The book investigates the explanatory variables for the passage-reading comprehension performance of Japanese EFL learners and their sentence-reading speed. Following rigorous preliminary studies evaluating the significance of the candidate variables and refining research instruments, a large scale main study was conducted. Regression analyses indicated that syntactic knowledge was the best predictor of passage-reading ability, while vocabulary breadth also contributed to its prediction. Subgroup analyses supported the significance of syntactic knowledge for both higher- and lower-ability readers. Sentence-reading speed was best predicted by the speed of lexical semantic access. The significance of this speed was also consistent across the group division. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling of the data indicated that the performances of the participants were best explained in terms of two latent factors: one based on careful text processing power and the other on efficiency of lexical semantic access.
The volume includes original papers addressing different aspects of the interface between second language acquisition and language testing research. This paperback edition provides a fresh look at areas of common interest to both SLA and LT research, and ways in which research in these two areas of applied linguistics can be fruitfully integrated. The volume includes original papers dealing with different aspects of the interface between SLA and LT research. This collection thus constitutes a starting point for a continuing and expanding dialogue between SLA and LT researchers.
This text presents up-to-date theory, research, and classroom applications in second language reading from an interactive perspective. The paperback edition presents up-to-date theory, research, and classroom applications in second language reading from an interactive perspective. The book supports the view that reading in a second language involves more than decoding; instead, reading is seen as an interactive process whereby the learner's own background and knowledge contribute to understanding reading material. These articles are written by experts in the reading field, who present process models and discuss classroom applications. The book examines traditional approaches that focus on text and decoding skills, as well as more contemporary theories that consider the reader's base knowledge.
This volume examines the nature of second language listening proficiency and how it can be assessed. The book highlights the need for test developers to provide a clear explication of the ability constructs which underpin the tests they offer in the public domain. This is increasingly necessary if claims about the validity of test score interpretation and use are to be supported both logically and with empirical evidence. It operationalises a comprehensive test validation framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework embraces six core components, examining and then analysing Cambridge ESOL listening tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker; Cognitive Validity; Context Validity; Scoring Validity; Criterion-related Validity; and Consequential Validity.
This text presents the findings of a major investigation of second language proficiency in various groups of school-aged learners. It invites a frank appraisal of the research from an outside panel of experts. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are the subject of a lively debate focused on three main research issues: the nature of second language proficiency, the impact of classroom treatment on second language learning, and the role of social and individual factors in bilingual development. This original collection of articles will be of interest to all those concerned with policy and practice in second language education.
In this book, learner-centredness is presented as an approach to language teaching which takes account of the learning goals, subjective needs and the culturally-based expectations which learners bring with them to the language classroom. Learner-centred teaching involves a collaborative approach to course development in which teachers and learners share their respective knowledge and insights into the learning process. The book stresses that a learner-centred approach cannot therefore be made synonymous with any one set of teachings procedures: it will assume different forms in response to the individual and cultural identities of the learners involved and the settings in which learning takes place.
Despite persistent assertions of washback (the influence of testing on teaching and learning) limited research studies have been undertaken on the subject. Even fewer studies have made use of quantitative and qualitative methods to examine washback. This book, at the intersection of language testing and teaching practices/programs, investigates the impact of the introduction of the 1996 Hong Kong Certificate of Education in English, a high-stakes public examination, on classroom teaching and learning in Hong Kong secondary schools. The washback effect was observed initially at the macro level, including different parties within the Hong Kong educational context, and subsequently at the micro level, in terms of the classroom, including aspects of teachers' attitudes, teaching content and classroom interactions. Further, the book offers insights into the concept that a test can be used as a change agent to encourage innovation in the classroom.
This book is a centenary volume to mark 100 years of Cambridge English exams. The volume chronicles the history of Cambridge ESOL, from the first administration of The Certificate of Proficiency of English in 1913, up to the present. It covers intertwining themes such as mission, exam range, constructs, content, theory and practice, research and validation, and also explores relationships with key countries, institutions, centres, staff and test-takers. Printed in full colour with an attractive layout, the volume includes many photographs and unique access to archival material and interviews with key stakeholders.
