Using Language Sample Analysis to Assess Spoken Language Production in Adolescents.

PURPOSE: This tutorial discusses the importance of language sample analysis and how Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software can be used to simplify the process and effectively assess the spoken language production of adolescents.

METHOD: Over the past 30 years, thousands of language samples have been collected from typical speakers, aged 3-18 years, in conversational and narrative contexts. These samples have been formatted as reference databases included with SALT. Using the SALT software, individual samples are compared with age- and grade-matched samples selected from these databases.

RESULTS: Two case studies illustrate that comparison with database samples of typical adolescents, matched by grade and elicitation context, highlights language measures that are higher or lower than the database mean values. Differences in values are measured in standard deviations.

CONCLUSION: Language sample analysis remains a powerful method of documenting language use in everyday speaking situations. A sample of talking reveals an individual's ability to meet specific speaking demands. These demands vary across contexts, and speakers can have difficulty in any one or all of these communication tasks. Language use for spoken communication is a foundation for literacy attainment and contributes to success in navigating relationships for school, work, and community participation.