James Dean Brown
Biographic Data
| ID | 3763709 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James Dean Brown |
| GIVEN NAMES | James Dean |
| FAMILY NAME | Brown |
| SIGNATURE | BROWN J D |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9185-3284 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 94 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 39 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1977 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Inferences
An inference is a conclusion based on evidence and logic, and in quantitative research, applied linguists make inferences about (a) constructs, (b) populations, and (c) probabilities. Since researchers are often unable to observe constructs directly, a key step in sound research involves defining the constructs and outlining a procedure for measuring or observing them, at which point the constructs become variables. Language researchers also make…
JD Brown's essential bookshelf: Connected speech
James Dean Brown (“JD”) is Professor Emeritus of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He has spoken and taught in places ranging from Albuquerque to Zagreb and published hundreds of articles and 27 books on language testing, curriculum design, research methods, and connected speech. His books on reduced forms and connected speech are: Perspectives on teaching connected speech to second language learners , edited with K. …
The same cloze for all occasions: Using the Brown (1980) cloze test for measuring proficiency in SLA research
Target language proficiency assessment has become an integral part of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research design, with cloze tests frequently serving this purpose for reasons of practicality. Assumptions underlying the interpretation of such cloze test scores, however, are often not examined. With the goal of providing researchers with better means for drawing inferences from cloze test scores, we present an analysis of a combined dataset …
Determining cloze item difficulty from item and passage characteristics across different learner backgrounds
Cloze tests have been the subject of numerous studies regarding their function and use in both first language and second language contexts (e.g., Jonz & Oller, 1994; Watanabe & Koyama, 2008). From a validity standpoint, one area of investigation has been the extent to which cloze tests measure reading ability beyond the sentence level. Using test data from 50 30-item cloze passages administered to 2,298 Japanese and 5,170 Russian EFL students, th…
Forty years of doing second language testing, curriculum, and research: So what
I started out as a budding English as a second language (ESL) teacher in 1976 at UCLA where I went through the M.A. TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Applied Linguistics Ph.D. programs. Sadly, those two programs were ‘disestablished’ in 2014, which provides a stark lesson to any departments that think they are hot stuff that nothing lasts forever . Nonetheless, my training in those programs provided me with an excellent start down …
Forthcoming in Language Teaching
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button
Improving the Validity of Quantitative Measures in Applied Linguistics Research1
In empirical applied linguistics research it is essential that the key variables are operationalized in a valid and reliable way, and that the scores are treated appropriately, allowing for a proper testing of the hypotheses under investigation. The current article addresses several theoretical and practical issues regarding the use of measurement instruments and scores. Starting from an elaborated treatment of validity and validation, it introdu…
Assessment and Evaluation: Quantitative Methods
In evaluating the English Language Institute (ELI) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) in the early 1990s, we carefully developed criterion‐referenced tests (CRTs) directly related to the objectives of each of our eight courses (for descriptions of all aspects of our curriculum development processes; for much more on these CRTs.
Cut Scores on Language Tests
A frequent question raised by test developers and users is what the cut scores should be for deciding who passes and who fails a new test.
Sampling: Quantitative Methods
Sampling is the act of choosing a smaller, more manageable subset of the objects or members of a population to include in an investigation in order to study with greater ease something about that population. In other words, sampling allows researchers to select a subset of the objects or members of a population to represent the total population. Sampling is used in language research when the objects or members (hereafter simply objects or members…
Inference
An inference is a conclusion or implication that results from examining evidence or using logic, and inferring is the process that leads from the evidence or logic (or both of these) to the conclusion or implication.
