Abstract

 
 
 This study aims to explore further the applicability of the six-point rating scale elaborated by Kuiken and Vedder (2017) to assess functional adequacy. According to the authors, functional adequacy (FA) is a multidimensional construct combining successful task completion and the effective transmission of a message from a speaker or writer to a hearer or reader. Kuiken and Vedder’s scale has been mainly applied to written L2 output in previous research, whereas in this study it is tested on both L1 and L2 written texts, elicited by means of different tasks. The texts, produced by 20 non-native and 20 native speakers of Italian, were rated by seven non-expert raters, trained to use the scale. The results showed low levels of absolute inter-rater agreement and consistency, especially for L1 texts. On the other hand, our findings are more encouraging with regard to the reliability of the scale and its applicability across tasks. The results also revealed a strong correlation between FA scores and those obtained in a C-test used as an independent measure of general L2 proficiency.
 
 
Highlights
EN This study aims to explore further the applicability of the six-point rating scale elaborated by Kuiken and Vedder (2017) to assess functional adequacy
Kuiken and Vedder observed that few SLA studies report on the functional aspects of L2 proficiency, and that “contrary to CAF research where general measures for assessing complexity, accuracy and fluency have often been employed . . . general measures to rate the functional adequacy of L2 performance are lacking” (2017, p. 322)
The general aim of this study is to examine from three different perspectives the applicability of the rating scale developed by Kuiken and Vedder (2017) for the assessment of functional adequacy (FA) in written texts produced by native and non-‐native speakers of Italian performing three different tasks
Summary
EN This study aims to explore further the applicability of the six-point rating scale elaborated by Kuiken and Vedder (2017) to assess functional adequacy. In order to assess the degree to which a linguistic performance is more or less successful in achieving the goals of a task, one needs to take into account its adequacy, and its quality in terms of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF measures, see Housen, Kuiken, & Vedder, 2012 for an overview). Kuiken and Vedder observed that few SLA studies report on the functional aspects of L2 proficiency, and that “contrary to CAF research where general measures for assessing complexity, accuracy and fluency have often been employed . Its applicability to L1 performances and to a variety of tasks is still underexplored (Kuiken & Vedder, 2018)
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