Is linguistic ability variation in paired oral language testing problematic?

This study looks at the real and perceived effects of inter-candidate variation in linguistic ability during pair-tested oral examinations in a southern Italian context. Pair testing has not been taken up in schools and universities in southern Italy despite its wide use in international testing sys...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:ELT Journal: English Language Teaching Journal Vol. 66; no. 3; pp. 337 - 347
Autor principal: Bennett, Rita
Formato: Case Study
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Jul2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      pub: Oxford University Press / USA
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        atl: Is linguistic ability variation in paired oral language testing problematic?
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        au: Bennett, Rita
        affil: Rita Bennett holds an MA in TEFL and Applied Linguistics from King’s College London. She has been teaching English as a foreign language for 16 years. She has worked at the University of Salento, Italy since 2002 and is at present studying for a doctorate there. Her current interests are English as a Lingua Franca and applying CLIL methodology to university contexts
      su:
        English language ability testing
        English as a foreign language
        Educational tests & measurements
        Verbal ability tests
        Dyads
        Evaluation
        Italy
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        subj:
          Italy
          English language ability testing
          English as a foreign language
          Educational tests & measurements
          Verbal ability tests
          Dyads
          Evaluation
      ab: This study looks at the real and perceived effects of inter-candidate variation in linguistic ability during pair-tested oral examinations in a southern Italian context. Pair testing has not been taken up in schools and universities in southern Italy despite its wide use in international testing systems. Colleagues and prospective candidates often report to teachers their belief that test results can be adversely or positively affected by candidate pairing. To investigate the existence and validity of these beliefs, a series of tests was devised consisting of paired oral tests and pre- and post-test questionnaires. It was found that while the great majority of candidates believed that their test scores could be, and in many cases had been, affected by their candidate pairing, no evidence came to light to support these beliefs. In fact the linguistic ability of a candidate’s partner appeared to have little or no effect on his or her performance.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Case Study
      src: R
    language: English
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