Variables that affect the dependability of L2 pragmatics tests
Language testing courses: What are they in 2007
In 1996, we published an article that investigated the characteristics of basic language testing courses in terms of the instructors, course characteristics, and students. The present study is designed to describe the same characteristics of basic language testing courses in 2007 and to examine how such courses have changed since 1996. To those ends, we used the same questionnaire that was used in 1996 with 20 new items added. The main topics of …
Harmonised techniques and representative river basin data for assessment and use of uncertainty information in integrated water management (HarmoniRiB)
Resources on quantitative/statistical research for applied linguists
The purpose of this review article is to survey and evaluate existing books on quantitative/statistical research in applied linguistics. The article begins by explaining the types of texts that will not be reviewed, then it briefly describes nine books that address how to do quantitative/statistical applied linguistics research. The review then compares (in prose and tables) the general characteristics of these nine books, and their coverage of c…
Knowledge, uncertainty and physical geography: Towards the development of methodologies for questioning belief
Although it is widely acknowledged that our understanding of environmental systems cannot be reduced to single predictions and unique explanations, determinism remains a common strategy in physical geography. This paper argues for explicit assessments of uncertainty in environmental data and models as a necessary, although not a sufficient, condition for balancing uncertain scientific arguments against uncertain social, ethical, moral and legal a…
What do we mean by bias, Englishes, Englishes in testing, and English language proficiency
The authors of "Whose norms? International proficiency tests in English"(Davies, Hamp-Lyons and Kemp, 2003) raise important issues and suggest interesting avenues for future research. As is usually true when a new line of research emerges, defining terms is fundamental. Four sets of terms seem to me to need clarification here: bias; Englishes(in general); Englishes in testing; and English language proficiency
Examinee abilities and task difficulty in task-based second language performance assessment
This article summarizes findings from investigations into the development and use of a prototype English language task-based performance test. Data included performances by 90 examinees on 13 complex and skills-integrativetasks, a priori estimations of examinee proficiency differences, a priori estimations of task difficulty based on cognitive processing demands, performance ratings according to task-specific as well as holistic scales and criter…
Managing flood risk in the UK: Towards an integration of social and technical perspectives
In recent years, an apparent increase in the frequency and severity of floods in the UK has led to growing concerns about societal exposure and vulnerability to flooding, particularly in the context of climate change, floodplain development and changing insurance practices. Despite the important link between assessments of exposure to flooding (hazard assessments) and issues of societal vulnerability, this link has rarely been explored in detail …
The relative importance of persons, items, subtests and languages to Toefl test variance
The purpose of this project was to explore the relative contributions to TOEFL score dependability (which is analogous to classical theory reliability) of various numbers of persons, items, subtests, languages and their various interactions. To these ends, three research questions were formulated: (1) What are the characteristics of the distributions, and how high are the classical theory reliability estimates for the whole test and its subtests?…
The Alternatives in Language Assessment
Language testing differs from testing in other content areas because language teachers have more choices to make. The purpose of this article is to help language teachers decide what types of language tests to use in their particular institutions and classrooms for their specific purposes. The various kinds of language assessments are classified into three broad categories: (a) selected-response assessments (including true-false, matching, and mu…
What are the characteristics of natural cloze tests
This study investigates the characteristics of natural cloze tests. Natural cloze tests are defined here as cloze procedures developed without intercession based on the test developer's knowledge and intuitions about passage difficulty, suitable topics, etc. (i.e., the criteria which are often used to select a cloze passage appropriate for a particular group of students). Fifty reading passages were randomly selected from an American public libra…
Identifying ESL Students at Linguistic Risk on a State Minimal Competency Test
Gass, S., Haynes, M., Rittenberg, W., & Wieferich, M. A. (1989, March). Good teaching from an ITA: Compensatory strategies. In P. Byrd (Chair), Language and pedagogy in mathematics: Implications for FTA training. Colloquium conducted at the 23rd Annual TESOL Convention, San Antonio, TX. McKeachie, W. (1978). Teaching tips: A guidebook for the beginning college teacher (7th ed.). Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath. National Research Council. (1989). Every…
Statistics as a Foreign Language: Part 2: More Things to Consider in Reading Statistical Language Studies
As was Part 1 of this article, Part 2 is addressed to those practicing EFL/ESL teachers who currently avoid reading statistical studies. Assuming that the first article has been read, the discussion here continues by exploring more advanced strategies that will help in understanding statistical studies on language learning and teaching. To that end, five new strategies are proposed: (a) think about the variables of focus, (b) examine whether the …
Do English and ESL Faculties Rate Writing Samples Differently
