1. Which test should I choose?

2. What are some possible uses of the MLAT-ES?

Possible uses of MLAT-ES scores include:

• Placing newcomer students into appropriate educational settings
• Determining how students perform relative to international norms for Spanish-speaking children
• Creating expectancy tables to show the relationship between language aptitude scores and grades in ESL classes
• Identifying students with low second language learning aptitude
• Identifying students with second language learning disability
• Helping to understand why a child is progressing slowly in learning a second language
• Helping to identify gifted students, particularly for learning languages
• Developing profiles of strengths and weaknesses for all students to inform teaching of English
• Developing local norms and developing a placement system after norms are established

3. How many parts does the MLAT-ES have, and what do they consist of?

The MLAT-ES has four parts that measure abilities that make learning languages easier:

Parte 1- PALABRAS OCULTAS (hidden words): ability to utilize previously learned sound-symbol associations

Parte 2- PALABRAS QUE SE CORRESPONDEN (matching words): sensitivity to grammatical structure

Parte 3- PALABRAS QUE RIMAN (finding rhymes): ability to recognize sequences of speech sounds presented orthographically

Parte 4- NÚMEROS EN OTRO IDIOMA (number learning): auditory alertness and rote memory

Brief explanations of each of the four MLAT-ES sections are provided here along with sample questions that illustrate the types of questions used in each section. Answers are also provided. Parts 1, 2, and 4 of the MLAT-ES are modified versions of Parts 3, 4, and 1 respectively of the MLAT. Part 3 of the MLAT-ES, which tests the ability to perceive speech sounds, was newly developed because the corresponding part of the MLAT (Part 2) is too difficult for elementary-aged children. These sample questions are intended to familiarize teachers, guidance councilors, and administrators with the format and style of the MLAT-ES.

 

3.1 - PARTE 1- PALABRAS OCULTAS

Part 1 of the MLAT-ES has 30 items. This part of the MLAT-ES requires the ability to associate sounds with symbols and depends somewhat on knowledge of Spanish vocabulary. Each question below has a group of words.  The word at the left of the group is not spelled in the usual way.  Instead, it is spelled approximately as it is pronounced.  The task of the pupil is to recognize the disguised word from the spelling. He or she needs to select one of the four words beside it that corresponds most closely in meaning to the disguised word. 

1. bazo                          parte del cuerpo                                 gordo

                                                 inteligente                                           copa

2. erbir                          cocer                                                 dominar

                                                 sentir                                                 hablar

3. vever                         empujar                                             tomar

                                                 oír                                                     conducir

4. vallena                       con mucha gente                                peluca

                                                 animal marino enorme                            barbilla

Correct Answers:

1. bazo is a disguised spelling of vaso (drinking glass), which corresponds in meaning to   copa (drinking cup)

2. erbir is a disguised spelling of hervir (to boil), which corresponds in meaning to cocer (to cook)

3. vever is a disguised spelling of beber (to drink), which corresponds in meaning to tomar (to drink)

4. vallena is a disguised version of ballena (whale), which is an animal marino enorme (enormous marine animal)

 3.2 - PARTE 2- PALABRAS QUE SE CORRESPONDEN

There are 30 questions in MLAT-ES Part 2.  The questions test recognition, analogy, and understanding of a far greater range of syntactic structures than the 4 sample questions shown here. Although knowledge of grammatical relationships is measured in this part, no explicit reference is made to grammatical terminology, so grammatical sensitivity is measured without measuring grammatical knowledge gained through formal instruction.

In each of the following questions, we call the first sentence the key sentence.  One word in the key sentence will be underlined and printed in capital letters.  The task is to select the word in the second sentence that plays the same role in that sentence as the underlined word in the key sentence.

1. Ayer, María rompió el VIDRIO.

                        Carolina cortó la torta con un cuchillo.

                                                    

2. Beatriz CANTÓ una canción bonita a su clase.

                        Óscar tira piedras grandes al lago.

                                                       

3. Pedro recibió un gato BLANCO por su cumpleaños.

                        Mi hermana comió una manzana grande el miércoles.

                                                                  

4. El PERRO peludo ladraba toda la noche.

                        ¿Fue a la tienda Paco para comprar pan?

                                                        

Correct Answers:

1. A mark would be put in the box beneath torta. In the first sentence, something was broken, and the thing that was broken was a VIDRIO (window).  In the second sentence, something was cut, and that thing was a torta (cake).

2. A mark would be put in the box beneath tira because CANTÓ (sang) in the first sentence and tira (throws) in the second sentence are both the action that occurs.

3. A mark would be put in the box beneath grande because BLANCO (white) in the first sentence describes the cat and grande (big) in the second sentence describes an apple.

4. A mark would be placed in the box beneath Paco because the first sentence is about a PERRO (dog) and the second sentence is about Paco.

