English Test Research Articles

The impact of concurrent multilingual acquisition on the mastery of L2 English and L3 French articles among native Swahili speakers in Tanzania

ABSTRACT The study investigated the impact of simultaneous acquisition of multiple languages on using L2 English and L3 French articles. With the premise that multilingual acquisition presents increased complexity, the research compared 30 learners solely focused on L2 English with 30 learners simultaneously learning L2 English and L3 French. The participants, Tanzanian L1 Swahili speakers, were Form Two secondary school students learning English as a subject and using it as a medium of instruction. The L3 French group was concurrently learning L2 English and L3 French. Participants were selected using a biographical data questionnaire and grammar placement test. Data collection involved elicitation tests in both English and French, with the L3 French group undertaking both versions. Quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results demonstrated that individuals learning English alone exhibited higher accuracy in using L2 English articles than those concurrently learning English and French. However, those concurrently learning L2 English and L3 French displayed similar performance in employing L2 English and L3 French articles. Evidence suggested a negative transfer from the participants’ native language (L1 Swahili) to their second language (L2 English). These findings provide empirical support for the complexity of multilingual acquisition.

From growth mindset to positive outcomes in L2 learning: Examining the mediating roles of autonomous motivation and engagement

From a positive psychology perspective, adopting a growth mindset in language learning cultivates positive learning goals and sustains motivational drive. However, the extent to which these motivational benefits translate into tangible language learning outcomes remains controversial. Drawing from the language learning motivational process model, this study investigates the predictive power of growth language mindset on second language (L2) achievement and the mediating role of autonomous motivation and engagement. High-school English language learners in China (n = 486) completed mindset, motivation, and engagement questionnaires, and we retrieved their subsequent English test scores. The results suggested that growth mindset positively, albeit weakly, predicted subsequent L2 achievement (r = .17). Further, autonomous motivation and engagement sequentially mediated the link between growth mindset and L2 achievement. Engagement also acted as an independent mediator (although this was not the case for autonomous motivation). The study provides theoretical insights into the mechanisms through which growth mindset can positively impact L2 learning, and identifies practical pedagogical implications for L2 classrooms.

Enhancing English Proficiency in Korean Schoolchildren with Problematic Behaviors: Efficacy of Digital Game-Based Learning.

Objective: Language learning through computer games has been suggested to enhance language abilities compared with traditional learning methods. Training in language skills may also improve self-control and reduce problematic behaviors in children and adolescents. We hypothesized that computer game-based language training could be more effective than classical language instruction. Furthermore, we propose that the enhanced language skills obtained through computer game language training could correspond with improvements in problematic behaviors within this group. Materials and Methods: This was an 8-week crossover trial consisting of 4 weeks of gaming rounds and 4 weeks of control rounds for two groups. Wise-Ax English is a casual digital game developed for English vocabulary education targeting Korean children. The game incorporates 500 English words selected from a pool designated by the Korean Ministry of Education. The study included 38 Korean students. At the 4-week and 8-week marks, all students were assessed with English competency tests. Results: Over 80% of the participants expressed satisfaction with the digital game-based English education, noting significant improvements in their English abilities compared with those achieved using traditional English classes. During the gaming rounds, children with problematic behaviors demonstrated improvement in test scores relative to their peers without such behaviors. Conclusion: The educational game Wise-Ax English can effectively enhance English language skills among Korean elementary school students. Notably, the effectiveness of Wise-Ax English was more pronounced in students exhibiting higher levels of problematic behavior and anxiety.

Does Perceived Test Fairness Affect Test Preparation? -- A Case Study of Duolingo English Test

Drawing upon [1]’s examination of perceived fairness in the Duolingo English Test (hereafter DET) and the crucial role of test preparation, the current study delves into the influence of perceived DET fairness on test preparation strategies. Guided by [2]’s Test Fairness Framework, a conceptual model encompassing two dimensions, i.e., perceived test fairness and test preparation practices, was formulated. Utilizing a validated DET Fairness and Preparation Questionnaire, data were gathered from 1,012 Chinese test takers. Statistical analyses using SPSS v.26.0 revealed descriptive insights, indicating that test takers employed a diverse array of strategies for test preparation. Furthermore, EFA illuminated that eight factors of test preparation strategies were extracted (i.e., information searching, mass practice, training test-taking skills, social strategies, self-evaluation, test-related settings, affective strategies, and memory strategies). Subsequent CFA and SEM performed in AMOS v.26.0 further elucidated the causal relationships, underscoring the direct and significant impact of test takers’ fairness perceptions on their test preparation strategies. This research offers a nuanced understanding of how perceived test fairness shapes test preparation strategies, thereby contributing to the field of language testing and language teaching and learning theoretically and practically.

