Expository Language Sample Assessment of Spanish- English Bilingual Middle-School Children

Abstract

Because of the possible bias and limitations in using standardized assessments, it is advantageous to assess school-age children who are bilingual using additional descriptive assessments, including language sampling. Choosing expository discourse language sampling to assess this population is beneficial because it is the standard form of discourse in a classroom setting and provides a more complex language sample. Using expository discourse language sampling, this study assesses the oral expository discourse language skills of Spanish- English bilingual middle school students who have learned English as a second language. The study found that expository discourse was a feasible way to assess the language skills of bilingual middle schoolers. Through data analysis it was also discovered that the level of English proficiency affected the complexity and accuracy of utterances formed by the students.