Understanding Multilingual Testing: Implications for Practitioners

The field of educational assessment is constantly evolving, particularly in the context of multilingual learners. The research article "The Bilingual Is Not Two Monolinguals of Same Age: Normative Testing Implications for Multilinguals" offers valuable insights into the complexities of assessing multilingual students. This blog post aims to help practitioners improve their skills by implementing the outcomes of this research or by encouraging further investigation into this critical area.

The Challenges of Multilingual Testing

Traditional testing methods often fall short when applied to multilingual learners. These students are frequently assessed using norms developed for monolingual populations, leading to inaccurate evaluations. The core issue lies in the assumption that age alone can serve as a proxy for language development. However, multilingual individuals often have varied experiences with language exposure and development, making age an insufficient measure.

The Importance of Language Development

The research highlights that language development, particularly receptive vocabulary, plays a more significant role in test performance than age or other variables. This finding underscores the need for assessments that account for differences in language exposure and proficiency among multilingual learners.

Innovative Approaches to Fair Testing

The Bilingual English-Spanish Assessment (BESA) and the Ortiz Picture Vocabulary Acquisition Test (Ortiz PVAT) are two examples of assessments that address these challenges. The BESA incorporates a screener to determine a child's degree of development in each language, allowing for fair comparisons among peers with similar language experiences. The Ortiz PVAT focuses on English receptive vocabulary and uses norms based on both age and English language development.

BESA: A Comprehensive Approach

• The BESA recognizes the variability in language exposure among children and provides normative samples that reflect different levels of bilingualism.
• This approach ensures that children are compared fairly to others with similar language experiences.

Ortiz PVAT: Focusing on English Development

• The Ortiz PVAT measures English receptive vocabulary across a wide age range, from 2:6 to 22:11 years.
• This test allows practitioners to compare individuals based on their percentage of lifetime exposure to English, providing a more accurate assessment of their language development.

Encouraging Further Research

The findings from this research highlight the need for continued exploration into fair testing practices for multilingual learners. Practitioners are encouraged to delve deeper into this area to better understand how language development influences test performance and to advocate for assessments that provide equitable opportunities for all students.

The Bilingual Is Not Two Monolinguals of Same Age: Normative Testing Implications for Multilinguals