3.3 - PARTE 3- PALABRAS QUE RIMAN

There are 40 items in Part III of the MLAT-ES. This portion of the test measures the pupil’s ability to recognize distinctions between speech sounds. Some knowledge of Spanish vocabulary is required for this part. In each of the questions below, the word in CAPS is called the stimulus. The pupils are asked to mark the box next to the word that best rhymes with the stimulus.

1. YESO…….  paso……….   piso……….     tropiezo…...  ocio

2. AMIGO…..  obligó……..  ombligo…...   refugio…….   hormiga

3. TESORO…  oro………...  tijera………     taro………..   sordo

4. BUENO…..  tengo………  muerdo……    heno………    pino

Correct Answers:

1. tropiezo

2. ombligo

3. oro

4. heno

3.4 - PARTE 4- NÚMEROS EN OTRO IDIOMA

Part 4 of the MLAT-ES has 25 possible points.  This part of the MLAT tests auditory and memory abilities associated with sound-meaning relationships.  In this part of the MLAT-ES, the pupil will learn the names of numbers in a new language.  Subsequently, he or she will hear the names of numbers spoken aloud, and will be asked to write down these numbers.  For example, if you heard someone say the number “seventeen” in English, you would write down 1 7.  But in this test, the pupil will hear the numbers in a new language.  Here’s how it will work:

The pupil will hear some instructions read aloud.  The speaker will then teach him or her some numbers.  The speaker will say something like:

[The red text represents the voice heard by the pupil.]

En esta parte de la prueba vamos a aprender los nombres de algunos números en un idioma distinto. Yo voy a decir el nombre de cada número. Ahora, a escuchar con mucha atención.

“ba” es “uno”

“baba” es “dos”

“dee” es “tres” 

Ahora, yo voy a decir el nombre de unos números, y hay que escribir los números correspondientes.

“ba”  -- “Uno” es la respuesta correcta.

“dee” – “Tres” es la respuesta correcta.

“baba” – “Dos” es la respuesta correcta.

Ahora, vamos a aprender los números  para “veinte” y “treinta”.

“tu” is  “veinte”

“ti” is  “treinta”

“tu-ba” es “veintiuno” en este idioma  --porque “tu” es veinte y “ba” es uno. “ti-ba” es “treinta y uno“ – porque “ti” es treinta y “ba” es uno.

Aquí vamos a hacer lo mismo que hicimos en los ejercicios de práctica: apenas yo diga las palabras hay que escribir el número correspondiente. Vamos a empezar.

a. ti-ba [the pupil has only about 5 seconds to write down each answer]

b. ti-dee

c. baba

d. tu-dee

Correct Answers:

a. 31

b. 33

c. 2

d. 23

4. Is the MLAT-ES easy to administer?

The MLAT-ES is readily administered because nearly all of the instructions are on the recording.  The timing of the test is automatically controlled by the recording, thus leaving the teacher free to proctor the test.  The administrator of the test must speak Spanish, since some introductory instructions are read aloud prior to playing the CD or cassette recording.  The administrator’s manual is written in English, but the test administrator is required to read aloud instructions in Spanish.

Time:  60 minutes.  The test may be administered in two sessions if desired.

5. When should the test be given?

The MLAT-ES can be used at different points and locations.  It can be administered routinely at an intake assessment center or at a newcomers’ school or magnet school for newcomers.  It can also be given upon special request, if a language learning problem or disability is suspected.  The MLAT-ES will be most useful for selection, placement, or guidance if given before or at the time children begin the study of English or a foreign language.  However, the MLAT-ES also provides helpful information about the basic language learning abilities of pupils who have already received ESL or FL instruction.  Prior language training does not ordinarily affect scores on the MLAT-ES, since the type of content included in the test is not ordinarily included in language curricula.

6. Who should take the MLAT-ES?

Although intended for grades 3-7, the MLAT-ES can also be given to children near the end of grade 2 and up to grade 8 or 9.  However, norms for these grades are not available and the grade 3 and grade 7 norms would have to be used for score interpretation purposes.

7. How can the MLAT-ES be used for placement?

In school districts with a high percentage of Spanish-speaking students, development of an appropriate educational program has been increasingly an issue.  The MLAT-ES, in its capacity as a diagnostic measure of language aptitude, can be used in conjunction with other measures (such as teacher evaluations, prior academic background, and grades in English and other courses) to effectively place Spanish-speaking students in the appropriate educational setting.

Students who score high on the test should progress rapidly in learning or acquiring English.  With initial instruction in English as a second language (ESL), followed by some supplemental instruction in ESL over the long term, they may begin study in mainstream classrooms.  These students should become fluent speakers, readers and writers of English in two years.  Their general English proficiency will probably be comparable to that of the average monolingual English speaker within two years of their placement in a mainstream English language classroom. 

Students who score in the middle of the range (2^nd and 3^rd quartile) are the norm.  Newcomer students scoring in this range should be placed initially in ESL classes or bilingual education programs that offer a strong ESL component.  Students receiving such instruction, as well as instruction in other subjects such as math and social studies, should acquire English at a normal rate, typically attaining native proficiency within two-to-four years.

