Measuring Second Language Performance

Measuring Second Language Performance

Author: Timothy Francis McNamara

Publisher: Addison Wesley Longman

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13:

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The 'performance test' has emerged as the central concept around language testing. McNamara examines recent developments and provides an important contribution to the ongoing debate.


Book Synopsis Measuring Second Language Performance by : Timothy Francis McNamara

Download or read book Measuring Second Language Performance written by Timothy Francis McNamara and published by Addison Wesley Longman. This book was released on 1996 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 'performance test' has emerged as the central concept around language testing. McNamara examines recent developments and provides an important contribution to the ongoing debate.


Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition

Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition

Author: James Milton

Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Published: 2009-10-06

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 1847693784

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Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition provides an examination of the background to testing vocabulary knowledge in a second language and in particular considers the effect that word frequency and lexical coverage have on learning and communication in a foreign language. It examines the tools we have for assessing the various facets of vocabulary knowledge such as aural and written word recognition, the link with word meaning, and vocabulary depth. These are illustrated and the scores they produce are demonstrated to provide normative data. Vocabulary acquisition from course books and in the classroom in examined, as is vocabulary uptake from informal tasks. This book ties scores on tests of vocabulary breadth to performance on standard foreign language examinations and on hierarchies of communicative performance such as the CEFR.


Book Synopsis Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition by : James Milton

Download or read book Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition written by James Milton and published by Multilingual Matters. This book was released on 2009-10-06 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Measuring Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition provides an examination of the background to testing vocabulary knowledge in a second language and in particular considers the effect that word frequency and lexical coverage have on learning and communication in a foreign language. It examines the tools we have for assessing the various facets of vocabulary knowledge such as aural and written word recognition, the link with word meaning, and vocabulary depth. These are illustrated and the scores they produce are demonstrated to provide normative data. Vocabulary acquisition from course books and in the classroom in examined, as is vocabulary uptake from informal tasks. This book ties scores on tests of vocabulary breadth to performance on standard foreign language examinations and on hierarchies of communicative performance such as the CEFR.


Scoring Second Language Spoken and Written Performance

Scoring Second Language Spoken and Written Performance

Author: Ute Knoch

Publisher: Equinox Publishing (UK)

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9781781799512

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The ability to speak and write effectively is widely recognized as an important skill in many contexts and for many purposes, both personal, educational and professional. Because these skills are considered important in second and foreign language learning contexts, they are often included in performance assessments. The scoring of such performances is, however, a complex undertaking and has attracted much attention, both in first and second language learning contexts. The increasing use of automated scoring systems has added to this complexity in recent years. It is therefore all the more surprising that there is no book available that provides an overview of this topic area - the scoring of second language performances. This monograph fills this gap, by drawing together the latest literature in the area. It focusses on issues relating to both rater-mediated assessments and sets out consideration in relation to automated scoring systems (and other technology) which are increasingly used in our field. This monograph provides a useful introduction to graduate students, researchers, test developers, other practitioners and teachers to this topic which has in many ways dominated the field of language assessment over many decades.


Book Synopsis Scoring Second Language Spoken and Written Performance by : Ute Knoch

Download or read book Scoring Second Language Spoken and Written Performance written by Ute Knoch and published by Equinox Publishing (UK). This book was released on 2021 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ability to speak and write effectively is widely recognized as an important skill in many contexts and for many purposes, both personal, educational and professional. Because these skills are considered important in second and foreign language learning contexts, they are often included in performance assessments. The scoring of such performances is, however, a complex undertaking and has attracted much attention, both in first and second language learning contexts. The increasing use of automated scoring systems has added to this complexity in recent years. It is therefore all the more surprising that there is no book available that provides an overview of this topic area - the scoring of second language performances. This monograph fills this gap, by drawing together the latest literature in the area. It focusses on issues relating to both rater-mediated assessments and sets out consideration in relation to automated scoring systems (and other technology) which are increasingly used in our field. This monograph provides a useful introduction to graduate students, researchers, test developers, other practitioners and teachers to this topic which has in many ways dominated the field of language assessment over many decades.


