Defining and Assessing the Oral Social Language of Young English Language Learners

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Research on the Assessment of English Learners

Abstract

It has become common to assess English language learners (ELLs) as early as kindergarten with large-scale standardized English language proficiency tests which frequently include items targeting children’s use of English for social interaction (“social language”). Ambiguity in how social language is defined raises questions of validity when tasks assessing the construct appear on high-stakes tests. This paper presents findings from a multi-phase mixed-methods validation study employing surveys, student assessments, and teacher interviews to identify how tests and teachers define and measure social language in the assessment of young ELLs’ oral language. This study responds to calls for research on the validity of language tests used with young language learners while placing focus on a construct in need of greater discussion.

Author

• Kimberly Woo, New York University