A Pilot Study of Dynamic Assessment of Vocabulary in German for Bilingual Preschoolers in Switzerland

Abstract

The vocabulary subtest of the Dynamic Assessment of Preschoolers’ Proficiency in Learning English (DAPPLE) was adapted in German and administered to 6 typically developing and 6 language-impaired bilingual preschoolers in Switzerland, as part of a short pilot project. The children were, also, assessed with a standardized test of vocabulary. Our aim was to determine whether the dynamic test would lead to a more accurate classification of the two groups (and their linguistic skills) than the standardized test. Overall, the findings confirm our initial question and are in line with the results of the DAPPLE study. This small-scale study may, therefore, be considered as a successful-initial-version of the vocabulary part of the DAPPLE in German. It, also, provides the basis for the creation of a more elaborate version of the DAPPLE battery and of a more comprehensive dynamic screening of bilingual children’s ability to learn German. Future adaptations and improvements are discussed.