This study investigates the degree to which differences exist in the writing scores of native speakers and international students at the end of their respective first-year composition courses (ESL 100 and ENG 100, in this case). Eight members each from the ESL and English faculties at the University of Hawaii at Manoa rated 112 randomly assigned compositions without knowing which type of students had written each. A holistic 6-point (0-5) rating …
Managing flood risk in the UK: Towards an integration of social and technical perspectives
In recent years, an apparent increase in the frequency and severity of floods in the UK has led to growing concerns about societal exposure and vulnerability to flooding, particularly in the context of climate change, floodplain development and changing insurance practices. Despite the important link between assessments of exposure to flooding (hazard assessments) and issues of societal vulnerability, this link has rarely been explored in detail …
Knowledge, uncertainty and physical geography: Towards the development of methodologies for questioning belief
Although it is widely acknowledged that our understanding of environmental systems cannot be reduced to single predictions and unique explanations, determinism remains a common strategy in physical geography. This paper argues for explicit assessments of uncertainty in environmental data and models as a necessary, although not a sufficient, condition for balancing uncertain scientific arguments against uncertain social, ethical, moral and legal a…
The Alternatives in Language Assessment
Language testing differs from testing in other content areas because language teachers have more choices to make. The purpose of this article is to help language teachers decide what types of language tests to use in their particular institutions and classrooms for their specific purposes. The various kinds of language assessments are classified into three broad categories: (a) selected-response assessments (including true-false, matching, and mu…
Improving the Validity of Quantitative Measures in Applied Linguistics Research1
In empirical applied linguistics research it is essential that the key variables are operationalized in a valid and reliable way, and that the scores are treated appropriately, allowing for a proper testing of the hypotheses under investigation. The current article addresses several theoretical and practical issues regarding the use of measurement instruments and scores. Starting from an elaborated treatment of validity and validation, it introdu…
Do English and ESL Faculties Rate Writing Samples Differently
This study investigates the degree to which differences exist in the writing scores of native speakers and international students at the end of their respective first-year composition courses (ESL 100 and ENG 100, in this case). Eight members each from the ESL and English faculties at the University of Hawaii at Manoa rated 112 randomly assigned compositions without knowing which type of students had written each. A holistic 6-point (0-5) rating …
Understanding Drug Use Motivation: A New Look at a Current Problem
Background Evidence from developed countries showed that medication errors are common and harmful. Little is known about medication errors in resource-restricted settings, including Vietnam. Objectives To determine the prevalence and potential clinical outcome of medication preparation and administration errors, and to identify factors associated with errors. Methods This was a prospective study conducted on six wards in two urban public hospital…
What do we mean by bias, Englishes, Englishes in testing, and English language proficiency
The authors of "Whose norms? International proficiency tests in English"(Davies, Hamp-Lyons and Kemp, 2003) raise important issues and suggest interesting avenues for future research. As is usually true when a new line of research emerges, defining terms is fundamental. Four sets of terms seem to me to need clarification here: bias; Englishes(in general); Englishes in testing; and English language proficiency
Statistics as a Foreign Language: Part 2: More Things to Consider in Reading Statistical Language Studies
As was Part 1 of this article, Part 2 is addressed to those practicing EFL/ESL teachers who currently avoid reading statistical studies. Assuming that the first article has been read, the discussion here continues by exploring more advanced strategies that will help in understanding statistical studies on language learning and teaching. To that end, five new strategies are proposed: (a) think about the variables of focus, (b) examine whether the …
Statistics as a Foreign Language: Part 1: What to Look for in Reading Statistical Language Studies
This article is addressed to those practicing EFL/ESL teachers who currently avoid statistical studies. In particular, it is designed to provide teachers with strategies that can help them gain access to statistical studies on language learning and teaching so that they can use the information found in such articles to better serve their students. To that end, five attack strategies are advocated and discussed: (a) use the abstract to decide if t…
Variables that affect the dependability of L2 pragmatics tests
The Use of Multiple t Tests in Language Research
Flynn, S. (1987). Contrast and constructions in a parameter-setting model of L2 acquisition. Language Learning, 37(1), 19-62. Hermon, G. (1987, March). Government and binding theory: Implications for L1 and L2 acquisition. Paper presented at the Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education Seminar, Champaign, IL. McLaughlin, B. (1987). Theories of second-language learning. London: Edward Arnold
Improving ESL Placement Tests Using Two Perspectives
ESL placement testing is commonly conducted at the beginning of students' studies to determine which level of study would be most appropriate. However, serious mismatches can occur between ESL placement results and the actual progress made by students between levels. The present study was conducted at the University of Hawaii to develop a placement test that would match the curriculum for ESL reading. The usual placement procedures were conducted…
