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"Language Tests"
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Introducing LexTALE: A quick and valid Lexical Test for Advanced Learners of English
The increasing number of experimental studies on second language (L2) processing, frequently with English as the L2, calls for a practical and valid measure of English vocabulary knowledge and proficiency. In a large-scale study with Dutch and Korean speakers of L2 English, we tested whether LexTALE, a 5-min vocabulary test, is a valid predictor of English vocabulary knowledge and, possibly, even of general English proficiency. Furthermore, the validity of LexTALE was compared with that of self-ratings of proficiency, a measure frequently used by L2 researchers. The results showed the following in both speaker groups: (1) LexTALE was a good predictor of English vocabulary knowledge; 2) it also correlated substantially with a measure of general English proficiency; and 3) LexTALE was generally superior to self-ratings in its predictions. LexTALE, but not self-ratings, also correlated highly with previous experimental data on two word recognition paradigms. The test can be carried out on or downloaded from
www.lextale.com
.
Journal Article
Measuring Syntactic Complexity in L2 Writing Using Fine-Grained Clausal and Phrasal Indices
Syntactic complexity is an important measure of second language (L2) writing proficiency. Large-grained indices such as the mean length of T-unit (MLTU) have been used with the most consistency in L2 writing studies. Recently, indices such as MLTU have been criticized, both for the difficulty in interpretation and for a potentially misplaced focus on clausal subordination. In this article, the authors attempt to address both of these criticisms by using traditional indices of syntactic complexity (e.g., MLTU), fine-grained indices of clausal complexity, and fine-grained indices of phrasal complexity to predict holistic scores of writing quality. In 4 studies, they used indices of each index type to predict holistic writing quality scores in independent essays on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). They then used all index types in a combined analysis to predict a holistic writing score. The results indicated that fine-grained indices of phrasal complexity were better predictors of writing quality than either traditional or fine-grained clausal indices, though a single fine-grained index of clausal complexity contributed to the combined model. These results provide some support for Biber et al.'s (2011) claims regarding complexity and academic L2 writing proficiency. (Verlag, adapt.).
Journal Article
Taking Language Samples Home: Feasibility, Reliability, and Validity of Child Language Samples Conducted Remotely With Video Chat Versus In-Person
Purpose: There has been increased interest in using telepractice for involving more diverse children in research and clinical services, as well as when in-person assessment is challenging, such as during COVID-19. Little is known, however, about the feasibility, reliability, and validity of language samples when conducted via telepractice. Method: Child language samples from parent-child play were recorded either in person in the laboratory or via video chat at home, using parents' preferred commercially available software on their own device. Samples were transcribed and analyzed using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts software. Analyses compared measures between-subjects for 46 dyads who completed video chat language samples versus 16 who completed in-person samples; within-subjects analyses were conducted for a subset of 13 dyads who completed both types. Groups did not differ significantly on child age, sex, or socioeconomic status. Results: The number of usable samples and percent of utterances with intelligible audio signal did not differ significantly for in-person versus video chat language samples. Child speech and language characteristics (including mean length of utterance, type-token ratio, number of different words, grammatical errors/omissions, and child speech intelligibility) did not differ significantly between in-person and video chat methods. This was the case for between-group analyses and within-child comparisons. Furthermore, transcription reliability (conducted on a subset of samples) was high and did not differ between in-person and video chat methods. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that child language samples collected via video chat are largely comparable to in-person samples in terms of key speech and language measures. Best practices for maximizing data quality for using video chat language samples are provided.
Journal Article
The Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q): Assessing Language Profiles in Bilinguals and Multilinguals
Contact author: Viorica Marian, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. E-mail: v-marian{at}northwestern.edu .
Purpose: To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire of bilingual language status with predictable relationships between self-reported and behavioral measures.
Method: In Study 1, the internal validity of the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) was established on the basis of self-reported data from 52 multilingual adult participants. In Study 2, criterion-based validity was established on the basis of standardized language tests and self-reported measures from 50 adult Spanish–English bilinguals. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were established on healthy adults whose literacy levels were equivalent to that of someone with a high school education or higher.
Results: Factor analyses revealed consistent factors across both studies and suggested that the LEAP-Q was internally valid. Multiple regression and correlation analyses established criterion-based validity and suggested that self-reports were reliable indicators of language performance. Self-reported reading proficiency was a more accurate predictor of first-language performance, and self-reported speaking proficiency was a more accurate predictor of second-language performance. Although global measures of self-reported proficiency were generally predictive of language ability, deriving a precise estimate of performance on a particular task required that specific aspects of language history be taken into account.
Conclusion: The LEAP-Q is a valid, reliable, and efficient tool for assessing the language profiles of multilingual, neurologically intact adult populations in research settings.
KEY WORDS: bilingualism, self-assessment, second language, language proficiency, questionnaire development
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Journal Article
Differential Roles of Shame and Guilt in L2 Learning: How Bad Is Bad?
This article aims to introduce shame and guilt from social psychology into second language acquisition (SLA), to validate their psychometric measurement, and to examine their effects on second language (L2) learners' motivation and language achievements. In Study 1, the prevalence of shame and guilt reactions in L2 settings was explored. Moreover, the Second Language Test of Shame and Guilt Affect (L2-TOSGA) was developed and validated to measure L2 learners' individual differences in terms of proneness to shame and guilt during L2 learning. The results of qualitative and quantitative analyses evidenced the pervasiveness of shame and guilt in an L2 context, and attested to the reliability, stability, and validity of L2-TOSGA subscales. In Study 2, the effects of learners' shame and guilt reactions on their motivation and language achievements were probed. The results showed that shame strongly but negatively affected L2 learners' motivation and language achievements, whereas guilt had positive effects on their motivation and language achievements. (Verlag).
Journal Article