Financial:
Scott Prath and Ellen Kester receive salaries from Bilinguistics. One product that will be discussed in the presentation is Evalubox, which is a product for which Ellen and Scott have a financial interest. Other free resources will be shared as well.

Non-Financial:
The authors do not have any nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Language sampling has long been considered one of the most powerful tools available to speech-language pathologists, yet it remains one of the least consistently used. The reason is not a lack of value. It is the reality of time, training, and practicality. Collecting, transcribing, analyzing, and writing up a language sample can feel overwhelming within the constraints of a busy caseload. As a result, many clinicians rely more heavily on standardized assessments, even when those tools fall short for bilingual students, culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and students whose real-world communication does not align with test performance.

This presentation is designed to close that gap.

Participants will explore why language sampling is not just helpful, but essential in today’s clinical landscape. With increasing linguistic diversity and growing awareness of the limitations of standardized testing, SLPs need tools that capture authentic language use and provide meaningful, functional data. Language samples offer exactly that, revealing strengths, needs, and patterns that standardized scores alone cannot.

The session introduces a clear, step-by-step framework for completing a language sample from start to finish. Clinicians will learn efficient methods for eliciting high-quality samples using conversations, picture sequences, and wordless books. Practical guidance will be provided for transcription, including how to balance accuracy with real-world time constraints. Participants will also gain a structured approach to analysis, including both macrostructure and microstructure elements, and how to use this information to guide assessment decisions, goal writing, and dismissal considerations.

A unique component of this session is the focus on clinical decision-making through techniques such as retell and dynamic assessment. Attendees will learn how to determine whether a student’s performance reflects limited experience, language difference, or true disorder, and how to gather additional evidence within the same session to support confident conclusions.

Finally, this presentation looks ahead to the future of language sampling. Emerging technologies are rapidly changing what is possible, from real-time transcription and translation to guided analysis and automated report writing. These tools have the potential to reduce time barriers, increase consistency, and make high-quality language sampling accessible to every clinician.

Participants will leave with a practical system they can implement immediately, along with renewed confidence in using language sampling as a central component of ethical, effective, and culturally responsive assessment.

Participants will be able to:
• Describe at least three reasons language sampling is essential for accurate, functional assessment, particularly for bilingual and culturally diverse students.
• List the key steps in a structured framework for collecting, transcribing, analyzing, and writing up a language sample.
• Identify at least three methods for eliciting high-quality language samples, including conversation, picture sequences, and wordless books.
• Differentiate between language difference, limited experience, and language disorder using retell and dynamic assessment techniques.
• Apply strategies for analyzing language samples, including macrostructure and microstructure elements, to inform assessment decisions, goal development, and dismissal considerations.

Time-Ordered Agenda
5 minutes: Introduction, disclosures, and why language sampling matters now more than ever
10 minutes: The problem: Barriers to language sampling (time, training, feasibility) and the limitations of standardized testing
15 minutes: A step-by-step framework for language sampling
15 minutes: Analyzing and interpreting language samples
10 minutes: Writing reports and making clinical decisions
5 minutes: The future of language sampling: Technology, automation, and workflow efficiency

Participants will leave with a practical system they can implement immediately, along with renewed confidence in using language sampling as a central component of ethical, effective, and culturally responsive assessment.

Practitioners attending live events will be asked to answer questions at the end of the course about what they learned and how they will use the information they learned in practice. Once the questions (below) are completed, participants will receive their certificate.

One practical takeaway I plan to apply from this session is __________.

Overall, how familiar were you with today’s topic before attending this webinar?

After attending, how confident are you in applying at least one concept from this webinar?

Rate your overall satisfaction with this webinar.

One practical takeaway I will apply from this session is __________.

Practitioners attending recorded sessions demonstrate learning and attendance by passing a quiz with a score of 80% or greater. The quiz addresses questions from material presented throughout the course. Practitioners can retake the quiz if they do not initially obtain a score of at least 80%. For events including case studies, participants download, read, and utilize materials in order to participate.