An Adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates CDI in 17 Arabic Dialects for Children Aged 8 to 30 Months. Issue 4 (2nd October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abdelwahab, Alshaimaa Gaber Salah; Forbes, Samuel; Cattani, Allegra; Goslin, Jeremy; Floccia, Caroline
• Is Part Of: Language learning and development. Volume 17:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 425
• Page End: 446
• Publication Date: 2021-10-02
• Subjects: Language acquisition -- Research -- Periodicals; Children -- Language -- Periodicals; 401.9305
• DOI: 10.1080/15475441.2021.1916502
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1547-5441

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Assessing a child's language in the early years is critical to plan for an early intervention and maximize their learning potential. In a unique pan-Arabic approach to language development, we developed a new Arabic assessment tool, usable by parents and Early Years professionals to screen vocabulary in children between 8 months and 30 months across 17 Arab countries. Departing from the two relevant original Communicative Development Inventory forms (CDI: Words and Gestures and CDI: Words and Sentences, Fenson, Marchman, Thal, Reznick, & Bates, 2007 ), our Arabic CDI focuses on Words Only (Short Form), and assesses comprehension and production of a list of 100 words in 17 main dialects or Arabic, through a parental report. Data were collected from 436 Egyptian children and 168 children from the remaining 16 countries. Quasi-binomial model fits on Egyptian and Other Dialects comprehension and production data showed that Egyptian vocabulary norms could be reasonably extrapolated to the Other Dialects sample, as a first indication that the tool might be usable across the different countries.