1. Which test should I choose?

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

Possible uses of the MLAT-E scores include:

• seeing how your students perform relative to national norms;
• developing local norms now and develop uses for the scores after norms are established;
• creating "expectancy tables" to show the relationship between language aptitude scores and grades in foreign language classes;
• helping to identify "foreign language learning disabled" students;
• helping to understand why a child is progressing slowly in learning a foreign language
• helping to identify gifted students;
• developing profiles of strengths and weaknesses for all students to inform learning/teaching.

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

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

Part 1- HIDDEN WORDS: ability to associate sounds and symbols
Part 2- MATCHING WORDS: sensitivity to grammatical structure
Part 3- FINDING RHYMES: ability to hear speech sounds
Part 4- NUMBER LEARNING: auditory alertness and ability to remember

Brief explanations of each of the four MLAT-E 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-E are modified versions of Parts 3, 4, and 1 respectively of the MLAT. Part 3 of the MLAT-E, which tests the ability to perceive speech sounds, was newly developed because the corresponding part of the MLAT (Part 2) is too difficult.  These sample questions are intended to familiarize teachers, guidance councilors, and administrators to the format and style of the MLAT-E.

3.1 - PART 1- HIDDEN WORDS

Part 1 of the MLAT-E has 30 items. This part of the MLAT requires the ability to associate sounds with symbols and depends somewhat on knowledge of English 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. wntr                          champion                                           season

                                                 liquid                                                    happy

2. klen                           brave                                                 group of people

                                                 a person who rules                             not dirty       

3. pensl                         used for writing                                  type of boat

                                     large bird                                             money

4. snak                          hard wood                                         to tease

                                                 reptile                                                  type of shoe

Correct Answers:

1. wntr is a disguised spelling of winter, which is a season
2. klen is a disguised spelling of clean, which corresponds in meaning to not dirty
3. pensl is a disguised spelling of pencil, which is used for writing
4. snak is a disguised spelling of snake, a kind of reptile

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3.2 - PART 2- MATCHING WORDS

There are 30 questions in MLAT-E 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. Yesterday, Mary caught a FISH at the lake.

                        Cindy cut a cake with a knife.
                                                  

2. Amy SANG a pretty song to her class.

                        James throws  big rocks into the lake.
                                                            

3. Peter got an ORANGE cat for his birthday.

                        My sister ate a big apple on Wednesday.
                                                       

4. The furry DOG barked at us as we walked by.

                        Did John go to the store to get bread?
                                                     

Correct Answers:

1. A mark would be put in the box beneath cake. In the first sentence, something was caught, and the thing that was caught was a FISH.  In the second sentence, something was cut, and that thing was a cake.

2. A mark would be put in the box beneath throws because SANG in the first sentence and throws in the second sentence are both the action that occurs.

3. A mark would be put in the box beneath big because ORANGE in the first sentence  describes the cat and big in the second sentence describes an apple .

4. A mark would be placed in the box beneath John because the first sentence is about a DOG and the second sentence is about John.

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3.3 - PART 3- FINDING RHYMES

There are 40 items in Part 3 of the MLAT-E. This portion of the test measures the pupils ability to hear and make distinctions between speech sounds. Some knowledge of English 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. TIME ……   tame ……..  tide ………   dime ……    shin
2. RAIN ……   vine ………   cane ………  keen ……   fine
3. MEET ……  beat ………  mate ……..   keep ……   might
4. ROOT……   foot ……….  but ……….   fruit ……….  book

Correct Answers:

1. dime
2. bane
3. feat
4. fruit

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3.4 - PART 4- NUMBER LEARNING

Part 4 of the MLAT-E 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-E, 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.]

Now I will teach you some numbers in the new language.   First, we will learn some single-digit numbers:

“ba” is “one”
“baba” is “two”
“dee” is “three” 

Now I will say the name of the number in the new language, and you write down the number you hear.  Try to do so before I tell you the answer: 

“ba”  -- That was “one”
“dee” – That was “three”
“baba” – That was “two”

Now we will learn some two-digit numbers: 

“tu” is  “twenty”
“ti” is  “thirty”

“tu-ba” is “twenty-one” in this language -- because “tu” is twenty and “ba” is one. “ti-ba” is “thirty-one“ – because “ti” is thirty and “ba” is one.

Now let’s begin.  Write down the number you hear.

a. ti-ba [you have only about 5 seconds to write down your answer]
b. ti-dee
c. baba
d. tu-dee

Correct Answers:

a. 31
b. 33
c. 2
d. 23

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4. Is the MLAT-E easy to administer?

The MLAT-E is readily administered because nearly all of the instructions are on the recording.  The timing of the test is also automatically controlled by the recording, thus leaving the teacher free to proctor the test.  The test takes approximately 60 minutes to administer.

The completed MLAT-E is hand-score using the Hand-Scoring Stencil Set, a set of transparencies indicating the correct responses on each page of the test booklet.  The score for each part is the number of correct responses and no deductions are made for errors or omissions.

5. When should the test be given and to what age groups?

The MLAT-E will be most useful for talent identification, placement, or guidance if given before or at the time children begin the study of a foreign language.  However, the MLAT-E also provides helpful information about the basic language learning abilities of pupils who may already have received foreign language instruction.  It appears that language training does not ordinarily affect scores on the MLAT-E, for the type of content included in the test is not ordinarily included in foreign language courses.

6. How is the MLAT-E used for selection?

The MLAT-E will help identify children who show promise of rapid learning and the likelihood of attaining a higher level of proficiency.  Children with superior talent may well be offered foreign language instruction earlier than others.

It is inappropriate to use the MLAT-E to screen a student out of a language course that the child wants to take.  Given good instructional support, plus enough time and exposure, virtually all children can learn a foreign language.  Furthermore, any child can benefit from foreign language study.

7. How is the MLAT-E used for placement?

8. How is the MLAT-E used for guidance?

MLAT-E scores may be used by teachers and guidance counselors to estimate the child's aptitude for foreign language learning.  The MLAT-E measures the child's aptitude or ability; his or her interest or motivation must be appraised separately.

9. What is a language learning disability, and how can the MLAT-E 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, MLAT, or PLAB, 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. 

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-E 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 foreign language classes could use test results from the MLAT-E in conjunction with input from FL teachers and data from progress in language courses to help establish a diagnosis of a foreign language learning disability.  Ideally, the MLAT-E would be administered when the student was in grade school, the PLAB would be administered at the junior high level, and the MLAT would be administered at a future point, such as when the student was applying for college, or in the first year of university studies and facing a language requirement.  Consistently poor performances on these tests over the years would strongly support the case for a 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

10. How do I obtain a copy of the MLAT-E?

You can visit SLTI Store to download the order forms. You can also download a print friendly version of the MLAT-E 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-E order form, if you prefer to fax or send you order by postal mail.  Download the email friendly version of the MLAT-E 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.

11. 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-E 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.