Multilingual Implications for Reading Prosody Assessment

Abstract

We believe that reading prosody assessment is culturally situated. In this conceptual article, we problematize some of the phrasing used for prosody indicators and explore how three of the most spoken languages in the United States (other than English) enact aspects of prosody when reading. We probe potential linguistic and sociocultural implications and contribute to the discussion of equitable assessment practices in reading education. Using a multilingual and sociocultural lens, we identify elements of prosody in other languages that could impact how prosody in English is produced. We discuss extratextual features that impact prosody and implications for the rubrics used by assessors. We end by providing recommendations for the field related to increasing our understanding of multilingual fluency and promoting multilingual mindsets in fluency classroom assessment.