Language Assessment for Chinese-Speaking Preschool Children: A Review of Current Developments, Challenges, and Future Directions

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jmhs.202605305

Author(s)

Yanan Li, Qingqing Xie*, Lifang Zhang

Affiliation(s)

School of Rehabilitation Engineering, China Civil Affairs University, Beijing, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

The development of children’s language skills directly influences their cognitive development, social interaction, and subsequent academic performance. The preschool years represent an important stage of language development. Language abilities acquired during this period not only influence children’s current communicative effectiveness but also strongly predict later performance in reading, writing, and academic learning. Language assessment tools, as essential means for identifying children’s language development levels, play a fundamental role in early screening, clinical diagnosis, and monitoring of interventions. Internationally, research on children’s language assessment has established a relatively comprehensive theoretical and instrumental framework, with research priorities gradually expanding from traditional standardized tests to dynamic assessment, ecological assessment, and culturally responsive assessment. In contrast, although research on language assessment for Chinese-speaking preschoolers in China has developed rapidly, there remain significant shortcomings in the development of assessment tools, the integration of local linguistic characteristics, and the establishment of normative data. This article reviews relevant domestic and international research findings, analyzes the current state of language assessment tools for Chinese-speaking preschool children, and, by considering the structural characteristics of the Chinese language, explores existing issues and potential future directions, with the aim of providing guidance for the refinement of the language assessment system for Chinese-speaking children.

Keywords

Preschool Children; Language Assessment; Chinese-Speaking Children; Language Disorders

References

[1] Xu Y X, Ma H Y. Research on Language Assessment Tools in China and Abroad. Journal of Suihua University, 2014, 34(10):145-149. [2] Bao X, Komesidou R, Hogan T P. A review of screeners to identify risk of developmental language disorder. American Journal of speech-language pathology, 2024, 33(3):1548-1571. [3] Jullien S. Screening for language and speech delay in children under five years. BMC pediatrics, 2021, 21(Suppl 1), 362. [4] US Preventive Services Task Force; Barry MJ, Nicholson WK, Silverstein M, Chelmow D, Coker TR, Davis EM, Donahue KE, Jaén CR, Li L, Mangione CM, Ogedegbe G, Rao G, Ruiz JM, Stevermer J, Tsevat J, Underwood SM, Wong JB. Screening for Speech and Language Delay and Disorders in Children: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2024, 331(4):329-334. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.26952. PMID: 38261037. [5] Cairney D G, Kazmi A, Delahunty L, Marryat L, Wood R. The predictive value of universal preschool developmental assessment in identifying children with later educational difficulties: A systematic review. PLoS One, 2021, 16(3):e0247299. [6] Huang W Q. A Systematic Review of Assessment of Chinese Children's Language Competence. Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning, 2020, 5(4):83-91. [7] Hamann C, Chilla S, Ibrahim L A, Fekete I. Language assessment tools for Arabic-speaking heritage and refugee children in Germany. Applied Psycholinguistics, 2020, 41(6):375-1414. [8] Huang B R, Liao X D. Modern Chinese (6th revised edition). Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2017. [9] Bao X, Komesidou R, Hogan TP. A review of screeners to identify risk of developmental language disorder. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 2024, 33(3):1548–1571. [10] Jullien S. Screening for language and speech delay in children under five years. BMC Pediatrics. 2021, 21(Suppl 1):362. [11] Hamann C, Chilla S, Ibrahim LA, Fekete I. Language assessment tools for Arabic-speaking heritage and refugee children in Germany. Applied Psycholinguistics. 2020, 41(6):1375–1414. [12] Nordberg A, Jacobsson K. Approaches and educational assessments of children's speech, language and communication development in Swedish preschools. Early Child Development and Care. 2021, 191(14):2188–2203. [13] Zhang X D, Hao Y, Zhao D M, et al. Reliability and Validity of A Vocabulary Assessment Scale For Children's Language Development. Chinese Journal of Hearing and Language Rehabilitation, 2024, 22(1):23-26. [14] Liu X M. Clinical Framework for Comprehensive Assessment and Differential Diagnosis of Language Delay, Language Disorder, and Related Developmental Disorders. Chinese Journal of Pediatrics, 2021, 59(11):901-904. [15] Liu X M. Three-Dimensional Language Assessment and Intervention Model of "Language-Social Communication-Cognition" — Clinical Application of Theory of Mind in Language Assessment and Intervention. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care, 2025, 33(11):1170. [16] Zhang X H. Research on Language Disorder Assessment Based On Artificial Intelligence Technology. Chinese Journal of Hearing and Language Rehabilitation, 2023, 21(2):112-118. [17] Lu S, Qiu G X, Qian S Y, et al. Development of A Speech Communication Level Assessment System for Chinese Children for Language Disorder Screening. Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning, 2021, 6(6):45-58.