Language of assessment matters: Early learning outcomes when preschool children are tested in isiXhosa mother tongue vs in English: The language of learning and teaching
South African Journal of Childhood Education
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Language of assessment matters: Early learning outcomes when preschool children are tested in isiXhosa mother tongue vs in English: The language of learning and teaching | |
| Creator | Dawes, Andrew Biersteker, Linda Tredoux, Colin | |
| Description | Background: Many young children in South Africa are enrolled in early learning programmes (ELPs) that use a different language of learning and teaching (LOLT) from their mother tongue. In which language should they be assessed?Aim: To investigate the effect of the language of testing on Early Learning Outcomes Measure 45 (ELOM 45) performance.Setting: Preschool Programmes.Methods: The nationally standardised ELOM 45 was administered to isiXhosa-speaking children (39 boys and 46 girls) attending English LOLT programmes (mean age = 62.12 months; standard deviation [sd] = 4.36). The language of assessment order was counterbalanced (English first and isiXhosa second or vice versa). A mixed linear model with fixed and random effects was fitted with ELOM 45 Total score at assessment time 2 in language 2 (English or isiXhosa) as the dependent variable. The model included the following predictors: ELOM 45 Total score in the language assessed at time 1, days between assessments, sex, age in months and ratings of Task Orientation.Results: Children performed better in isiXhosa regardless of the language of administration order. Children assessed in English first performed better when tested in isiXhosa second.Conclusion: Early Learning Outcomes Measure 45 test scores of English LOLT isiXhosa-speaking children in ELPs are likely to be more valid indicators of their ability when children are tested in their mother tongue language.Contribution: This first South African study to investigate the effects of language of test administration on ELOM 45 performance in children attending English LOLT programmes indicates that isiXhosa speakers should be assessed in their mother tongue as required by the national home language assessment policy. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2026-01-09 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajce.v16i1.1814 | |
| Source | South African Journal of Childhood Education; Vol 16, No 1 (2026); 7 pages 2223-7682 2223-7674 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1814/3634
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1814/3635
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1814/3636
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1814/3637
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