Developing Tests for the Assessment of Traditional Language Skill: A Case Study in an Indigenous Australian Community

Abstract

This article reports on the development and piloting of a vocabulary recognition test designed for Indigenous Australian children. The research is both application oriented and development oriented. The aims of the article are to determine how well the test is used as a test instrument and the extent to which children recognize vocabulary items in Walmajarri (a local Indigenous language still spoken mainly by the older generation). The test was developed in collaboration with one community and extended to three neighboring communities where the same Indigenous language is spoken. Children's receptive knowledge of vocabulary items (nouns) in Walmajarri was tested, with 80 child participants across all communities. The usability of the test is discussed, as well as results of this language test, and recommendations are offered for future research in this area.