learning to consider their own student education practices and how CALD students enact their competency development in professional placements. The strategies that have been identified to support CALD students in speech pathology professional placements will be explored (references removed to facilitate blind review). Participants will have an opportunity to apply these in placement case-scenarios and to reflect about how these may apply within their own workplaces.

The learning outcomes from attending this workshop will facilitate placement educators to:

• Reflect about professional practice experiences with clients and students from culturally diverse backgrounds.
• Understand different ways that students may enact their learning and competency development in placements.
• Examine how a student's cultural background and prior learning experiences might influence their approach to placements and learning.
• Learn to interpret CALD students learning behaviours through acculturation and learning theory lenses.
• Identify strategies that support all students' learning and competency, and apply these specifically in placement case scenarios.