Students who score on the low end of the scale should be placed in intensive ESL classes or bilingual education programs.  Such students will usually require more that four years to develop full proficiency in English.  In cases where the child is progressing slowly toward becoming a fluent speaker, reader, or writer of English, it may be useful to refer the child for psychoeducational assessment.

8. How can the MLAT-ES be used for selection?

The MLAT-ES will help identify children who show promise of rapid learning of another language and the likelihood of attaining a high level of proficiency.  Spanish-speaking children who score high (in the 80^th percentile or higher) on the MLAT-ES have a high degree of aptitude for learning foreign languages.  Therefore, they should be encouraged to enroll in another language in elementary school or in junior high school and to continue the study of that language, as well as English and Spanish, through high school.

 9. How can the MLAT-ES be used for guidance?

Teachers and guidance counselors may use MLAT-ES scores to estimate the child’s probable success in learning English.  Nearly all children will learn a second language, but language aptitude affects the speed with which the child will become proficient in the language and the degree of proficiency the child will acquire.  The MLAT-ES measures the child’s aptitude or ability; his or her interest or motivation must be appraised separately.

10. What is a language learning disability, and how can the MLAT-ES be used in diagnosing one?

A language learning disability may be defined as low aptitude for learning languages in comparison with the student’s aptitude for learning other subjects.  It is usually established by administering a battery of tests, including a language aptitude test such as the MLAT-E or the MLAT-ES, and examining the pattern of scores.  If the student shows normal aptitude for other school subjects but much lower aptitude on measures relating to language, then evidence of a weakness or disability in language aptitude is established.  Another aspect of such an assessment is to examine the student’s performance in different subjects.  If the student does well in other subjects but poorly in language, then this provides further evidence of a substantial discrepancy in his or her abilities. 

A problem with applying this model to the recently arrived monolingual Spanish speaker in the US is that such students may not be enrolled in a bilingual education program; hence they will not have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to learn other subjects in their native language.  Until they acquire a basic competency in English, they will progress slowly in other subjects.  Thus, evidence of learning in other subjects will either not be available, or it will appear that the student has below average aptitude in general.  Unless valid measures of general and special aptitudes are available in Spanish, the MLAT-ES score may be the only evidence of the student’s language learning ability.  In this case, the score on the MLAT-ES will have to be interpreted in isolation, but a low score would still serve as evidence of low language learning aptitude and possibly a disability.  Sometimes a cognitive-academic disability is defined as an aptitude score below a certain percentile, such as the 20^th percentile, the 10^th percentile, or the 5^th percentile.  Whether the cutoff point is made on a case-by-case basis or set for the purpose of establishing a policy for a particular school, the decision must be made by a qualified professional as part of a comprehensive diagnostic procedure.

The MLAT-ES test can be used in developing a history of difficulty in learning foreign languages.  For example, a school psychologist who is doing a diagnostic evaluation of a student who is progressing slowly in acquiring English could use test results from the MLAT-ES in conjunction with input from ESL teachers and data from progress in English language courses to help establish a diagnosis of a foreign language learning disability.  It is especially important that such diagnoses be accurate and credible, because other special services and accommodations may be contingent on their outcome.

To read two articles at LD Online about foreign language learning disablities, click on the following links:

Learning Disabilities and Foreign Language Learning, by Robin L. Schwartz

11. How do I obtain a copy of the MLAT-ES?

You can visit SLTI Store to download the order forms. You can also download a print friendly version of the MLAT-ES Order form (used for fax or postal mail) by clicking here or an email friendly version by clicking here.  You can open the print friendly version with Acrobat Reader. Print it out, complete the information requested, and mail it with a check, money order, or credit card information according to the instructions on the order form. You can open the email friendly version with Microsoft Word. Complete the order form, save the file, and email it as an attachment to CStansfield@2LTI.com.

VISA/MASTERCARD. To pay with your Visa or MasterCard, please download the print friendly version of the MLAT-ES order form, if you prefer to fax or send you order by postal mail. Download the email friendly version of the MLAT-ES order form, if you prefer to email your order. Due to security concerns, please note that you will have to call SLTI with your credit card number and expiration date, if you email your order.

PAYPAL: You may pay with PayPal, which is an Internet bank.  To pay for your order with PayPal, or to open a PayPal account, please visit SLTI Store and follow the instruction on the page.

12. What materials should I order?

Each examinee requires a test booklet (consumable - examinees mark their answers directly in the test booklet) and a score report. Administration of the test requires the test manual, cassette tape or CD, and a hand-scoring stencil for scoring the answer sheet.  Most materials are sold separately, but a Specimen Set (includes Administrator’s Manual, one Test Booklet and one Score Report) can be purchased to preview the materials. Due to the nature of the product, ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

Most psychologists administer the MLAT-ES to only one person at a time.  Thus, they can purchase the administration materials for the test and then test booklets and score reports as needed.