An Investigation Into the Comparability of Two Tests of English as a Foreign Language

An Investigation Into the Comparability of Two Tests of English as a Foreign Language PDF Author: Lyle F. Bachman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521484671
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
This book documents a major study comparing the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to investigate similarities in test content, candidature and use. While both tests were designed to measure many of the same abilities, they represent radically different approaches to language test development, reflecting deeper differences between educational measurement traditions in the US and UK. The thorough investigation of the fundamental characteristics and operational utility of two of the most widely used English tests for foreign students makes this study a valuable contribution to language testing research. As such, it will be of considerable interest to language testing specialists and examination boards, as well as to academic researchers and graduate students in the field of language assessment more generally.

An Investigation Into the Comparability of Two Tests of English as a Foreign Language

An Investigation Into the Comparability of Two Tests of English as a Foreign Language PDF Author: Lyle F. Bachman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521484671
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
This book documents a major study comparing the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to investigate similarities in test content, candidature and use. While both tests were designed to measure many of the same abilities, they represent radically different approaches to language test development, reflecting deeper differences between educational measurement traditions in the US and UK. The thorough investigation of the fundamental characteristics and operational utility of two of the most widely used English tests for foreign students makes this study a valuable contribution to language testing research. As such, it will be of considerable interest to language testing specialists and examination boards, as well as to academic researchers and graduate students in the field of language assessment more generally.

International Handbook of English Language Teaching

International Handbook of English Language Teaching PDF Author: Jim Cummins
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387463011
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 1215

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Book Description
This two volume handbook provides a comprehensive examination of policy, practice, research and theory related to English Language Teaching in international contexts. More than 70 chapters highlight the research foundation for best practices, frameworks for policy decisions, and areas of consensus and controversy in second language acquisition and pedagogy. The Handbook provides a unique resource for policy makers, educational administrators, and researchers concerned with meeting the increasing demand for effective English language teaching. It offers a strongly socio-cultural view of language learning and teaching. It is comprehensive and global in perspective with a range of fresh new voices in English language teaching research.

Interfaces Between Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing Research

Interfaces Between Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing Research PDF Author: Lyle F. Bachman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521649633
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
Second language acquisition (SLA) and language testing (LT) research have largely been viewed as distinct areas of inquiry in applied linguistics. This book 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.

English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia

English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia PDF Author: Lily I-Wen Su
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351254006
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
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.

Performance Testing, Cognition and Assessment

Performance Testing, Cognition and Assessment PDF Author: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521484657
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
This publication contains a selection of research papers presented at the 15th Annual Language Testing Research Colloquium.This publication contains a selection of research papers presented at the 15th Annual Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC). The Colloquium was jointly hosted by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) in Cambridge and CITO in Arnhem in the Netherlands. At the Cambridge venue, the papers were presented on the theme of performance testing and at Arnhem, they covered aspects of communication in relation to cognition and assessment. A selection of papers has been made in order to achieve a balanced coverage of these themes. In particular, the research presented includes work on speaking and writing tests where the focus is on raters and tasks; the application of various statistical methods in language test validation; and issues related to language testing in specific contexts and with particular candidate groups.

Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning

Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning PDF Author: Eli Hinkel
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135636451
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 1859

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Book Description
This landmark volume provides a broad-based, state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and research into second language teaching and learning. Fifty-seven chapters are organized in eight thematic sections: *social contexts of second language learning; *research methodologies in second-language learning, acquisition, and teaching; *contributions of applied linguistics to the teaching and learning of second language skills; *second language processes and development; *teaching methods and curricula; *issues in second or foreign language testing and assessment; *identity, culture, and critical pedagogy in second language teaching and learning; and *important considerations in language planning and policies. The Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning is intended for researchers, practitioners, graduate students, and faculty in teacher education and applied linguistics programs; teachers; teacher trainers; teacher trainees; curriculum and material developers; and all other professionals in the field of second language teaching and learning.

Trends in Language Assessment Research and Practice

Trends in Language Assessment Research and Practice PDF Author: Vahid Aryadoust
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443889792
Category : Language and languages
Languages : en
Pages : 632

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Book Description
Despite prodigious developments in the field of language assessment in the Middle East and the Pacific Rim, research and practice in these areas have been underrepresented in mainstream literature. This volume takes a fresh look at language assessment in these regions, and provides a unique overview of contemporary language assessment research. In compiling this book, the editors have tapped into the knowledge of language and educational assessment experts whose diversity of perspectives and experience has enriched the focus and scope of language and educational assessment in general, and the present volume in particular. The six ‘trends’ addressed in the 26 chapters that comprise this title consider such contemporary topics as data mining, in-class assessment, and washback. The contributors explore new approaches and techniques in language assessment including advances resulting from multidisciplinary collaboration with researchers in computer science, genetics, and neuroscience. The current trends and promising new directions identified in this volume and the research reported here suggest that researchers across the Middle East and the Pacific Rim are playing—and will continue to play—an important role in advancing the quality, utility, and fairness of language testing and assessment practices.

Measured Constructs

Measured Constructs PDF Author: Cyril J. Weir
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107677696
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 673

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Book Description
This volume establishes how English language constructs were measured in Cambridge English examinations over the period 1913 to 2012. An addition to the Studies in Language Testing series, this volume provides an overview of English language testing over the last century, with coverage of key theoretical and practical aspects of the assessment of reading, listening, writing and speaking skills. It includes examples of the Cambridge English exams, old and new, and is the first volume to describe in a systematic way the different theoretical influences which have shaped the development of the constructs underlying Cambridge English exams in the last 100 years.

Validating Second Language Reading Examinations

Validating Second Language Reading Examinations PDF Author: Rachel Yi-fen Wu
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107443946
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
"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"--

The Writings of Lyle F. Bachman

The Writings of Lyle F. Bachman PDF Author: James Enos Purpura
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1317656628
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 501

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Book Description
As one of the most recognized names in the fields of language assessment and applied linguistics, Lyle F. Bachman has produced a high volume of scholarly articles and books in the field of language assessment. These writings have strongly influenced the discipline and over the last three decades have played an uncontested role in shaping the field as we know it today. Until now, Bachman’s work has been spread across various mediums and not existed in one place. The Writings of Lyle F. Bachman is the first book to assemble Bachman’s work into a single, comprehensive volume. The collection is composed of seven major sections, each beginning with an introduction by the editors to provide context for the papers. The sections cover some of the most complex topics in the field, including validity and validation, the effects of test task characteristics, interfaces between language testing and second language acquisition, and epistemological issues in applied linguistics. The collection concludes with a state-of-the art paper and insightful reflections about the field of language assessment. The collection traces how Bachman’s ideas and research insights have evolved throughout the years. Given Bachman’s strong impact on the field of language assessment, this volume presents not only a collection of the writings, but also gives an overview of the ongoing issues and debates in the field. This book will be useful to both researchers and graduate students in the areas of language assessment and applied linguistics.