Validating Second Language Reading Examinations
Validating Second Language Reading Examinations

Author: Rachel Yi-fen Wu

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2014-09-25

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1107443946

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"Validating Second Language Reading Examinations describes the development of an empirical framework for test validation and comparison of reading tests at different proficiency levels through a critical evaluation of alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). It focuses on contextual parameters, cognitive processing operations and test results and identifies parameters for the description of different levels of reading proficiency examinations. The volume explores procedures for linking tests to the CEFR and proposes both qualitative and quantitative methods that complement the procedures recommended in the Council of Europe's Relating Language Examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): A Manual, piloted in 2003 and revised 2009. Key features of the book include: - a detailed review of the literature on CEFR alignment, vertical scaling, test specifications and test comparability - a comprehensive and coherent approach to the validation of reading tests - an accessible and systematic description of procedures for collecting validity evidence based on a sound theoretical framework - a case study comparing different testing systems targeting the same CEFR level"--

Assessing Second Language Reading
Assessing Second Language Reading

Author: Karim Sadeghi

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-08-25

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 3030844706

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This book investigates the issue of cloze-validity as a measure of second language reading comprehension. It starts off by making a distinction between general reading ability and the more specific reading comprehension followed by a thorough review of the related research on L2 reading comprehension and sorting out the confusion in the literature in this categorization. A comprehensive account of cloze procedure is presented discussing its origin, different versions, its use for teaching and testing purposes, as well the latest research on cloze as measures of readability, language proficiency and second language reading. The book includes studies conducted at several stages on validating cloze as a measure of reading and interview and questionnaire techniques are applied to investigate the validity of eight cloze tests, criterion reading tests, and other cloze and reading tests in general. Two new cloze tests, i.e. reader-centered cloze test and phrase cloze test, are also introduced and researched as measures of reading ability. The book concludes with suggestions for developing tests that can better measure reading comprehension in light of recent research insights on the complex and dynamic nature of reading. This book will appeal to researchers, lecturers and graduate and post-graduate students taking a course in Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, Language Assessment, and Educational Measurement.

Language Testing and Validation
Language Testing and Validation

Author: C. Weir

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2004-11-22

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 023051457X

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Tests for the measurement of language abilities must be constructed according to a coherent validity framework based on the latest developments in theory and practice. This innovative book, by a world authority on language testing, deals with all key aspects of language test design and implementation. It provides a road map to effective testing based on the latest approaches to test validation. A book for all MA students in Applied Linguistics or TESOL, and for professional language teachers

Validation in Language Assessment
Validation in Language Assessment

Author: Antony John Kunnan

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-04-03

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 113649779X

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Validation in Language Assessment contributes to the variety of validation approaches and analytical and interpretive techniques only recently adopted by language assessment researchers. Featuring selected papers from the 17th Language Testing Research Colloquium, the volume presents diverse approaches with an international perspective on validation in language assessment.

English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia
English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia

Author: Lily I-Wen Su

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-11-19

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1351254006

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As the demand for English language education grows in Asia, there has been a parallel growth in the development and implementation of standardized tests at the local level. Offering much-needed context on locally produced tests in Asia, contributors examine emerging models for English language assessment and the impact these large-scale tests have on the teaching and learning of English. Chapters address the following well-known and developing high-stakes tests in different regions across Asia: the GEPT, the TEPS, the VSTEP, the CET, the EIKEN and TEAP, and the ELPA. Brought together by world-renowned testing assessment scholar Cyril Weir and the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC), one of Asia’s leading testing institutions based in Taiwan, this volume is a useful reference for evaluating, developing, and validating local tests of English and their societal impact. Comprehensive and research-based, chapters cover historic backgrounds, sociocultural contexts, test quality, international standing, and future considerations. Ideal for graduate students, researchers, and scholars in language assessment, TESOL/TEFL, and applied linguistics, this book will also be of interest to language teaching professionals, language test developers, and graduate students in Asian studies and international education, intercultural communication, and intercultural studies.

Handbook of Second Language Assessment
Handbook of Second Language Assessment

Author: Dina Tsagari

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2016-03-07

Total Pages: 470

ISBN-13: 1501500864

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Second language assessment is ubiquitous. It has found its way from education into questions about access to professions and migration. This volume focuses on the main debates and research advances in second language assessment in the last fifty years or so, showing the influence of linguistics, politics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and psychometrics. There are four parts which, when taken together, address the principles and practices of second language assessment while considering its impact on society. Read separately, each part addresses a different aspect of the field. Part I deals with the conceptual foundations of second language assessment with chapters on the purposes of assessment, and standards and frameworks, as well as matters of scoring, quality assurance, and test validation. Part II addresses the theory and practice of assessing different second language skills including aspects like intercultural competence and fluency. Part III examines the challenges and opportunities of second language assessment in a range of contexts. In addition to chapters on second language assessment on a national scale, there are chapters on learning-oriented assessment, as well as the uses of second language assessment in the workplace and for migration. Part IV examines a selection of important issues in the field that deserve attention. These include the alignment of language examinations to external frameworks, the increasing use of technology to both deliver and score second language tests, the responsibilities associated with assessing test takers with special needs, the concept of 'voice' in second language assessment, and assessment literacy for teachers and other test and score users.

