A question I get frequently as an ESL/ELD resource teacher in my board is: what assessments are appropriate for Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) of English (also known as English Language Learners, or ELLs)?
In response, I often say: “what exactly is it that you want to assess?”
This blog is all about understanding the importance of knowing your “why” when you are assessing language and literacy. Let’s take a look at some of the most typical things teachers of MLLs might choose to assess.
Assessing English Language Proficiency
Quite possibly the most essential assessment of MLLs is their level of proficiency in English. This assessment is probably most useful to educators when a newcomer student has arrived in a school, and their teaching team wants to find out what literacy skills the student has.
English language proficiency encompasses a wide range of skills and abilities that can be broadly understood as basic interpersonal communication skills (conversation, practical language) to cognitive academic language skills (use of academic vocabulary and writing skills).
Beginner users of English will be in the process of acquiring essential English words and phrases to interact in practical situations, while intermediate and advanced users will be focused on learning the skills to participate in contexts like class discussion and formal writing for school.
In Ontario, educators are expected to use the initial assessment guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education. It is important to note that the assessment is not a “package” or “kit” that will churn out a score or proficiency level.
A better way to understand the initial assessment process is to consider it as a formative assessment for teaching and learning. Teachers can use the guidelines to choose questions, activities, and resources of their choice to get a “snapshot” of the student’s oral, reading, and writing skills in English.
The information gathered can be summarized on the Initial STEP Continua, which is a useful tool for providing an initial overview of what their level of English proficiency is. After an initial assessment, use the regular STEP Continua to monitor language acquisition on an ongoing basis.
Phonological Awareness Assessment
With structured or foundational literacy at the forefront of so many teachers’ minds, many teachers wonder if a screener like Acadience or DIBELs is appropriate for ELLs.
The answer is yes, with a few considerations to keep in mind.
First of all, students in the very emergent phases of learning English and who are just starting to learn the English may have a difficult time with the test, because they may not understand what is being asked of them or may just be encountering English “code” or script for the first time. These students are not “at risk”, but may simply need more time to build their knowledge of English language vocabulary and script.
Early literacy screeners will be more useful for assessing the phonological awareness of MLLs that have spent more time in Ontario schools and have had more exposure to the sounds of English and English texts. For ELLs it is important to consider the result of the screener as just one piece of evidence among other pieces of assessment and output, including the student’s growth on the steps to English proficiency continua (STEP).
ETFO has released an excellent document to support educators who are using early literacy screeners on MLLs. Take a look at this article to inform your own practice. ETFO members can access MLLs and Early Reading Screeners on the member site.
Reading Comprehension Assessments
Reading comprehension assessment tools have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years largely because they do not address skills like phonemic and phonological awareness.
However, the ability of students to comprehend texts of different genres and complexities is still important for educators to understand, especially when students already have decoding skills.
When assessing the comprehension of MLLs, it is important to ensure that the texts you are using fall within the student’s zone of proximal development (not too easy, not too difficult), so you can determine what skills the student should work on. You will also want to use texts that are culturally relevant and interesting to the student.This is where using STEP tools is important, such as the guide for selecting texts for initial assessment.
Depending on the student’s STEP, you may want to base the assessment on verbal answers, or have students illustrate a level-appropriate text they have read.
Assessing First Language Literacy Skills
First language literacy skills are an important area to look at, especially for older ELLs that have spent time in schools outside of Canada. Getting a sense of their first language skills can be a good indicator of their literacy level, which will give you a good sense of what they will be able to do once they have built their vocabulary and oral comprehension skills in English.
But how do you assess first language skills when you don’t know the language yourself?
Personally, I have always found it helpful to provide students with a simple prompt, such as:
“What is your family like?”
“What was your last school like?”
I might use a translator to share the prompt with the student. In most cases, they will happily write away, knowing that they can use a language they are familiar and confident in.
When the student is finished, I might also ask that they try reading to me in a language they know. Sites like Global Storybooks have stories in many languages, or if I have a dual language text nearby I might try that. This is not the type of assessment I would score: it’s really just to get a sense of what multilingual skills they are bringing to their new school.
Other Assessments, Screeners, and Diagnostics
Of course, there are dozens of assessment tools out there that have been developed for different purposes. When you are using any tool on an MLL, you will really want to examine it critically to see whether or not they will actually capture any information beyond how much English the student knows.
This is not to say that assessment tools are not useful for MLLs – they will certainly give educators a “snapshot” of a student’s skills or growth in a certain area. Check the guidelines for assessment to see if there are any special considerations for students acquiring English, or if there are any recommended adaptations.
Diagnostics, screeners, and assessments all have a unique place in our classrooms. When we think about assessing MLLs, it is important to remember to consider learner variability (is the student a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user of English), and that you will want to consider the results of any assessment alongside other triangulated evidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
