That was part of my question. I want to know how others assess primary languages. In the past, I have worked with interpreters and cultural liaisons to conduct primary language assessments.
To be honest, that's the only way I can think of. If you're not fluent in a student's native language, you can't possibly assess how well the student speaks it!
Maybe this is not a common thing to do.
I've never come across it before.
I am focused mostly on primary school students and perhaps that is what is causing confusion. If I were to work with adults on English as an additional language, I would assume that they knew enough about their primary language to be able to connect English to that language.
That works if you want to teach a language by linking it to a student's native language. When I taught English in Spain, my grasp of Spanish was minimal at best (admittedly, it got better the longer I was there). I made a point of telling my students not to try and directly translate anything. I didn't try and link English to Spanish at all.
With primary students, there is a wide variety of proficiency levels for students. Some students come in with very little academic language proficiency in either language.
At primary level, I wouldn't be concerned about their "academic language proficiency". The wonderful thing about the brains of children is that they pick up language and concepts very quickly, without necessarily having to have any grasp of grammar or anything else "academic".
One child had a speech delay so the doctor told the parents to only speak English from then on. He struggles in both languages because he is learning everything for the first time, rather than connecting information to his prior knowledge.
I think teaching any language to someone with any kind of delay will be more difficult than teaching others. I'm surprised that the parents want to get the child to speak a second language if he's already struggling with his native language.
I also have students who excelled academically in their home country and easily transfer their academic and linguistic knowledge to English.
Again, that's great, if that's how you choose to teach English. My original TEFL teacher (a long time ago) demonstrated with some random language (I can't remember what it was now) that it's possible to teach a roomful of complete beginners twenty words and how to construct a basis sentence in that language in half an hour. At no point did he use English or try to connect the two languages.
Understanding younger students' literacy and academic knowledge as a whole would help me understand where they are and what they need.
Personally, I can't see how it would help but you clearly think it will so I still think you're going to have to get people who are fluent/native in each student's language to assess them for you.
