3 Culturally Valid Assessment Tools: Northern Sotho Translation of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised Corrieta Pakendorf and Erna Alant Department of Communication Pathology University of Pretoria ABSTRACT There is currently a great demand for service provision for the African language speakers in South Africa. The difficulties associated with assessing speakers in the absence of assessment tools in the indigenous languages is, therefore, also a perti- nent concern. Within the current socio-economic climate in South Africa where test translation and adaptation is often cited as a more viable option than that of developing new tests, very few guidelines exist for the development or adaptation of valid assessment tools for culturally and linguistically diverse population groups. This article is aimed at describing the process which took place when existing English test material, in this instance, The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT- R)(Dunn & Dunn, 1981) was translated and culturally adapted for the Northern Sotho population in Pretoria and surround- ing areas. The findings of the research include practical examples of methodological considerations which should be taken into account while translating and undertaking cultural adaptation of test material. The newly adapted test material was also applied to a sample of 152 North-Sotho speaking pupils in the study area and the test results are discussed. OPSOMMING Hierdie studie het voortgespruit vanuit die huidige behoefte aan dienslewering binne die Afrikatale-konteks en die gebrek aan evalueringshulpmiddels in die inheemse tale. Alhoewel die Suid-Afrikaanse sosio-ekonomiese klimaat eerder ) toetsvertaling en -aanpassing aanmoedig, as die ontwikkeling van nuwe toetsmateriaal, bestaan daar tans min riglyne vir 2 1 die beplanning en uitvoering van so 'n prosedure. Hierdie artikel verskaf'n omskrywing van die prosedure wat gevolg is 0 tydens die vertaling en kulturele aanpassing van die PPVT-R vir die Noord-Sotho-populasie in Pretoria en omliggende 2 d gebiede. Die navorsingsresultate sluit praktiese voorbeelde in van metodologiese stappe wat geneem kan word tydens die e t vertaling en aanpassing van standaard-toetsmateriaal. Die nuut aangepaste toetsmateriaal is ook toegepas op 152 Noord- a d Sotho-sprekende leerlinge in jdie toets-area en die resultate word bespreek. ( r e KEY WORDS: African languages, cross-cultural language testing, cultural validity, diverse populations, mother-tongue, h s non-mainstream, PPVT-R, receptive vocabulary, test translation, test adaptation. i l b u INTRODUCTION therefore, a prerequisite for the development of original and P e culturally fair tests. This necessitates ethnographically- h t Speech-language pathologists in South Africa are now, based research on the subject of African languages and cul- y more than ever, faced with the evaluation of the African ture (Taylor, 1986). Such a research undertaking is both b Language speaking child. Especially in cases where resource- and time-consuming (Jordaan, 1989) and the de- d e speech-language and/or learning problems are suspected, velopment of original tests is thus not always a practical t n the challenge for the speech-language pathologist as pro- option within the current South African situation. a r fessional team member is to evaluate the child in a non- One of the alternatives to the application of inappro- g biased manner and then to determine if the child demon- priate language tests with the non-mainstream language e c strates a communication difference or disorder (Roseberry- user is that of modifying or revising existing tests in ways n e McKibbin & Eicholtz, 1994). Unfortunately, there are re- that will make them appropriate for the intended test c i alities that present major obstacles to providing non-bi- l population (Bradley in Taylor, 1986). The present study's r ased and appropriate services for these children. For ex- e main aim was to explore methods for the adaptation of an d ample, a general need exists amongst professionals who existing translated (Northern Sotho) language test into a n are not knowledgeable about these cultures or languages u culturally valid version for a specific population. The im- for original tests in the African languages. This indicates y portance of a cultural orientation, as suggested in Taylor's a the importance of the development of such evaluation in- conceptual framework, becomes evident especially when w struments. It must, however, be kept in mind that the e t applying the same test to different populations. In a study a study of normal and pathological communication is couched aimed at the investigation of the validity and cross-cul- G in cultural terms. Knowledge of each community's own defi- tural generalisability of English language tests, Zeidner t nition of "normalcy" in language and communication is, e (1986) found that test scores show significant bias, tend- n i b a S Die Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings, Vol. 44, 1997 y b d e c u d o r p e R 4 Corrieta Pakendorf & Erna Al ing to disadvantage the non-standard English user. Vari- sion of the PPVT-R. The most recent Northern Sotho ver- ous researchers have stressed the need to recognise the sion (Koekemoer, 1994) of the test was adapted in order to limitations of using Standard English tests on different make it as appropriate and as applicable as possible for cultural and linguistic groups (Alant & Beukes, 1986, the intended population. Roseberry-McKibbin & Eicholtz, 1994). The importance of considering the cultural and sociolin- Sub-aim 2: guistic background of the intended test population when The applicability of the modified Northern Sotho trans- adapting existing tests or when creation of a new test is lation of the PPVT-R to a group of Northern Sotho chil- undertaken, has been strongly emphasised in the interna- dren in Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 was investigated tional literature (Miller, 1984; Taylor, 1986). Furthermore, during the experimental phase of the study. it is important that, not only the translation of a test, but also the applicability of test material such as stimulus pic- RESEARCH DESIGN tures must be taken into account when adapting an evalu- ation instrument for the intended test population. During the pre-experimental phase of this research The present study included the evaluation and further there was aimed at further development and refining of the existing Northern Sotho version of the PPVT-R. Given refinement of the most recent English-to-Northern Sotho the complexity of the cultural adaptation of a test, it was translation (Koekemoer, 1994) of the PPVT-R as well as decided to, during this part of the study, implement the an investigation of the cultural appropriacy of the origi- qualitative research design as suggested by Creswell nal picture plates for the intended test population. North- (1994). This design made it possible to adjust and re-ad- ern Sotho is the home language of approximately 10% of just according to unforseen results obtained from com- all South Africans and two previous studies (Labuschagne pleted parts of the project. This continuous developmen- 1990, Koekemoer, 1994) had been conducted aiming at tal process also implied the repetition of certain research translating the original English word lists into Northern procedures in a circular manner in order to refine all the Sotho. A third study (Naidoo, 1994) was aimed at the ad- test stimuli as well as possible. aptation of the PPVT-R for the Zulu-speaking community in KwaZulu-Natal. These studies provided a starting point In order to maximise the cultural validity of the adapted and certain guidelines which could be utilised during the test material, the pre-experimental phase of the study was also characterised by a participative methodology. This present research. entailed that Northern Sotho mother-tongue speakers, The evaluation of a child's receptive vocabulary skills professionals as well as non-professional local residents is a practical starting point for any language assessment, living in the target area, were involved in the formulation especially in the South African context where limited in- and development of test-material on a consistent basis. formation is available regarding linguistic analysis of the Marshall & Rossman (in Creswell, 1994) sustain this meth- African languages (Jordaan, 1989). Each child's knowledge odology by suggesting that when applying the qualitative of vocabulary determines his or her ability to think, speak research design, it entails the researcher entering the eve- ) and understand a language (Miller, 1984). The importance 2 ryday life of the setting chosen for the study through on- 1 of vocabulary is also reflected in the fact that vocabulary going interaction with informants, and by seeking their 0 teaching has become an important focus in second lan- 2 perspectives and meanings. This methodology character- guage teaching and learning (Morgan & Rinvolucri, 1986). d ised the developmental (pre-experimental) phase, but was e t It should, furthermore, be possible to apply a receptive also implemented during the experimental phase of the a vocabulary test even with young children, seeing that re- d research. ( ceptive language development can be evaluated without r It is important that the methods of research are not e requiring any verbal responses from the subject. Especially h only innovative but also soundly-based and scientifically s in the case of a young child, the PPVT-R, when used in i l conjunction with a measure of school achievement, could accountable. Therefore, an analytical survey design was b implemented during the second (experimental) phase of u be helpful in identifying underachievers (Dunn & Dunn, P research. During the experimental phase, where pupils 1981). Viewed in the light of current efforts to improve e were tested individually, the acquired data was of a quan- h the educational standards within the African language t titative nature and statistical assistance was needed to y communities in South Africa, the relevance of a Northern extract the meaning.