Tests as a Second Language Research Method

Their Types, Reliability, Validity, and Variable Research Results

Bibliographic Data

ID22299332
AuthorsAkihiro Ito (0000-0001-8549-4350, Aichi Gakuin University, corresponding author)
Year2000
Volume127-128
Pages1-36
Publication date2000-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0019-0829 • E-ISSN: 1783-1490
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/itl.127-128.01ito
OpenAlexW2297284671
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited34

In second language acquisition (SLA) research various tests are employed for theory building. However, what tests should be administered to participants in a research setting? In order to address the issue, this study was conducted to examine the reliability, validity of tests themselves, and the difference in results according to the difference of test-types, focusing on cross-sectional restrictive relative clause acquisition and relative clause test-types. Among the variety of relative clause tests, four test-types that appear frequently in recent SLA academic publications were selected. The four test-types were Translation, Cloze Procedure, Grammaticality Judgment, and Sentence Combining. The results from 120 Japanese students indicate the following. First, Sentence Combining shows high reliability in internal consistency and the highest validity. Second, the research results change across the different test-types. Third, the concept of 'test-type (task) related interlanguage variability' should be explained by the combination of quality-related issues such as 'measurement error' and the cognitive demands each test-type requires of the subjects. Implications for the practical issues of language test construction for SLA research, educational evaluation, and the directions for further research are also discussed

Consistency (knowledge bases) · Construct validity · Developmental psychology · Grammar · Grammaticality · Interlanguage · Language assessment · Language proficiency · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Natural language processing · Psychometrics · Quality (philosophy) · Relative clause · Reliability (semiconductor) · Second-language acquisition · Sentence · Test (biology) · Variety (cybernetics) · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Natural Language Processing Techniques · Psychology · Second Language Acquisition and Learning

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