ERIC Number: EJ772072
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Aug
Pages: 28
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 0
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
The Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q): Assessing Language Profiles in Bilinguals and Multilinguals
Marian, Viorica; Blumenfeld, Henrike K.; Kaushanskaya, Margarita
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v50 n4 p940-967 Aug 2007
Purpose: To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire of bilingual language status with predictable relationships between self-reported and behavioral measures. Method: In Study 1, the internal validity of the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) was established on the basis of self-reported data from 52 multilingual adult participants. In Study 2, criterion-based validity was established on the basis of standardized language tests and self-reported measures from 50 adult Spanish-English bilinguals. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were established on healthy adults whose literacy levels were equivalent to that of someone with a high school education or higher. Results: Factor analyses revealed consistent factors across both studies and suggested that the LEAP-Q was internally valid. Multiple regression and correlation analyses established criterion-based validity and suggested that self-reports were reliable indicators of language performance. Self-reported reading proficiency was a more accurate predictor of first-language performance, and self-reported speaking proficiency was a more accurate predictor of second-language performance. Although global measures of self-reported proficiency were generally predictive of language ability, deriving a precise estimate of performance on a particular task required that specific aspects of language history be taken into account. Conclusion: The LEAP-Q is a valid, reliable, and efficient tool for assessing the language profiles of multilingual, neurologically intact adult populations in research settings.
Descriptors: Questionnaires, Profiles, Multilingualism, Language Enrichment, Diachronic Linguistics, Validity, Reliability, Language Aptitude, Language Tests, Bilingualism, Language Proficiency, Factor Analysis, Reading Skills, Second Language Learning, Adults
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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