This volume reports research that informs the development of reading and listening assessment in IELTS. This volume brings together a set of eight IELTS-related research studies - four on reading and four on listening - conducted between 2005 and 2010. Findings from these studies provide valuable evidence on the validity, reliability, impact and practicality of the IELTS test; they are also instrumental in highlighting aspects needing attention, and thus directly inform the continuing evolution of the IELTS reading and listening tests. The volume reviews and comments on the specific contribution of each study to the ongoing process of IELTS reading and listening test design and development.
This volume describes an empirical framework for test validation and comparison of level-based test batteries. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and two levels (Preliminary and First) of a CEFR-aligned multilevel test battery, served as external referents for a review of the similarities and differences between General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) reading components, and a five-level criterion-referenced EEFL testing system, developed in the Taiwanese education context, targeting CEFR levels B1 and B2. Findings from the studies support the validity of the GEPT in general, and suggest the procedures recommended by the Council of Europe for linking examinations to the CEFR are not effective in ensuring equivalence between different examinations targeting the same CEFR level.
How to provide appropriate feedback to students on their writing has long been an area of central significance to teachers and educators. Feedback in Second Language Writing: Context and Issues provides scholarly articles on the topic by leading researchers, who explore topics such as the socio-cultural assumptions that participants bring to the writing class; feedback delivery and negotiation systems; and the role of student and teacher identity in negotiating feedback and expectations. This text provides empirical data and an up-to-date analysis of the complex issues involved in offering appropriate feedback during the writing process.
This edited volume develops a theoretical framework for validating tests of second language ability. The chapter authors show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its components can assist test developers to operationalise their tests more effectively, especially in relation to the key criteria that differentiate one proficiency level from another. The book provides an up-to-date review of the relevant literature on assessing speaking, an accessible and systematic description of the different proficiency levels in second language speaking and a comprehensive and coherent basis for validating tests of speaking. It will be of considerable interest to examination boards who wish to validate their own speaking tests in a systematic and coherent manner, as well as to academic researchers and graduate students in the field of language assessment more generally.
Learner Strategy Use and Performance on Language Tests investigates the relationships between learner strategy use and performance on second language tests. To this effect, it examines the construct validity of two questionnaires, designed within a model of human information processing, that purport to measure testakers' self-reported cognitive and metacognitive strategy use. It then examines the construct validity of the FCE Anchor test, developed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, to measure second language proficiency. It is a useful resource for those interested in understanding the effects of strategy use on performance, for those interested in training students to use strategies in language classrooms and for those interested in using structural equation modelling as an analytic tool for examining the effects of socio-psychological background variables on performance.
The volume offers an explanatory account of the progress of academic language proficiency testing in the UK (and later Australia), from the British Council's English Proficiency Test Battery (EPTB), through the revolutionary English Language Testing Service (ELTS) to the present solution of IELTS. The three stages of academic language testing in the UK over the last 50 years move from grammar through real life to features of language use. At the same time, comparison of predictive validities suggests that all three measures account for very similar shares of the variance (about 10%) and that therefore the choice of an academic language proficiency test is determined only in part by predictive validity: other factors such as test delivery, test renewal in response to fashion, research and impact on stakeholders, and assessment of all four language skills are also important.
This volume, through a detailed treatment of the cognitive processes that support reading, explains how reading really works. It offers a thorough overview of important and current research, including first language research, which is not often found in second language acquisition (SLA) publications. This book is a true example of applied linguistics; it makes well-defined linkages between theory and practice, discussing the implications and applications of second language reading theories on instructional practices. It is a valuable resource and reference for action researchers, curriculum designers, teachers, administrators, and those interested in exploring theoretical issues grounded in instructional contexts.
