The Development and Validation of the Chinese Vocabulary Levels Test
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16663402 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shiwei Qi (Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Beijing Normal University Beijing China), Ailan Fu (School of chinese language and literature Beijing Normal University Beijing China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-17 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Applied Linguistics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0802-6106 • E-ISSN: 1473-4192 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ijal.70190 |
| OpenAlex | W7154706125 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
In response to the increasing need for effective Chinese vocabulary assessments, this study developed the Chinese Vocabulary Levels Test (CVLT), a test designed for intermediate‐level Chinese as a second or foreign language (CSL/FL) learners, based on the vocabulary lists (levels 4–6) from the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (the Grading Standards), and provided initial validation evidence. The CVLT is a meaning‐recognition test designed in a multiple‐choice format, with test items developed to reflect the characteristics of Chinese characters and words. 200 intermediate‐level CSL/FL learners took the final version of the CVLT, and the data were analyzed primarily using the Rasch model. Validity arguments were proposed and justified based on Kane's interpretation/use argument framework. Overall, the results showed positive evidence supporting the scoring, generalization, and extrapolation inferences. Issues concerning test design and the validity of score interpretations were also discussed
Chinese language · Item analysis · Mandarin Chinese · Rasch model · Test validity · Vocabulary · Psychometric Methodologies and Testing · Reading and Literacy Development · Second Language Acquisition and Learning
Learning Vocabulary in Another Language
Researching Vocabulary
Assessing Vocabulary
Learning Vocabulary in Another Language
Breadth and depth of vocabulary in relation to L1/L2 acquisition and frequency of input
Validating the Interpretations and Uses of Test Scores
The Effects of Vocabulary Breadth and Depth on English Reading
The updated Vocabulary Levels Test
Assessing vocabulary size through multiple-choice formats
A Different Perspective on the Limitations of Size and Levels Tests of Written Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge
Limitations of Size and Levels Tests of Written Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge
Teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language to non-Chinese learners in mainland China (2014–2018)
The development of a Chinese vocabulary proficiency test (CVPT) for learners of Chinese as a second/foreign language
Developing and exploring the behaviour of two new versions of the Vocabulary Levels Test
Using confidence intervals to determine adequate item sample sizes for vocabulary tests
A comprehensive review of Rasch measurement in language assessment
Argument-based validation of Academic Collocation Tests
Establishing meaning recall and meaning recognition vocabulary knowledge as distinct psychometric constructs in relation to reading proficiency
A Rasch-based validation of the Vocabulary Size Test
A framework for second language vocabulary assessment
Towards a new sophistication in vocabulary assessment
Understanding growth mindset, self-regulated vocabulary learning, and vocabulary knowledge
Moving the field of vocabulary assessment forward
Validity of psychological assessment
More Than Frequency? Exploring Predictors of Word Difficulty for Second Language Learners
Testing Vocabulary Knowledge
How Do Different Forms of Note-Taking Affect Second Language Vocabulary Learning
L2 Reading Comprehension and Its Correlates
Size and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge
| Highly cited | No |
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