Designing Second Language Performance Assessments

Designing Second Language Performance Assessments

Author: John M. Norris

Publisher: Natl Foreign Lg Resource Ctr

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 0824821092

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This volume focuses on the decision-making potential provided by second language performance assessments. The authors first situate performance assessment within a broader discussion of alternatives in language assessment and in educational assessment in general. They then discuss issues in performance assessment design, implementation, reliability, and validity. Finally, they present a prototype framework for second language performance assessment based on the integration of theoretical underpinnings and research findings from the task-based language teaching literature, the language testing literature, and the educational measurement literature. The authors outline test and item specifications, and they present numerous examples of prototypical language tasks. They also propose a research agenda focusing on the operationalization of second language performance assessments.


Book Synopsis Designing Second Language Performance Assessments by : John M. Norris

Download or read book Designing Second Language Performance Assessments written by John M. Norris and published by Natl Foreign Lg Resource Ctr. This book was released on 1998 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume focuses on the decision-making potential provided by second language performance assessments. The authors first situate performance assessment within a broader discussion of alternatives in language assessment and in educational assessment in general. They then discuss issues in performance assessment design, implementation, reliability, and validity. Finally, they present a prototype framework for second language performance assessment based on the integration of theoretical underpinnings and research findings from the task-based language teaching literature, the language testing literature, and the educational measurement literature. The authors outline test and item specifications, and they present numerous examples of prototypical language tasks. They also propose a research agenda focusing on the operationalization of second language performance assessments.


The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing

The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing

Author: Paula Winke

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-12-27

Total Pages: 543

ISBN-13: 1351034774

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This Handbook, with 45 chapters written by the world’s leading scholars in second language acquisition (SLA) and language testing, dives into the important interface between SLA and language testing: shared ground where researchers seek to measure second language performance to better understand how people learn their second languages. The Handbook also reviews how to best measure and evaluate the second language (L2) learners’ personal characteristics, backgrounds, and learning contexts to better understand their L2 learning trajectories. Taking a transdisciplinary approach to research, the book builds upon recent theorizing and measurement principles from the fields of applied linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, psycholinguistics, psychometrics, educational measurement, and social psychology. The Handbook is divided into six key sections: (1) Assessment concepts for SLA researchers, (2) Building instruments for SLA research, (3) Measuring individual differences, (4) Measuring language development, (5) Testing specific populations, and (6) Measurement principles for SLA researchers.


Book Synopsis The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing by : Paula Winke

Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing written by Paula Winke and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-12-27 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Handbook, with 45 chapters written by the world’s leading scholars in second language acquisition (SLA) and language testing, dives into the important interface between SLA and language testing: shared ground where researchers seek to measure second language performance to better understand how people learn their second languages. The Handbook also reviews how to best measure and evaluate the second language (L2) learners’ personal characteristics, backgrounds, and learning contexts to better understand their L2 learning trajectories. Taking a transdisciplinary approach to research, the book builds upon recent theorizing and measurement principles from the fields of applied linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, psycholinguistics, psychometrics, educational measurement, and social psychology. The Handbook is divided into six key sections: (1) Assessment concepts for SLA researchers, (2) Building instruments for SLA research, (3) Measuring individual differences, (4) Measuring language development, (5) Testing specific populations, and (6) Measurement principles for SLA researchers.


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.


Book Synopsis Handbook of Second Language Assessment by : Dina Tsagari

Download or read book Handbook of Second Language Assessment written by Dina Tsagari and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2016-03-07 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.


Language and Social Minds

Language and Social Minds

Author: Vittorio Tantucci

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-04-15

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1108484824

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Proposes a new empirical model to analyse how humans can express social cognition at different levels of complexity.


Book Synopsis Language and Social Minds by : Vittorio Tantucci

Download or read book Language and Social Minds written by Vittorio Tantucci and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proposes a new empirical model to analyse how humans can express social cognition at different levels of complexity.


Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations

Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations

Author: Robert Austin

Publisher: Addison-Wesley

Published: 2013-07-15

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 0133488403

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This is the digital version of the printed book (Copyright © 1996). Based on an award-winning doctoral thesis at Carnegie Mellon University, Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations presents a captivating analysis of the perils of performance measurement systems. In the book’s foreword, Peopleware authors Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister rave, “We believe this is a book that needs to be on the desk of just about anyone who manages anything.” Because people often react with unanticipated sophistication when they are being measured, measurement-based management systems can become dysfunctional, interfering with achievement of intended results. Fortunately, as the author shows, measurement dysfunction follows a pattern that can be identified and avoided. The author’s findings are bolstered by interviews with eight recognized experts in the use of measurement to manage computer software development: David N. Card, of Software Productivity Solutions; Tom DeMarco, of the Atlantic Systems Guild; Capers Jones, of Software Productivity Research; John Musa, of AT&T Bell Laboratories; Daniel J. Paulish, of Siemens Corporate Research; Lawrence H. Putnam, of Quantitative Software Management; E. O. Tilford, Sr., of Fissure; plus the anonymous Expert X. A practical model for analyzing measurement projects solidifies the text–don’t start without it!


