In the dynamic field of speech-language pathology, practitioners are constantly seeking innovative methods to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of language assessments. One such promising avenue is the online assessment of narrative macrostructure, particularly for multilingual children. A recent study titled Online assessment of narrative macrostructure in adult Irish-English multilinguals sheds light on the potential benefits and challenges of this approach.
Conducted by Antonijevic, Colleran, Kerr, and N Mhochin, the study explores the reliability of online narrative assessments using the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN) in Irish and English. This research is pivotal for several reasons:
- Accessibility: Online assessments significantly increase participant accessibility, especially in rural areas with low population density and high percentages of multilingual speakers.
- Consistency: The study found no significant differences in story structure or comprehension scores across languages, indicating that narrative macrostructure measures are stable and reliable.
- Benchmarking: Establishing adult benchmarks for narrative macrostructure in Irish-English bilinguals is crucial for developing norms for children in similar linguistic environments.
The study involved 30 Irish-English bilingual adults who participated in an online assessment of oral narrative production and comprehension. Using the MAIN tool, the researchers elicited narratives and compared quantitative measures of story structure, comprehension scores, and the number of Internal State Terms (ISTs) across languages and story pairs. The results indicated that narrative macrostructure measures are consistent across languages, making this approach a reliable tool for assessing multilingual children.
However, the study also highlighted some challenges, such as the inability to control the environment and the quality of internet connections. Despite these limitations, the findings are encouraging and call for further research to validate and refine online narrative assessments.
Implications for Practitioners
For speech-language pathologists working with multilingual children, this research offers several practical insights:
- Embrace Online Assessments: Given the accessibility and consistency of online narrative assessments, practitioners should consider incorporating them into their practice, especially for clients in remote areas.
- Focus on Macrostructure: Narrative macrostructure measures, such as story structure and comprehension scores, are less sensitive to linguistic variability and can provide a reliable assessment of a child's language abilities.
- Further Research: Practitioners are encouraged to contribute to ongoing research by using tools like MAIN in their assessments and sharing their findings to help establish developmental norms for multilingual children.
In conclusion, the study by Antonijevic et al. provides valuable insights into the potential of online narrative assessments for multilingual children. By embracing these innovative methods, practitioners can enhance their assessment practices and contribute to the development of reliable tools for evaluating language abilities in diverse linguistic contexts.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Online assessment of narrative macrostructure in adult Irish-English multilinguals.
