Language sample analysis with bilingual children: Translating research to practice

Abstract

Language sample analysis (LSA) has been called the “gold standard” for clinical language assessment with children learning more than one language. The research literature discussing this clinical tool with bilingual children has grown substantially in recent years. This article reviews and synthesizes the literature on LSA in order to provide guidance for clinicians seeking to utilize this tool with bilingual children. The focus is on oral narrative language samples, reflecting the currently available literature. The article reviews procedural considerations in eliciting and coding narratives with bilingual children and considers the evidence of effectiveness for different assessment purposes such as the identification of language disorders and the documentation of dual-language growth over time. Research findings are translated to clinical scenarios. Finally, gaps in the literature are identified.