Preliminary findings from recent research show that the language of testing is a very important factor in the diagnosis of dyslexia in Malta. In fact, a series of three new tests have been developed to use on Maltese children depending on whether the child is Maltese-speaking, English-speaking or both Maltese and English-speaking.
The Maltese tests are the first of their kind and have proved to be a reliable diagnostic tool- Rachael Agius
The research found that the type of school the child attends and, more importantly, the language(s) spoken in the classroom, are important factors that should be taken into consideration in the identification of reading difficulties.
These findings emerge from an extensive study involving 600 Maltese children aged eight to 12 who spoke both Maltese and English to varying degrees and who attend state and non-state schools. The aim of this new research was to standardise the newly developed tests of Maltese reading, writing and reading-related tests and to investigate the effect of bilingualism on literacy in Maltese children. The Maltese tests are the first of their kind and have proved to be a reliable diagnostic tool for the identification of reading difficulties in this linguistically diverse population.
In this latest study, a group of 166 Maltese students who were previously identified with reading difficulties was also included. All the children were tested on both English and the updated Maltese tests.
Parents were asked about the literacy practices and language used at home. Teachers also provided information about the language and method of reading instruction in their classrooms and the order in which they introduce English and Maltese literacy instruction.
In a 2003 pilot study, 50 children were tested on the new Maltese tests and the English standardised tests. Not surprisingly, Maltese children read better in Maltese, their first language, than in the language of instruction, English.
The results also showed that performance in phonological awareness was strongly related between first (Maltese) and second (English) languages.
The importance of using the appropriate assessment methods and language of assessment started to emerge at this time. To help in the correct diagnosis of literacy difficulties, a series of Maltese tests was needed. Maltese reading and reading-related tests were therefore constructed on the lines of standardised assessments in the UK and US. They were not merely a translation.
When a parent or teacher suspects that a child might have dyslexia, the child is usually referred for assessment, which up to now is almost always in English. This practice has many implications, the most important being that Maltese-speaking children run the risk of being misdiagnosed.
For more information contact the Health Ministry’s Speech Language Department on 2123 0822 or e-mail speechlanguage@gov.mt.
Ms Agius is a specialist speech-language pathologist at the Speech and Language Department. This month the Primary Health Care Department is providing literacy awareness services in health centres, district clinics and in the community.