modern language aptitude test

[guest201]

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of these tests? One of our local schools will be selecting about 20 children based on this.

[Guest55]

I've heard about schools using the Swedish test ...

[Amber]

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of these tests? One of our local schools will be selecting about 20 children based on this.

I have devised and administered several of these tests over the last few years. It would be unprofessional of me to give any details but what I can tell you is that there is no way to prepare for them, and that your child will be neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by any previous language knowledge. I expect the school will ask for any languages your child already has any knowledge of, and tests where I am are designed to ensure that this will not help. They are very good at detecting raw language aptitude.
HTH

[guest201]

Thanks for your reply. Do you think that children who are bilingual or speak a second language to a high conversational level will generally have a greater aptitude than children who only speak one language?

[Amber]

Thanks for your reply. Do you think that children who are bilingual or speak a second language to a high conversational level will generally have a greater aptitude than children who only speak one language?

In my experience, yes, certainly wrt truly bilingual children as opposed to those whose parents have force fed them a bit of French in utero. Though not in every single case...I think maybe the intelligence of the child comes into play too. Some bilingual children struggle with switching and retain issues into adulthood. But yes, on the whole bilingualism is a huge asset and bilingual children I have tested have usually but not always shown high aptitude for language learning. My OH is bilingual and reckons it helped with other, non-related languages at school.

[guest201]

Thanks again Amber, my two are practically bilingual they speak one language with me and the other with my husband. From what you have said it would be worth them doing the test. My DD has been doing a bit of French at school and she seems to retain it well.

[Amber]

Thanks again Amber, my two are practically bilingual they speak one language with me and the other with my husband. From what you have said it would be worth them doing the test. My DD has been doing a bit of French at school and she seems to retain it well.

Definitely. Nothing to lose and it sounds as if they are likely to do well. Good luck.

[pheasantchick]

There was a channel 4 programme called ' Hidden Talents' recently which used a language aptitude test in one programme. The test is online on their website.