Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency

Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency PDF Author: J. Charles Alderson
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 0826493882
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
This book addresses the need for tests that can diagnose the strengths and weaknesses in learners' developing foreign language proficiency. It presents the rationale for, and research surrounding, the development of DIALANG, a suite of internet-delivered diagnostic foreign language tests funded by the European Commission. The word 'diagnosis' is common in discussions in language education and applied linguistics, but very few truly diagnostic tests exist. However, the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency is central to helping learners make progress. This volume explores the nature of diagnostic testing, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the nature of appropriate diagnosis. The book starts with a debate about how diagnostic testing might most appropriately be developed. Charles Alderson argues that the field has neglected to construct diagnostic tests, partly because other forms of testing have dominated the field. Alderson examines how proficiency has been diagnosed in the key areas of language: reading, listening, writing, grammar and vocabulary. The value of self-assessment is discussed and exemplified as a key component in developing learners', and teachers', awareness of the complexity of language learning. The book ends with a consideration of and recommendations for future developments in the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency.

Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency

Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency PDF Author: J. Charles Alderson
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 0826493882
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 297

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book addresses the need for tests that can diagnose the strengths and weaknesses in learners' developing foreign language proficiency. It presents the rationale for, and research surrounding, the development of DIALANG, a suite of internet-delivered diagnostic foreign language tests funded by the European Commission. The word 'diagnosis' is common in discussions in language education and applied linguistics, but very few truly diagnostic tests exist. However, the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency is central to helping learners make progress. This volume explores the nature of diagnostic testing, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the nature of appropriate diagnosis. The book starts with a debate about how diagnostic testing might most appropriately be developed. Charles Alderson argues that the field has neglected to construct diagnostic tests, partly because other forms of testing have dominated the field. Alderson examines how proficiency has been diagnosed in the key areas of language: reading, listening, writing, grammar and vocabulary. The value of self-assessment is discussed and exemplified as a key component in developing learners', and teachers', awareness of the complexity of language learning. The book ends with a consideration of and recommendations for future developments in the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency.

The Diagnosis of Reading in a Second or Foreign Language

The Diagnosis of Reading in a Second or Foreign Language PDF Author: J. Charles Alderson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135097186
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
The Diagnosis of Reading in a Second or Foreign Language explores the implications of language assessment research on classroom-based assessment practices by providing an in-depth look at the little-examined field of diagnosis in second and foreign language reading. This volume examines the development of second and foreign language reading and how subsequent research findings, couched in this knowledge, can help facilitate a more-informed teaching approach in second and foreign language classrooms. By contextualizing the latest in classroom settings and presenting implications for future research in this developing area of linguistics, this book is an ideal resource for those studying and working in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and language assessment and education. About the NPLA Series: Headed by two of its leading scholars, the series captures the burgeoning field of language assessment by offering comprehensive and state-of-the-art coverage of its contemporary questions, pressing issues, and technical advances. It is the only active series of its kind on the market, and will include volumes on basic and advanced topics in language assessment, public policy and language assessment, and the interfaces of language assessment with other disciplines in applied linguistics. Each text presents key theoretical approaches and research findings, along with concrete practical implications and suggestions for readers conducting their own research or developmental studies.

Language Testing Reconsidered

Language Testing Reconsidered PDF Author: Janna D. Fox
Publisher: University of Ottawa Press
ISBN: 0776616315
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 191

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Book Description
Language Testing Reconsidered provides a critical update on major issues that have engaged the field of language testing since its inception. Anyone who is working in, studying or teaching language testing should have a copy of this book. The information, discussions, and reflections offered within the volume address major developments within the field over the past decades, enlivened by current "takes" on these issues. The real value of this collection, however, lies in its consideration of the past as a means of defining the future agenda of language testing.

