Language assessment: A review of cross-cultural issues, and the development of an indigenous tool for Hong Kong infants and toddlers

Speech and language delay is one of the most common neuro-developmental difficulties during early childhood. Previous studies suggested that language problems have long-term implications for social, emotional and intellectual development in children. Early identification means the possibility of early intervention, which was found to yield better treatment effects. However, languages and dialects are different among cultures. Unlike assessment of gross- and/or fine motor skills, language assessment tools are not readily transferred across cultures due to the different linguistic features and the developmental stages of such features in a particular language/dialect.
In this chapter, we would discuss the application of a translated version of an imported language assessment tool in Hong Kong, and the recent development of local assessment tools. It would also include an empirical example of the initial development of a culturally sensitive screening protocol, using vocabulary size as the indicator to minimize the effect of linguistic differences. Copyright © 2007 Nova Science Publisher.