The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing
Abstract
Preface 1. Introduction The aims of the book The climate for language testing Research and development: needs and problems Research and development: an agenda Overview of the book Notes 2. Measurement Introduction Definition of terms: measurement, test, evaluation Essential measurement qualities Properties of measurement scales Characteristics that limit measurement Steps in measurement Summary Notes Further reading Discussion questions 3. Uses of Language Tests Introduction Uses of language tests in educational programs Research uses of language tests Features for classifying different types of language test Summary Further reading Discussion questions 4. Communicative Language Ability Introduction Language proficiency and communicative competence A theoretical framework of communicative language ability Summary Notes Further reading Discussion questions 5. Test Methods Introduction A framework of test method facets Applications of this framework to language testing Summary Notes Further reading Discussion questions 6. Reliability Introduction Factors that affect language test scores Classical true score measurement theory Generalizability theory Standard error of measurement: Interpreting individual test scores within classical true score and generalizability theory Item response theory Reliability of criterion-referenced test scores Factors that affect reliability estimates Systematic measurement error Summary Notes Further reading Discussion questions 7. Validation Introduction Reliability and validity revisited Validity as a unitary concept The evidential basis of validity Test bias The consequential or ethical basis of validity Post mortem: face validity Summary Notes Further reading Discussion questions 8. Some Persistent Problems and Future Directions Introduction Authentic language tests Some future directions A general model for explaining performance on language tests Apologia et prolegomenon Summary Notes Further reading Discussion questions Bibliography Author index Subject index
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cited by
MACINTYRE, P. D., CLÉMENT, R., DÖRNYEI, Z., & NOELS, K. A. (1998) · The Modern Language Journal · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb05543.x · Cited by 2,171
MEASURING IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE OF A SECOND LANGUAGE: A Psychometric Study
Ellis, R. (2005) · Studies in Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.1017/s0272263105050096 · Cited by 1,032
Task‐based language teaching: sorting out the misunderstandings
Ellis, R. (2009) · International Journal of Applied Linguistics · doi:10.1111/j.1473-4192.2009.00231.x · Cited by 1,031
The development of a new measure of L2 vocabulary knowledge
Read, J. (1993) · Language Testing · doi:10.1177/026553229301000308 · Cited by 521
Dynamic assessment in the language classroom
Poehner, M. E., & Lantolf, J. P. (2005) · Language Teaching Research · doi:10.1191/1362168805lr166oa · Cited by 428
Task-Based Language Teaching: Theory and Practice
Ellis, R., Skehan, P., Li, S., Shintani, N., & Lambert, C. (2019) · doi:10.1017/9781108643689 · Cited by 407
Some reflections on task-based language performance assessment
Bachman, L. F. (2002) · Language Testing · doi:10.1191/0265532202lt240oa · Cited by 318
Self-citationSynchronous CMC and Pragmatic Development
Sykes, J. (2005) · CALICO Journal · doi:10.1558/cj.v22i3.399-431 · Cited by 198
Abedi, J., & Gándara, P. (2006) · Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice · doi:10.1111/j.1745-3992.2006.00077.x · Cited by 192
Tajeddin, Z., & Teimournezhad, S. (2015) · The Language Learning Journal · doi:10.1080/09571736.2013.869942 · Cited by 185
Assessing vocabulary size through multiple-choice formats: Issues with guessing and sampling rates
Gyllstad, H., Vilkaitė, L., & Schmitt, N. (2015) · ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics · doi:10.1075/itl.166.2.04gyl · Cited by 164
N K, M. (2009) · International e-Journal of Science, Medicine & Education · doi:10.56026/imu.3.1.2 · Cited by 122
Tavakoli, P., & Hunter, A.-M. (2018) · Language Teaching Research · doi:10.1177/1362168817708462 · Cited by 96
Murray, N. (2013) · Studies in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/03075079.2011.580838 · Cited by 62
ELICITED IMITATION TASKS AS A MEASURE OF L2 PROFICIENCY: A META-ANALYSIS
Kostromitina, M., & Plonsky, L. (2022) · Studies in Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.1017/s0272263121000395 · Cited by 61
Chiang, S. (2003) · System · doi:10.1016/j.system.2003.02.002 · Cited by 60
Mehrpour, S., & Rahimi, M. (2010) · System · doi:10.1016/j.system.2010.01.004 · Cited by 58
On-line interactions as a resource to raise pragmatic awareness
Eisenchlas, S. A. (2011) · Journal of Pragmatics · doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2010.08.013 · Cited by 45
Medve, V. B., & Takač, V. P. (2013) · Second Language Learning and Teaching · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-35305-5_7 · Cited by 33
Remodeling writers’ composing processes: Implications for writing assessment
Abdel Latif, M. M. M. (2021) · Assessing Writing · doi:10.1016/j.asw.2021.100547 · Cited by 31
Murray, N. (2012) · Higher Education Research & Development · doi:10.1080/07294360.2011.555389 · Cited by 25
Constructing a Scale to Assess L2 Written Speech Act Performance: WDCT and E-mail Tasks
Chen, Y.-S., & Liu, J. (2016) · Language Assessment Quarterly · doi:10.1080/15434303.2016.1213844 · Cited by 20
Ugiagbe, I. M., Liu, L. Q., Markowski, M., & Allan, H. (2023) · Nursing Inquiry · doi:10.1111/nin.12512 · Cited by 17
Using Open-Source Software for Sign Language Learning and Assessment
Haug, T., & Ebling, S. (2019) · International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET) · doi:10.3991/ijet.v14i19.11123 · Cited by 11
Ebrahimi, E. (2015) · International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning · doi:10.5861/ijrsll.2015.982 · Cited by 10
ESL students' perceptions of role-play activities
Ramos, F. B. R. (2019) · doi:10.33915/etd.718 · Cited by 4
Metadata
- Authors
- Spolsky, B., & Bachman, L. F.
- Venue
- The Modern Language Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1991
- Volume
- 75
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 499
- ISSN
- 0026-7902 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1963679057
- Cited by
- 4,362
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 260.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
Data sources
Bibliographic data: Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, Crossref.
Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.
