Examining Writing: Research and Practice in Assessing Second Language WritingTest developers need to provide a clear explication of the language ability constructs that underpin the tests they offer in the public domain; such an explication is essential for supporting claims about the validity - or usefulness - of test scores. This volume describes the theory and practice of Cambridge ESOL's approach to assessing second language writing ability. A comprehensive test validation framework is used to examine the tasks in Cambridge ESOL writing tests from a number of different validity perspectives that reflect the socio-cognitive nature of any assessment event. The authors show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its components can assist test developers to operationalise their tests more effectively, especially in relation to the key criteria that differentiate one proficiency level from another. The book provides: an up-to-date review of relevant literature on assessing writing, an accessible and systematic description of the different proficiency levels in second language writing, a comprehensive and coherent basis for validating tests of writing. This volume is a rich source of information on all aspects of examining writing ability. As such, it will be of considerable interest to examination boards who wish to validate their own writing tests in a systematic and coherent manner, as well as to academic researchers and students in the field of language assessment more generally. Book jacket. |
Contents
Testtaker characteristics | 17 |
Cognitive validity | 34 |
Context validity | 63 |
Scoring validity | 143 |
Consequential validity | 218 |
Conclusions and recommendations | 241 |
Appendices | 258 |
Candidate Information Sheet | 272 |
Minimum Professional Requirements for examiners | 289 |
315 | |
339 | |
Other editions - View all
Examining Writing: Research and Practice in Assessing Second Language Writing Stuart D. Shaw,Cyril J. Weir No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
administration analysis approach appropriate Bachman band CAE and CPE Cambridge Assessment Cambridge ESOL examinations candidate's candidates are expected CEFR centres Chapter cognitive processing cognitive validity Common Scale communicative Council of Europe criteria descriptors dyslexia Educational Testing Service effect English English Language ensure essay evaluation exam example facets feedback framework functions genre Hamp-Lyons Hawkey IELTS Writing impact input inter-rater reliability interaction investigation item writers judgements Language Testing learners lexical linguistic Main Suite examinations mark scheme markers Milanovic monitoring organisation overall parameters performance produce proficiency levels question papers range raters rating scales reader reliability response revision scoring validity scripts second language writing skills socio-cognitive specific structures test scores test takers test-taker tion TOEFL topic types UCLES University of Cambridge vocabulary washback Weigle Weir words writing assessment Writing tasks Writing tests