Abstract
BackgroundIn speech-language pathology (SLP), there is a paucity of resources to provide just and equitable services to South Africa’s culturally and linguistically diverse population. Although South Africa is a multilingual country, English remains the dominant language. However, there is limited research on resources for English additional language (EAL) speakers.ObjectivesThis article addresses this gap by presenting the results of a critique of a commonly used language screening tool, the Renfrew Action Picture Test (RAPT), on EAL speakers.MethodThis tool is used as an example to broadly critique the use of culturally biased assessment instruments with EAL speakers from an indigenous linguistic and cultural background. It is administered to children who are EAL speakers and then critiqued by the children too. Their voice, often ignored in research, is central to the research. A mixed methods approach is used, including focus groups and test administration. This article is based on the results of the thematic analysis used to closely examine the patterns that emerge.ResultsA key finding is that the cultural and linguistic background of the child assessed cannot be disregarded, as it plays a crucial role in understanding the response of the child. The interpretation of the response of the child to the presented material of the language assessment tool significantly influences the result of the assessment.ConclusionThe speech language therapist has a responsibility to avoid skewed results based on uninformed interpretation of the response of the child. These findings provide useful insights for clinicians regarding culture-fair assessment.
Highlights
Introduction and literature reviewThe title, the cat on a hot tin roof, draws on a drama, Tennessee William’s drama (Holder, 2016; Williams, 1955), whose existentialist message is relevant to the issues argued
The interpretation of the response of the child to the presented material of the language assessment tool significantly influences the result of the assessment
The speech language therapist has a responsibility to avoid skewed results based on uninformed interpretation of the response of the child
Summary
Introduction and literature reviewThe title, the cat on a hot tin roof, draws on a drama, Tennessee William’s drama (Holder, 2016; Williams, 1955), whose existentialist message is relevant to the issues argued. This article presents and discusses the results of a study that critically evaluated and interrogated the use of language assessment tools, in their current form, within the South African context. It provides the guidelines for adaptations of these tools so that they will better accommodate English additional language (EAL) speakers. The existential message stems from the philosophy that humans are neither mere puppets that exist in the world, nor predestined victims of their conditions in the world Instead, they are conscious beings who exercise freedom of choice in the decisions that they take in spite of restrictions imposed (Heidegger, 2008). There is limited research on resources for English additional language (EAL) speakers
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