Theory and Practice in Language Studies Contents - Academy ...

THEORY AND PRACTICE IN LANGUAGE STUDIES 883Validity is about the meanings and appropriateness of test scores (Messick, 1989). In order to construct a validmultiple-choice reading test, the test constructor must ensure that the test includes tasks that are appropriate toexaminees‟ characteristics in such a way that they can deploy strategies that reflect the fact that they have been actuallyactively working to understand the text, to understand the expectations of the questions, to understand the meaning andimplications of the different item options in light of the text, and to select and discard options based on the way theyunderstand the text. When test tasks are beyond examinees‟ reading level, inferences and decisions taken on the basis oftest scores may not be relevant as they may not provide a clear indication of examinees‟ reading skills.APPENDIX: STRATEGY QUESTIONNAIREInstructions:- You will have 2 hours to do the test and fill out the questionnaire.- Read the text and provide answers to questions based on the text.- After answering each test question, please fill out the questionnaire for that question. To fill out the questionnaire,you will have to identify and list in order ALL the strategies you remembered you have used to answer that individualquestion. The list of strategies and their code are present in the table below.- For example, if to question 1 you first read the text carefully, and then reread it rapidly and finally look at thequestion options and produce your own answer after reading the question, you must write: S1; S4; S11.CodeS1S2S3S4S5S6S7S8S9S10S11S12S13Strategyread the whole text carefullyread the whole text rapidlyread a portion of the text carefullyread a portion of the text rapidlyuse my knowledge of grammaruse my knowledge of vocabularydraw conclusion based on what the text impliessearch for part of the text recommendedconsider the options and postpone consideration of the „correct‟ optionconsider the options and focus on a familiar optionproduce my own answer after reading the question, then look at the optionsselect option through elimination of other optionsselect option through guessingREFERENCES[1] Bernhardt, E.B. (1991). Reading development in a second language. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.[2] Cerdan, R., Vidal-Arbarca, E, Martinez, T., & Gil, L. (2009). Impact of question-answering tasks on search processes andreading comprehension. Learning and Instruction, 19 (1), 13-27.[3] Rouet, J. F., Vidal-Abarca, E., Erboul, A. B., & Miligo, V. (2001). Effect of information search tasks on the comprehension ofinstructional text. Discourse Processes, 31 (2), 163-186.[4] Cohen, A. & Upton, T. (2007). I want to go back to the text: Response strategies on the reading subtest of the new TOEFL.Language Testing, 24 (2), 209-250.[5] Enright, M., Grabe, W., Mosenthal, P., Mulcahy-Ernt, P., & Schedl, M. (2000). A TOEFL 2000 framework for testing readingcomprehension: A working paper. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Services.[6] Ericsson, K. A., & Simon, H. A. (1993). Protocol analysis: Verbal reports as data, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.[7] Faerch, C., & Kasper, G. (1987). From product to process – introspective methods in second language research. In F. Faerchand G. Kasper (Eds.), Introspection in second language research (pp. 5-23). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.[8] Grabe, W. (1999). Developments in reading research and their implication for computer-adaptive reading assessment. In M.Chalhoub-deVille (Ed.), Issues in computer-adaptive testing of reading proficiency (Studies in Language Testing 10) (pp. 11-47), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.[9] Hirano, K. (2009). Research on test-taking strategies in L2 reading. Bull. Joetsu Univ. Educ. 28, 157-165.[10] Hoover, W., & Tunmer, W. (1993). The components of reading, in G. Thompson, W. Tunmer, & T. Nicholson (eds.), Readingacquisition processes (pp. 1-19), Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters Ltd.[11] Katalayi, G.B. (2011). The DR Congo English state examination: Some fundamental validity issues (Context validity evidence),Unpublished Master Thesis, Department of Language Education, Faculty of Education, University of Western Cape, SouthAfrica.[12] Khalifa, H., & Weir, C.J. (2009). Examining Reading: Research and practice in assessing second language reading, Studies inLanguage Testing 29, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press.[13] Kuusela, H., & Paul, P. (2000). A comparison of concurrent and retrospective verbal protocol analysis. American Journal ofPsychology 113 (3), 387-404.[14] Levine, A., Ferenz, O., & Reves, T. (2000). EFL academic reading and modern technology: How can we turn our students intoindependent critical readers? TESL EJ, 4 (4), 75-91.[15] Mebarki, Z. (2011). Factors underlying the reading performance of Algerian microbiology students. Procedia- Social andBehavioural Sciences 29, 1759-1768.© 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER