Placement Testing in Computer-Assisted Language Testing: Validating Elicited Imitation as a measure of language proficiency
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2016-08-18
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en
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Advances in computer-assisted language testing is motivating the enhancement and variation in the testing of language skills. Especially tests for placement purposes have seen a major development. This paper uses an Elicited Imitation task intended as a computer-assisted placement module for NovoLanguage. NovoLanguage finds it important to correctly assess the level of their learners, in this case hotel staff, before they start using their application. The study aims to contribute to the knowledge base regarding the efficacy, validity and reliability of the use of Elicited Imitation (EI) as a way of language assessment. The paper describes the correlation between a multiple-choice placement test form, Elicited Imitation, and video interviews. The data were all gathered in three hotels located in Indonesia and Vietnam on the same day. To investigate the validity and reliability of the multiple-choice placement test, 59 participants from Indonesia and Vietnam were tested and the data was analysed with TIAPLUS ©. To evaluate the accuracy of the test, the results were then correlated with video interviews with 54 participants. Afterwards, the Elicited Imitation was also correlated with the video analysis. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, differential item functioning analysis, inter-rater reliability analysis, and correlational analysis. Most analyses indicated that there is a strong positive correlation between the three different types of assessment to assess the level of English as a foreign language. This might be an insufficient evidence that Elicited Imitation is the most suitable assessment for placement purposes. However, positive and strong correlations are important evidence for the close relationship between the tests and indicate that EI is sufficient to replace the other assessment formats.
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