Measurement of expressive vocabulary in multilingual children using the dual-Focus approach method for test development

Abstract

Vocabulary tests administered on multilingual populations should take into account the unique linguistic and cultural makeup of the population by adopting test development methods that allow responses in several languages. Our aims were to develop a picture-naming test for multilingual Lebanese school-age children (L1: Lebanese, L2: French and/or English) using the dual-focus approach for test development in order to obtain test items in several languages simultaneously and examine sources of variability in performance across gender, age, and type of schooling. The test compiled pictures with high cultural familiarity, high name agreement, an age of acquisition between 3 and 9 years, and varying frequency of use based on the ratings of 8 indigenous Lebanese experts on the test content. The test was administered to 74 multilingual Lebanese children aged 3 to 9 years. Results showed that older age, studying at a private school and being female contributed to better test performance, although gender was not a significant variable when inserted in a regression model. Psychometric properties of the test revealed excellent levels of internal reliability, good item parameters and sources of validity. This study delineates a method of test construction that accommodates to multilingual individuals in a resource-limited setting. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.