Book Synopsis Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by : Robert Austin

Download or read book Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations written by Robert Austin and published by Addison-Wesley. This book was released on 2013-07-15 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the digital version of the printed book (Copyright © 1996). Based on an award-winning doctoral thesis at Carnegie Mellon University, Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations presents a captivating analysis of the perils of performance measurement systems. In the book’s foreword, Peopleware authors Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister rave, “We believe this is a book that needs to be on the desk of just about anyone who manages anything.” Because people often react with unanticipated sophistication when they are being measured, measurement-based management systems can become dysfunctional, interfering with achievement of intended results. Fortunately, as the author shows, measurement dysfunction follows a pattern that can be identified and avoided. The author’s findings are bolstered by interviews with eight recognized experts in the use of measurement to manage computer software development: David N. Card, of Software Productivity Solutions; Tom DeMarco, of the Atlantic Systems Guild; Capers Jones, of Software Productivity Research; John Musa, of AT&T Bell Laboratories; Daniel J. Paulish, of Siemens Corporate Research; Lawrence H. Putnam, of Quantitative Software Management; E. O. Tilford, Sr., of Fissure; plus the anonymous Expert X. A practical model for analyzing measurement projects solidifies the text–don’t start without it!


Assessing Second Language Pragmatics

Assessing Second Language Pragmatics

Author: S. Ross

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-11-29

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 1137003529

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The first book-length collection of studies on the assessment of pragmatic competencies in a second or foreign language. Grounded in theoretical perspectives on communicative and interactional competencies, it examines the reception and production of speech acts through a variety of assessment methods and quantitative and qualitative analyses.


Book Synopsis Assessing Second Language Pragmatics by : S. Ross

Download or read book Assessing Second Language Pragmatics written by S. Ross and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-11-29 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book-length collection of studies on the assessment of pragmatic competencies in a second or foreign language. Grounded in theoretical perspectives on communicative and interactional competencies, it examines the reception and production of speech acts through a variety of assessment methods and quantitative and qualitative analyses.


Second Language Speech Fluency

Second Language Speech Fluency

Author: Parvaneh Tavakoli

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-12-17

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1108603432

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Second language (L2) fluency is an exciting and fast-moving field of research, with clear practical applications in language teaching. This book provides a lively overview of the current advances in the field of L2 fluency, and connects the theory to practice, presenting a hands-on approach to using fluency research across a range of different language-related professions. The authors introduce an innovative multidisciplinary perspective, which brings together research into cognitive and social factors, to understand fluency as a dynamic variable in language performance, connecting learner-internal factors such as speech processing and automaticity, to external factors such as task demands, language testing, and pragmatic interactional demands in communication. Bringing a much-needed multidisciplinary and novel approach to understanding the complex nature of L2 speech fluency, this book provides researchers, students and language professionals with both the theoretical insights and practical tools required to understand and research how fluency in a second language develops.


Book Synopsis Second Language Speech Fluency by : Parvaneh Tavakoli

Download or read book Second Language Speech Fluency written by Parvaneh Tavakoli and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-17 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Second language (L2) fluency is an exciting and fast-moving field of research, with clear practical applications in language teaching. This book provides a lively overview of the current advances in the field of L2 fluency, and connects the theory to practice, presenting a hands-on approach to using fluency research across a range of different language-related professions. The authors introduce an innovative multidisciplinary perspective, which brings together research into cognitive and social factors, to understand fluency as a dynamic variable in language performance, connecting learner-internal factors such as speech processing and automaticity, to external factors such as task demands, language testing, and pragmatic interactional demands in communication. Bringing a much-needed multidisciplinary and novel approach to understanding the complex nature of L2 speech fluency, this book provides researchers, students and language professionals with both the theoretical insights and practical tools required to understand and research how fluency in a second language develops.