Learning Oriented Assessment
Learning Oriented Assessment

Author: Neil Jones

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-05-19

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1316507882

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This volume outlines the general principles of Learning Oriented Assessment (LOA), placing it in the context of European language learning policy. The authors pose three key questions central to LOA: 'What is learning?' , 'What is to be learned?' and 'What is to be assessed?'. It focuses on the use of evidence, and how it can be collected and used to feed back into learning, overviews large-scale assessment as practised by Cambridge English and learning-oriented classroom assessment practices, and concludes with a look at implementing LOA in practice. With fresh insights into the role of assessment in supporting learning, this volume will be of considerable interest to assessment practitioners, teachers and academics, educational policy-makers and examination board personnel.

Assessing Language Teachers' Professional Skills and Knowledge
Assessing Language Teachers' Professional Skills and Knowledge

Author: Rosemary Wilson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2015-01-31

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 110749978X

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"The growth in English language teaching worldwide and the related increase in teacher training programmes of all kinds highlight the need for greater accountability in the assessment of teachers. The need for formal summative assessment has taken on greater importance in training programmes and requires procedures which do not always sit easily with the development process, while transparency of assessment procedures is also increasingly demanded by the candidates themselves. This edited volume discusses key issues in assessing language teachers' professional skills and knowledge and provides case study illustrations of how teacher knowledge and teaching skills are assessed at pre-service and in-service levels within the framework of the Cambridge English Teaching Qualifications. The volume provides: - discussion of ways in which the changing nature of English language teaching has impacted on teacher education and assessment - examples of specific assessment procedures for both teaching knowledge and practical classroom skills - accounts of the ways in which the Cambridge English Teaching Qualifications have been integrated into and adapted for local contexts. This is the first volume of its kind wholly dedicated to language teacher assessment and as such will be of interest to language teachers and teacher educators as well as to researchers and postgraduate students"--

Examining Young Learners: Research and Practice in Assessing the English of School-age Learners
Examining Young Learners: Research and Practice in Assessing the English of School-age Learners

Author: Szilvia Papp

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 859

ISBN-13: 1316638200

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The proposed book on child second language (L2) development and assessment will be a state-of-the-art account of what we currently know about how children learn L2s in formal contexts and how that knowledge impacts on the design, development, and evaluation of language assessment products for young learners. The uniqueness of child L2 development within the classroom is highlighted by considering children's L2 needs, typical patterns of development, and the role of instruction and assessment in how children learn. Common issues shared in child L2 acquisition studies, language testing and educational assessment are explored by linking research carried out within the educational, academic and testing communities. Several case studies are described from different educational contexts around the world where teaching and assessment of young language learners takes place. In particular, the book presents the Cambridge English approach to assessing young learners of English and presents a framework for the development, research and validation activities around the Cambridge English suite battery for children.

Chinese-Speaking Learners of English
Chinese-Speaking Learners of English

Author: Ryan Damerow

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-12-05

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 1000769194

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A compendium of the latest developments in research regarding English language education for Chinese-speaking learners, this volume combines cutting-edge research from multiple internationally-known scholars. The chapters offer unique insights into some of the most salient issues related to this broad topic. The seventh volume in the Global Research on Teaching and Learning English series, co-published with The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF), this book features chapters with original research written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees. The volume addresses the crucial and growing need for research-based conversations on the contexts, environments, goals, and measures of success for Chinese-speaking learners of English. It includes sections on language assessment, perceptions in university contexts, and technology, especially in relation to young learners, in order to promote in-depth discussion of the teaching and learning of English for native speakers of Chinese. The volume’s 13 research-based chapters discuss topics such as the impact and implications of using emerging assessment tools; the increase in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses; academic speaking and writing; and teaching in an online or hybrid environment. Throughout the book the authors draw on their knowledge of their multiple contexts, as well as their learners’ needs and goals. This volume brings together innovative research for TESOL and TEFL students, language teacher educators, language policy specialists, language assessment scholars, and language teachers. Readers will become familiar with how these issues related to Chinese-speaking learners of English are being addressed in academic circles around the world.