Argues that classical test theory cannot be used at the item level on "authentic" language tests. However, if the total score is derived by adding the scores of a number of different and independent parts, test reliability can be estimated. Suggests using the Classical Latent Additives model to examine test-part homogeneity. (Author/SED)

Discusses authenticity in language testing in relation to the language proficiency movement. Looks at both sociolinguistic and psychometric principles as they are concerned with authenticity and validity as well as the inferential distance that separates face validity from techical validities. Criticizes the belief that some test type possess…

An English-as-a-second-language reading comprehension test is analyzed, first using classical measurement procedures and then using the Rasch Model latent trait procedures. Results indicate that the Rasch Model analysis procedure produced numerous advantages for the test developer. Summarizes and describes 13 of these advantages. (SED)

Lexical retrieval is an essential subprocess of language production and crucial in fluent writing and speaking. In this study we discuss a new measure of the speed of written lexical retrieval in a second language, the Written Productive Translation Task (WPTT). In contrast to Picture Naming tasks, the WPTT is not restricted to concrete nouns and…

Surveys the development of language tests toward authenticity and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of indirect and direct (authentic) language tests. Discusses the difficulty of applying appropriate psychometric measures to tests using real-life language, and the large number of tests variables which interfere with the authenticity of…

Discusses validation studies of three British English language proficiency tests--the English Proficiency Test Battery, the English Language Battery, and the English Language Testing Service. Concludes that valid language tests depend on test constructors' knowledge of language and on their judgment as to the parameters of language proficiency.…

Seventeen states in the United States use Spanish-language proficiency tests to ensure that bilingual education teachers are able to deliver academic instruction in Spanish to school-age students. The unified validity of the Four Skills Exam (FSE), used in New Mexico for nearly 18 years, was evaluated using Messick's framework (1989). (Author/VWL)

Reviews the usefulness of proficiency models influencing second language testing. Findings indicate that several factors contribute to the lack of congruence between models and test construction and make a case for distinguishing between theoretical models. Underscores the significance of an empirical, contextualized and structured approach to the…

Suggests that language testing should be more performance-based and realigned with a current and richer understanding of the language teaching and learning processes. This kind of testing has questionable validity until a wide range of variables are successfully defined and delimited. (CB)

This study is part of a larger one examining the comparability of the First Certificate in English and the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The general assumption of unidimensionality and goodness-of-fit were tested. Findings raise questions about the consequences of rejecting or retaining misfitting items. (60 references) (LB)

The design of a valid and reliable test of test-wiseness is reported: a 33-item multiple-choice instrument with 4 subscales trialed with several groups of English-as-a-Second-Language students. Findings indicate differential skills in test-taking; some learner scores are influenced by skills that are not the focus of the test. (13 references)…

Two studies are reported that examined translation from second language to first language as a testing procedure. Results suggest that the widespread rejection of translation as a language testing procedure by teachers and testers is probably not warranted on psychometric grounds, but that it should be used with extreme care. (10 references)…

Pragmatic proficiency has been incorporated in the EFL teaching and testing syllabi in China, but the corresponding tests still focus on linguistic competence. The gap between the teaching and testing is mainly due to the lack of generally accepted measures of communicative abilities such as pragmatic competence. This study developed a…

Considers the extent to which a testing task can be made authentic so that it constitutes an example of normal and natural language behavior on the part of both examiner and candidate. Also considers the effects on test validity and the correct interpretation of test results if a test cannot be made authentic. (SED)

Presents the design and validation of an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) test for a commercial publisher. (Author/VWL)