In bilingual assessment, why is it important to consider both languages?

In bilingual assessment, why is it important to consider both languages?

• A. Because one language is always dominant
• B. Because only the first language matters
• C. To avoid bias and accurately reflect overall language ability
• D. Because bilinguals do not transfer skills between languages

Answer: (C)

When evaluating a bilingual person, you need to look at both languages because language ability is spread across them and shaped by context. People use one language in one setting and another in a different one, so testing only a single language can miss strengths or challenges that appear in the other. Skills can transfer between languages—vocabulary, grammar, and even cognitive strategies learned in one language can influence performance in the other—so considering both gives a fuller, more accurate picture of overall language ability. If you tested just one language, you risk biasing the results and misrepresenting what the person can do across their full linguistic repertoire. The idea that only the first language matters or that one language is always dominant isn't reliable, and the notion that bilinguals don’t transfer skills between languages isn’t supported by how bilingual language use works.

When evaluating a bilingual person, you need to look at both languages because language ability is spread across them and shaped by context. People use one language in one setting and another in a different one, so testing only a single language can miss strengths or challenges that appear in the other. Skills can transfer between languages—vocabulary, grammar, and even cognitive strategies learned in one language can influence performance in the other—so considering both gives a fuller, more accurate picture of overall language ability. If you tested just one language, you risk biasing the results and misrepresenting what the person can do across their full linguistic repertoire. The idea that only the first language matters or that one language is always dominant isn't reliable, and the notion that bilinguals don’t transfer skills between languages isn’t supported by how bilingual language use works.