Development of a Mandarin Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary Test for children using cochlear implants.
The MERVT gives BCBAs a reliable Mandarin vocabulary ruler for preschool CI users.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built the first Mandarin test that checks both understanding and speaking of words. They tested it on preschoolers who hear through cochlear implants.
Kids pointed to pictures and named objects while clinicians scored answers. The study asked: do scores rise with age and with longer CI use?
What they found
Scores on the MERVT lined up well with each child’s age and how long they had worn the implant. The test gave steady results when given twice.
These links show the tool can track language growth in Mandarin-speaking CI users.
How this fits with other research
Zanella et al. (2021) did the same kind of cross-language check with the PDMS-2 motor scale in Brazilian toddlers. Both papers prove you can take a fresh language or motor test, run it in a new tongue, and still get solid numbers.
Nadwodny et al. (2025) used LENA automated counts with autistic toddlers and also found small-to-moderate links to clinic tests. Their tech approach differs from the paper-and-picture MERVT, yet both studies support adding a second measure when you track early language.
Ge et al. (2024) validated the Mandarin SSDS for social skills in autistic kids. Together these papers build a small library of Mandarin tools so you can test vocabulary, social drive, or motor skills without switching to English.
Why it matters
If you serve Mandarin-speaking families with CI kids, you now have a normed vocabulary test that speaks their language. Use it at intake and every six months to show progress in both receptive and expressive word knowledge. Pair it with LENA recordings or social scales as they become available to build a full Mandarin assessment pack.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Cochlear implants (CIs) provide children with profound hearing loss access to sounds and speech. Research on the effects of CI on speech and language development in mainland China is scarce due to the lack of standardized tests. This study aims at developing a vocabulary measure, the Mandarin Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary Test (MERVT), for pre-school children with CIs. Using responses from 102 normal-hearing preschool children, the initial vocabulary set was subjected to analyses to identify items with appropriate levels of difficulty and discrimination. Norms on 245 normal-hearing children aged 1;6 to 3;11 were later collected based on the final set of the items. Evaluation of the test's psychometric properties revealed good internal consistency. Significant correlations between the total MERVT scores and the Gesell Developmental Scale scores, between the MERVT expressive and receptive subtest scores and the total scores, and the gradual increase in MERVT scores with age, provided evidence of construct validity. Results from 29 children with CIs were also examined for evidence of the MERVT's construct validity. There was a significant correlation between these children's MERVT scores and their scores from an intelligence test. The MERVT scores increased with an increase in the duration of CI use and in chronological age. With good reliability and strong validity, the test is recommended for use in the monitoring of language development in children with CI.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.07.010