Listening for Reduced Forms
The TESOL Quarterly invites readers to submit short reports and updates on their work. These summaries may address any areas of interest to Quarterly readers. Authors' addresses are printed with these reports to enable interested readers to contact the authors for more details
A Categorical Instrument for Scoring Second Language Writing Skills
This paper first reviews recent research on evaluating second language learners'writing skills. It then discusses research on a categorical instrument for evaluating compositions written by upper intermediate university ESL students. The form of the instrument used in this study included five equally weighted criteria for scoring: (1) Organization, (2) Logical Development of Ideas, (3) Grammar, (4) Mechanics, and (5) Style. An experiment was cond…
Forty years of doing second language testing, curriculum, and research: So what
I started out as a budding English as a second language (ESL) teacher in 1976 at UCLA where I went through the M.A. TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Applied Linguistics Ph.D. programs. Sadly, those two programs were ‘disestablished’ in 2014, which provides a stark lesson to any departments that think they are hot stuff that nothing lasts forever . Nonetheless, my training in those programs provided me with an excellent start down …
Components of engineering-English reading ability
Understanding Drug Use Motivation: A New Look at a Current Problem
Background Evidence from developed countries showed that medication errors are common and harmful. Little is known about medication errors in resource-restricted settings, including Vietnam. Objectives To determine the prevalence and potential clinical outcome of medication preparation and administration errors, and to identify factors associated with errors. Methods This was a prospective study conducted on six wards in two urban public hospital…
John W. OllerJr, and Kyle Perkins, Research in language testing. Rowley, Mass: Newbury House, 1980. Pp. xi + 316
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
A Categorical Instrument for Scoring Second Language Writing Skills
This paper first reviews recent research on evaluating second language learners'writing skills. It then discusses research on a categorical instrument for evaluating compositions written by upper intermediate university ESL students. The form of the instrument used in this study included five equally weighted criteria for scoring: (1) Organization, (2) Logical Development of Ideas, (3) Grammar, (4) Mechanics, and (5) Style. An experiment was cond…
Listening for Reduced Forms
The TESOL Quarterly invites readers to submit short reports and updates on their work. These summaries may address any areas of interest to Quarterly readers. Authors' addresses are printed with these reports to enable interested readers to contact the authors for more details
Tailored cloze: Improved with classical item analysis techniques
This study investigates the possibility that the reliability and validity of a cloze procedure can be improved by applying traditional item analysis and selection techniques. Students in a single level (n = 89) at the Guangzhou English Language Centre (People's Republic of China) were chosen for this study because previous experience and research had indicated that cloze tests gene rally produce low reliability and validity coefficients in sample…
Components of engineering-English reading ability
Understanding Research in Second Language Learning: A Teacher's Guide to Statistics and Research Design
Recent Publications on Statistics, Language Testing, and Quantitative Research Methods: I
Peer Reviewed
Improving ESL Placement Tests Using Two Perspectives
ESL placement testing is commonly conducted at the beginning of students' studies to determine which level of study would be most appropriate. However, serious mismatches can occur between ESL placement results and the actual progress made by students between levels. The present study was conducted at the University of Hawaii to develop a placement test that would match the curriculum for ESL reading. The usual placement procedures were conducted…
Testing Spoken Language: A Handbook of Oral Testing Techniques
Understanding Research in Second Language Learning
Short-cut estimators of criterion-referenced test consistency
The purpose of this paper is to present relatively easy-to-calculate estimates for the consistency of criterion-referenced tests (CRTs). Four techniques are demonstrated using data from a CRT administered in the intermediate ESL reading classes in the English Language Institute at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. First, the threshold loss agreement approach is represented by the agreement coefficient (Subkoviak 1980) and kappa coefficient (Cohe…
The Use of Multiple t Tests in Language Research
Flynn, S. (1987). Contrast and constructions in a parameter-setting model of L2 acquisition. Language Learning, 37(1), 19-62. Hermon, G. (1987, March). Government and binding theory: Implications for L1 and L2 acquisition. Paper presented at the Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education Seminar, Champaign, IL. McLaughlin, B. (1987). Theories of second-language learning. London: Edward Arnold
Do English and ESL Faculties Rate Writing Samples Differently
This study investigates the degree to which differences exist in the writing scores of native speakers and international students at the end of their respective first-year composition courses (ESL 100 and ENG 100, in this case). Eight members each from the ESL and English faculties at the University of Hawaii at Manoa rated 112 randomly assigned compositions without knowing which type of students had written each. A holistic 6-point (0-5) rating …
Statistics as a Foreign Language: Part 1: What to Look for in Reading Statistical Language Studies
