Interrelationships among Three Tests of Language Proficiency: Standardized ESL, Cloze, and Writing

Abstract

Cloze, which combines the advantages of integrative testing and objective scoring, was investigated as a supplement to a standardized ESL test and as an alternative to a written composition test. Three tests of English language proficiency were given to a large group of students applying for admission to the American University of Beirut (AUB): the AUB English Test, a cloze test, and a written composition. The tests were taken by the same group of students at the same examination session, enabling direct study of interrelationships among the three measures. Regression analysis of the test scores showed that pairwise correlations were all high and that a combination of cloze test scores and AUB English Test scores significantly improved the prediction of communicative language proficiency, as measured by the composition test scores. In addition, there was a substantial residual correlation between the cloze and writing tests, which suggests that these tests may measure in common some aspects of language ability beyond those that they share with the AUB English Test, a standardized ESL test. These results indicate that a cloze component can serve as a valuable supplement in language proficiency testing. Further implications of the findings of the study are discussed.