The book investigates the explanatory variables for the passage-reading comprehension performance of Japanese EFL learners and their sentence-reading speed. Following rigorous preliminary studies evaluating the significance of the candidate variables and refining research instruments, a large scale main study was conducted. Regression analyses indicated that syntactic knowledge was the best predictor of passage-reading ability, while vocabulary breadth also contributed to its prediction. Subgroup analyses supported the significance of syntactic knowledge for both higher- and lower-ability readers. Sentence-reading speed was best predicted by the speed of lexical semantic access. The significance of this speed was also consistent across the group division. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling of the data indicated that the performances of the participants were best explained in terms of two latent factors: one based on careful text processing power and the other on efficiency of lexical semantic access.
The volume includes original papers addressing different aspects of the interface between second language acquisition and language testing research. This paperback edition provides a fresh look at areas of common interest to both SLA and LT research, and ways in which research in these two areas of applied linguistics can be fruitfully integrated. The volume includes original papers dealing with different aspects of the interface between SLA and LT research. This collection thus constitutes a starting point for a continuing and expanding dialogue between SLA and LT researchers.
This text presents up-to-date theory, research, and classroom applications in second language reading from an interactive perspective. The paperback edition presents up-to-date theory, research, and classroom applications in second language reading from an interactive perspective. The book supports the view that reading in a second language involves more than decoding; instead, reading is seen as an interactive process whereby the learner's own background and knowledge contribute to understanding reading material. These articles are written by experts in the reading field, who present process models and discuss classroom applications. The book examines traditional approaches that focus on text and decoding skills, as well as more contemporary theories that consider the reader's base knowledge.
This volume examines the nature of second language listening proficiency and how it can be assessed. The book highlights the need for test developers to provide a clear explication of the ability constructs which underpin the tests they offer in the public domain. This is increasingly necessary if claims about the validity of test score interpretation and use are to be supported both logically and with empirical evidence. It operationalises a comprehensive test validation framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework embraces six core components, examining and then analysing Cambridge ESOL listening tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker; Cognitive Validity; Context Validity; Scoring Validity; Criterion-related Validity; and Consequential Validity.
This text presents the findings of a major investigation of second language proficiency in various groups of school-aged learners. It invites a frank appraisal of the research from an outside panel of experts. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are the subject of a lively debate focused on three main research issues: the nature of second language proficiency, the impact of classroom treatment on second language learning, and the role of social and individual factors in bilingual development. This original collection of articles will be of interest to all those concerned with policy and practice in second language education.
In this book, learner-centredness is presented as an approach to language teaching which takes account of the learning goals, subjective needs and the culturally-based expectations which learners bring with them to the language classroom. Learner-centred teaching involves a collaborative approach to course development in which teachers and learners share their respective knowledge and insights into the learning process. The book stresses that a learner-centred approach cannot therefore be made synonymous with any one set of teachings procedures: it will assume different forms in response to the individual and cultural identities of the learners involved and the settings in which learning takes place.
Despite persistent assertions of washback (the influence of testing on teaching and learning) limited research studies have been undertaken on the subject. Even fewer studies have made use of quantitative and qualitative methods to examine washback. This book, at the intersection of language testing and teaching practices/programs, investigates the impact of the introduction of the 1996 Hong Kong Certificate of Education in English, a high-stakes public examination, on classroom teaching and learning in Hong Kong secondary schools. The washback effect was observed initially at the macro level, including different parties within the Hong Kong educational context, and subsequently at the micro level, in terms of the classroom, including aspects of teachers' attitudes, teaching content and classroom interactions. Further, the book offers insights into the concept that a test can be used as a change agent to encourage innovation in the classroom.
This book is a centenary volume to mark 100 years of Cambridge English exams. The volume chronicles the history of Cambridge ESOL, from the first administration of The Certificate of Proficiency of English in 1913, up to the present. It covers intertwining themes such as mission, exam range, constructs, content, theory and practice, research and validation, and also explores relationships with key countries, institutions, centres, staff and test-takers. Printed in full colour with an attractive layout, the volume includes many photographs and unique access to archival material and interviews with key stakeholders.
This volume reports research that informs the development of reading and listening assessment in IELTS. This volume brings together a set of eight IELTS-related research studies - four on reading and four on listening - conducted between 2005 and 2010. Findings from these studies provide valuable evidence on the validity, reliability, impact and practicality of the IELTS test; they are also instrumental in highlighting aspects needing attention, and thus directly inform the continuing evolution of the IELTS reading and listening tests. The volume reviews and comments on the specific contribution of each study to the ongoing process of IELTS reading and listening test design and development.
This volume describes an empirical framework for test validation and comparison of level-based test batteries. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and two levels (Preliminary and First) of a CEFR-aligned multilevel test battery, served as external referents for a review of the similarities and differences between General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) reading components, and a five-level criterion-referenced EEFL testing system, developed in the Taiwanese education context, targeting CEFR levels B1 and B2. Findings from the studies support the validity of the GEPT in general, and suggest the procedures recommended by the Council of Europe for linking examinations to the CEFR are not effective in ensuring equivalence between different examinations targeting the same CEFR level.
How to provide appropriate feedback to students on their writing has long been an area of central significance to teachers and educators. Feedback in Second Language Writing: Context and Issues provides scholarly articles on the topic by leading researchers, who explore topics such as the socio-cultural assumptions that participants bring to the writing class; feedback delivery and negotiation systems; and the role of student and teacher identity in negotiating feedback and expectations. This text provides empirical data and an up-to-date analysis of the complex issues involved in offering appropriate feedback during the writing process.
This edited volume develops a theoretical framework for validating tests of second language ability. The chapter authors show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its components can assist test developers to operationalise their tests more effectively, especially in relation to the key criteria that differentiate one proficiency level from another. The book provides an up-to-date review of the relevant literature on assessing speaking, an accessible and systematic description of the different proficiency levels in second language speaking and a comprehensive and coherent basis for validating tests of speaking. It will be of considerable interest to examination boards who wish to validate their own speaking tests in a systematic and coherent manner, as well as to academic researchers and graduate students in the field of language assessment more generally.
Learner Strategy Use and Performance on Language Tests investigates the relationships between learner strategy use and performance on second language tests. To this effect, it examines the construct validity of two questionnaires, designed within a model of human information processing, that purport to measure testakers' self-reported cognitive and metacognitive strategy use. It then examines the construct validity of the FCE Anchor test, developed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, to measure second language proficiency. It is a useful resource for those interested in understanding the effects of strategy use on performance, for those interested in training students to use strategies in language classrooms and for those interested in using structural equation modelling as an analytic tool for examining the effects of socio-psychological background variables on performance.
The volume offers an explanatory account of the progress of academic language proficiency testing in the UK (and later Australia), from the British Council's English Proficiency Test Battery (EPTB), through the revolutionary English Language Testing Service (ELTS) to the present solution of IELTS. The three stages of academic language testing in the UK over the last 50 years move from grammar through real life to features of language use. At the same time, comparison of predictive validities suggests that all three measures account for very similar shares of the variance (about 10%) and that therefore the choice of an academic language proficiency test is determined only in part by predictive validity: other factors such as test delivery, test renewal in response to fashion, research and impact on stakeholders, and assessment of all four language skills are also important.
This volume, through a detailed treatment of the cognitive processes that support reading, explains how reading really works. It offers a thorough overview of important and current research, including first language research, which is not often found in second language acquisition (SLA) publications. This book is a true example of applied linguistics; it makes well-defined linkages between theory and practice, discussing the implications and applications of second language reading theories on instructional practices. It is a valuable resource and reference for action researchers, curriculum designers, teachers, administrators, and those interested in exploring theoretical issues grounded in instructional contexts.