This article is addressed to those practicing EFL/ESL teachers who currently avoid statistical studies. In particular, it is designed to provide teachers with strategies that can help them gain access to statistical studies on language learning and teaching so that they can use the information found in such articles to better serve their students. To that end, five attack strategies are advocated and discussed: (a) use the abstract to decide if t…
Identifying ESL Students at Linguistic Risk on a State Minimal Competency Test
Gass, S., Haynes, M., Rittenberg, W., & Wieferich, M. A. (1989, March). Good teaching from an ITA: Compensatory strategies. In P. Byrd (Chair), Language and pedagogy in mathematics: Implications for FTA training. Colloquium conducted at the 23rd Annual TESOL Convention, San Antonio, TX. McKeachie, W. (1978). Teaching tips: A guidebook for the beginning college teacher (7th ed.). Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath. National Research Council. (1989). Every…
Statistics as a Foreign Language: Part 2: More Things to Consider in Reading Statistical Language Studies
As was Part 1 of this article, Part 2 is addressed to those practicing EFL/ESL teachers who currently avoid reading statistical studies. Assuming that the first article has been read, the discussion here continues by exploring more advanced strategies that will help in understanding statistical studies on language learning and teaching. To that end, five new strategies are proposed: (a) think about the variables of focus, (b) examine whether the …
What are the characteristics of natural cloze tests
This study investigates the characteristics of natural cloze tests. Natural cloze tests are defined here as cloze procedures developed without intercession based on the test developer's knowledge and intuitions about passage difficulty, suitable topics, etc. (i.e., the criteria which are often used to select a cloze passage appropriate for a particular group of students). Fifty reading passages were randomly selected from an American public libra…
The Alternatives in Language Assessment
Language testing differs from testing in other content areas because language teachers have more choices to make. The purpose of this article is to help language teachers decide what types of language tests to use in their particular institutions and classrooms for their specific purposes. The various kinds of language assessments are classified into three broad categories: (a) selected-response assessments (including true-false, matching, and mu…
The relative importance of persons, items, subtests and languages to Toefl test variance
The purpose of this project was to explore the relative contributions to TOEFL score dependability (which is analogous to classical theory reliability) of various numbers of persons, items, subtests, languages and their various interactions. To these ends, three research questions were formulated: (1) What are the characteristics of the distributions, and how high are the classical theory reliability estimates for the whole test and its subtests?…
Examinee abilities and task difficulty in task-based second language performance assessment
This article summarizes findings from investigations into the development and use of a prototype English language task-based performance test. Data included performances by 90 examinees on 13 complex and skills-integrativetasks, a priori estimations of examinee proficiency differences, a priori estimations of task difficulty based on cognitive processing demands, performance ratings according to task-specific as well as holistic scales and criter…
Managing flood risk in the UK: Towards an integration of social and technical perspectives
In recent years, an apparent increase in the frequency and severity of floods in the UK has led to growing concerns about societal exposure and vulnerability to flooding, particularly in the context of climate change, floodplain development and changing insurance practices. Despite the important link between assessments of exposure to flooding (hazard assessments) and issues of societal vulnerability, this link has rarely been explored in detail …
Resources on quantitative/statistical research for applied linguists
The purpose of this review article is to survey and evaluate existing books on quantitative/statistical research in applied linguistics. The article begins by explaining the types of texts that will not be reviewed, then it briefly describes nine books that address how to do quantitative/statistical applied linguistics research. The review then compares (in prose and tables) the general characteristics of these nine books, and their coverage of c…
Knowledge, uncertainty and physical geography: Towards the development of methodologies for questioning belief
Although it is widely acknowledged that our understanding of environmental systems cannot be reduced to single predictions and unique explanations, determinism remains a common strategy in physical geography. This paper argues for explicit assessments of uncertainty in environmental data and models as a necessary, although not a sufficient, condition for balancing uncertain scientific arguments against uncertain social, ethical, moral and legal a…
What do we mean by bias, Englishes, Englishes in testing, and English language proficiency
The authors of "Whose norms? International proficiency tests in English"(Davies, Hamp-Lyons and Kemp, 2003) raise important issues and suggest interesting avenues for future research. As is usually true when a new line of research emerges, defining terms is fundamental. Four sets of terms seem to me to need clarification here: bias; Englishes(in general); Englishes in testing; and English language proficiency
Psychology (31 works) · Linguistics (25 works) · Computer Science (23 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (19 works) · Mathematics education (17 works) · Philosophy (16 works) · Language assessment (11 works) · Mathematics (10 works) · Statistics (9 works) · Multilingual Education and Policy (8 works)