The Measurement of Language Ability and Impairment in Arabic-speaking Children

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oOnly%a%few%studies%have%focused%on%the$measurement$of$language$ability$and$impairment$in$Arabic-
speaking)children.
oThe$available$Arabic$measures$have$largely$been$based$on$English$measures,$and$in$some$cases,$
directly)translated.
Abstract
The$Measurement$of$Language$Ability$and$Impairment$in$Arabic-speaking)Children
Areej%Balilah%&%Lisa%Archibald|%Western%University
Participants
oThe$study$invited$all$Arabic$speakers,$from$6$to$9$years$of$age$
in#10#schools#in#Saudi#Arabia.
oAlmost'400'children'completed'a"battery"of"Arabic"language"
tests$available$in$published$or$unpublished$form.$
Procedure
Figure'6:'Arabic'Sight'Word'Reading'Task'
Methods Results
Figure'4:'The'Arabic'Vocabulary'Test'(APVT)
Figure'5:'Arabic'Nonword'Repetition'Task
References
oThe$available$Arabic$language$measures$are$sensitive$to$developmental$change$in$younger$children$only$between$the$ages$of$6$and#7.#
oOnly%the$Arabic'Receptive-Expressive) Vocabulary)Test revealed'significant'performance'growth'with'each'increase'in'age'band.
oNeed$to$develop$language$assessment$measures$that$tap$a$broad$range$of$language$abilities$and$more$complex$language$skills$for"Arabic-speaking)children,)and)are)
based&on#psycholinguistic#of#Arabic#language
oFurther'investigation'of'sex'differences'warranted:'It'is'possible'that'the'low'performance'on'several'language'measures'by'females$compared$to$their$male$peers$
may$reflect$sociocultural$differences especially)in)relation)to)language)practices)between&males&and&females&in#Saudi#Arabia.
References
1.#Shaalan,#S.#(2010)#Investigating#Grammatical#Complexity#in#Gulf#Arabic#Speaking#Children#with#
Specific'Language'Impairment'(SLI).'University'College'London.'2)'Abdalla,'F.'(2000).''Verbal'
inflection)in)Arabic-speaking)children)with)specific)language)impairment.))Unpublished)manuscript,)
McGill&University,&Montreal.&3)&Abdalla,&F.&(2002).&Specific&language&impairment&in&Arabic-speaking)
children:*deficits*in*morphosyntax.*Ph.D.*dissertation,*McGill*University.*4)*Wiig,*E.*H.,*&*El-Halees,'
Y. #(200 0).# D e ve l o p i n g#a#l an gu age # scre en i n g#t est #f o r#A rab i c -speaking)children.)Folia)Phoniatrica)et)
Logopaedica*:*Official*Organ*of*the*International*Association*of*Logopedics*and*Phoniatrics*(IALP),*
52(6),'260–274.%
Conclusion
Results
Study&purpose
Introduction
Assessment'battery
oArabic'Receptive-Expressive)Vocabulary)Test)(AREVT);)El-Halees&and&Wiig,&
1999).
oArabic'Receptive'Vocabulary'Test
oArabic'Expressive'Vocabulary'Test
oArabic'Language'Screening'Test'(ALST;'El-Halees&and&Wiig,&1999)&
oArabic'Language'Screening'Test'(verbal'abilities)
oArabic'Language'Screening'Test'(non-verbal'abilities)
oArabic'Language'Test'(ALT;'Shaalan,'2010)
o!"#$"#%"&'()*+","#-.(#&/0&1&23
o!"#$%&&'(%)*+,-.+-%)/0)1)23
o!"#$"#%"&'"("$)$)*#&+,&-&./
oArabic'Picture'Vocabulary'Test'(APVT;'Shaalan,'2010)'
oArabic'Nonword'Repetition'Task'(ANWR;'Shaalan,'2010)
oArabic'Sight'Word'Reading'Task'(ASWR;''Oweini'and'Hazoury,'2010)
Figure'1:'Arabic'Receptive-Expressive
Vocabulary*Test
Figure'2:'Arabic'Language'Screening'Test'
oSignificant)performance)
growth'with'each'increase'in'
age$band$for$both$subtests$$
oSignificantly+higher+scores+
for$males$than$females'were$
observed(for(the(receptive(
subtest
Figure'3:'Arabic'Language'Test'
oSignificant)performance)
growth'between'6'and'7'
years&old&only
oSignificantly+higher+scores+
on#sentence#repetition-B"
were$observed$for$males&
compared)to)females
oSignificant)increases)
between&the&6&and&
the$7$year$olds$only
oSignificantly+higher+
scores&were&observed&
for$males than%
females
oThe$purpose$of$this$study$was$to$assess$the$sensitivity$to$developmental$change$of$a$battery$of$
linguistic)measures)in)a)large)unselected)sample)of)Arabic-speaking)children)from)Saudi)Arabia.
oThe$study$also$examined$sex$differences$in$language$development.
The$authors$have$no$financial$or$non-financial'relationships'relative'to'the'content'of'this'poster'that'compromise'or'have'the'potential)to)compromise)professional)judgment.)Poster)presented)at)SRCLD,)2016.
Age M"(n) F"(n) Total&(N)
6"yrs 41 65 106
7"yrs 39 65 104
8"yrs 40 66 106
9"yrs 38 67 105
To t al 158 263 421
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
6"yrs. 7"yrs. 8"yrs. 9"yrs.
Mean% z-score
ARVT
AEVT
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
6"yrs. 7"yrs. 8"yrs. 9"yrs.
Mean% z-score
Ver bal
Non-verbal
oSignificant)performance)
growth'between'6'and'7'
years&old&only
oOn#the#nonverbal#abilities#
subtest,'males&scored'
significantly+higher+than+
females
-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
6"yrs. 7"yrs. 8"yrs. 9"yrs.
Mean% z-score
EL-A
EL-B
SR-B
SC-B
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
6"yrs. 7"yrs. 8"yrs. 9"yrs.
Mean% z-score
oNo#significant#
effects&of age
oSignificantly+higher+
scores&for&females'
than%males
-0.5
0
0.5
6"yrs. 7"yrs. 8"yrs. 9"yrs.
Mean% z-score
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
6"yrs. 7"yrs. 8"yrs. 9"yrs.
Mean% z-score
oSignificant)increases)
between&the&6&and&
the$7$year$olds$only$
(p<".05)"
oNo#significant#effects#
of sex