Book Review: Multilingual Testing and Assessment

Abstract

From both a theoretical and an empirical perspective, this volume addresses the challenges of testing learners of multiple school language(s). The author states that “This volume is intended as a non-technical resource to offer help and guidance to all those who work in education with multilingual populations” (p. 1). In that sense, it is not a book about the assessment of language per se (although she presents a research study in which she collects information on students’ language proficiency). Rather, it is intended primarily for non-language specialists; to educators working with multilingual learners of all subjects. As she states throughout the work, the author addresses what she sees as limitations in both theoretical and empirical work that consider two languages only, claiming that this work has limited insights for those working with speakers of more than two languages. The author is motivated by the fair assessment of all students, including linguistically and culturally minoritized students. What follows are a summary and critical comments of the book, beginning with an overview of each of the chapters then directing a critical commentary to a few chapters in particular (Chapters 2, 5, and 7). Given the repetition of ideas across the chapters, I assume that many of these chapters have been designed to be read on a stand-alone basis. I have chosen these chapters to focus my comments because in my view they form the core of the book—they contain the theoretical approach undergirding the author’s work, the practical guidance in the form of the author’s “integrated approach,” and the details of her empirical study.