Second Language Pronunciation

Second Language Pronunciation PDF Author: John M. Levis
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119801575
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
Practical resources designed to help language educators apply the latest research and most effective pedagogical methods to classroom pronunciation instruction In Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching, a team of distinguished researchers and educators delivers an incisive and practical approach to evidence-based pronunciation instruction in second language classrooms. Developed for language teachers who want to incorporate and implement the most effective pedagogical methods in their language instruction, this edited volume offers 15 essays that connect the latest research with practical applications in the classroom. In addition to exploring recent but less well-known methods—like High Variability Phonetic Training, discourse-based teaching, communicative classrooms, and technology-based methods—these chapters are unified in bringing theory to bear on practical questions faced by language teachers. The chapters follow a standard format, moving from critical research issues to pedagogical implications, and practical resources to equip language teachers, scholars, administrators, and teachers-in-training with the tools they require to develop their students’ pronunciation abilities. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to using empirical evidence to guide pronunciation instruction in second language students Comprehensive explorations of the integration of pronunciation instruction into second language education Practical discussions of perception training in pronunciation instruction and the importance of L2 segmental and suprasegmental contrasts in pronunciation learning In-depth examinations of classroom research for pronunciation and the use of technology to explore L2 pronunciation Perfect for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying TESOL, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition, Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers, scholars, and teachers of language and education.

Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers

Language Proficiency in Native and Non-native Speakers PDF Author: Jan H. Hulstijn
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN: 9027269025
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
This book, written for both seasoned and novice researchers, presents a theory of what is called Basic and Higher Language Cognition (BLC and HLC), a theory aimed at making some fundamental issues concerning first and second language learning and bilingualism (more) empirical. The first part of the book provides background for and explication of the theory as well as an agenda for future research, while the second part reports on selected studies of language proficiency in native speakers, as well as non-native speakers, and studies of the relationship between literacy in a first and second language. Conceptual and methodological problems in measuring language proficiency in research on second language acquisition and bilingualism are also discussed. Further, the notion of levels of language proficiency, as rendered by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), is critically examined, suggesting ways of empirically investigating a number of questions that the CEFR raises but is not capable of answering.

Assessing Reading

Assessing Reading PDF Author: J. Charles Alderson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521590000
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
This book is the most comprehensive of the assessment of reading in a foreign or second language.

Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency

Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency PDF Author: J. Charles Alderson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Language and languages
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Assessing Language Through Computer Technology

Assessing Language Through Computer Technology PDF Author: Carol A. Chapelle
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 052184021X
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 139

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Book Description
Publisher description

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 Concise Companion to Language Assessment

The Concise Companion to Language Assessment PDF Author: Antony John Kunnan
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1394179618
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 725

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Book Description
The Concise Companion to Language Assessment provides a state-of-the-art overview of the crucial areas of language assessment, teaching, and learning. Edited by one of the foremost scholars in the field, The Concise Companion combines newly commissioned articles on innovations in assessment with a selection of chapters from The Companion to Language Assessment, the landmark four-volume reference work first published in 2013. Presented in eight themes, The Concise Companion addresses a broad range of language assessment methods, issues, and contexts. Forty-five chapters cover assessment conceptualization, development, research, and policy, as well as recent changes in language assessment technology, learning-oriented assessment, teacher-based assessment, teacher assessment literacy, plurilingual assessment, assessment for immigration, and more. Exploring the past, present, and future possibilities of the dynamic field, The Concise Companion to Language Assessment: Contains dedicated chapters on listening, speaking, reading writing, vocabulary, pronunciation, intercultural competence, and other language skills Describes fundamental assessment design and scoring guidelines, as well as advanced concepts in scenario-based assessment and automated performance scoring Provides insights on different assessment environments, such as classrooms, universities, employment, immigration, and healthcare Covers various qualitative and quantitative research methods, including introspective methods, classical reliability, and structural equation modeling Discusses the impacts of colonialism and discrimination on the history of language assessment Explores the use of AI in writing evaluation, plagiarism and cheating detection, and other assessment contexts Sure to become a standard text for the next generation of applied linguistics students, The Concise Companion to Language Assessment is an invaluable textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in applied linguistics, language assessment, TESOL, second language acquisition, and language policy.