An automatized semantic analysis of two large-scale listening tests: A corpus-based study

This study examined the semantic features of the simulated mini-lectures in the listening sections of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) based on automatized semantic analysis to explore the content validity of the two tests. Two study corpora were utilized, the IELTS corpus with 56 mini-lectures (38,944 words) and the TOEFL corpus with 285 mini-lectures (207,296 words). The reference corpus comprised 59 lectures from the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English (MICASE), totaling 571,354 words. The corpora were submitted to automatized semantic tagging using Wmatrix5. Three comparisons were conducted: IELTS versus TOEFL, IELTS versus MICASE lectures, and TOEFL versus MICASE lectures. The results suggest that IELTS and TOEFL mini-lectures shared 78% and 64% of the same semantic features as MICASE, respectively, supporting their relative content validity. Nevertheless, specific semantic categories, such as politics, war, and intimate and sexual relationships, were notably absent from the test corpora, even though they appeared in the academic lecture corpus. In addition, causal connectors are frequently used in both tests, while the mini-lectures of IELTS listening tests cover fewer academic discourse fields than TOEFL mini-lectures. Implications for content validity are discussed.

Comparing the performance of ChatGPT-3.5-Turbo, ChatGPT-4, and Google Bard with Iranian students in pre-internship comprehensive exams

This study aims to measure the performance of different AI-language models in three sets of pre-internship medical exams and to compare their performance with Iranian medical students. Three sets of Persian pre-internship exams were used, along with their English translation (six sets in total). In late September 2023, we sent requests to ChatGPT-3.5-Turbo-0613, GPT-4-0613, and Google Bard in both Persian and English languages (excluding questions with any visual content) with each query in a new session and reviewed their responses. GPT models produced responses at varying levels of randomness. In both Persian and English tests, GPT-4 ranked first and obtained the highest score in all exams and different levels of randomness. While Google Bard scored below average on the Persian exams (still in an acceptable range), ChatGPT-3.5 failed all exams. There was a significant difference between the Large Language Models (LLMs) in Persian exams. While GPT-4 yielded the best scores on the English exams, the distinction between all LLMs and students was not statistically significant. The GPT-4 model outperformed students and other LLMs in medical exams, highlighting its potential application in the medical field. However, more research is needed to fully understand and address the limitations of using these models.

Reexamining the role of regulatory focus in second language achievement

Abstract In this study, we approximately replicated Papi and Khajavy’s (2021) investigation into the regulatory focus in second language acquisition, applying their approach to a significantly larger cohort of 855 Chinese second language (L2) learners. In contrast with the original study, our research employed the College English Test Band 4 (CET-4), a standardized English test, to better align with the Chinese educational context. This methodological shift allowed for a nuanced exploration of the regulatory focus’s role in language learning among Chinese students. Our results predominantly reinforce the crucial role of regulatory focus in language learning, echoing Papi and Khajavy’s findings. We discovered notable parallels in how promotion positively influences ideal own and ideal other, and how prevention negatively impacts ought own and ought other. However, a unique finding of our study was the stronger impact of ought selves on L2 anxiety and enjoyment in the Chinese context. This highlights the nuanced influence of socioeducational environments on regulatory focus strategies, suggesting contextual variability in language learning strategies.

Analysis of Punctuation and Spelling Errors Associated with Academic Writing among Iraqi EFL Learners

The present study aims to analyse and find punctuation and spelling errors EFL learners face in their academic writing as part of English proficiency tests. A quantitative method was adopted to implement the research objective. 117 written samples were collected and analysed. The participants were 82 females and 35 males. The average age is 23 to 37 years. The results showed different kinds of errors and challenges. The present study concerns limited errors and challenges: punctuation and spelling errors. The findings show a large prevalence of punctuation and spelling errors among Iraqi EFL learners. The most common errors using punctuation marks were using capital letters (54.72%), commas (25. 71%), and periods (19.58%). In terms of spelling errors, omission recorded the highest percentage of errors (40.9%), followed by substitution (30.5%), transposition (15.0), and insertion (13.6%).

An Analysis of English Mid-Term Test Items at the 7th Grade Students of SMPN 7 Bukittinggi

This study was motivated by several problems, such as the mismatch between the test questions and the material learned, unclear question instructions, and the lack of statistical analysis by English teachers. The main objective of this study was to identify the quality of English midterm test items for grade 7th students at SMPN 7 Bukittinggi, focusing on Validity, Reliability, difficulty level, Discrimination Power, and Distractor Effectiveness. The research method used was Quantitative Descriptive, with data collection through student answer sheets and analysis using various statistical formulas, including Point Biserial Correlation for validity, Spearman-Brown for reliability, and Narsya's formula for difficulty level and differentiating power, as well as Djumingin's formula for effectiveness. The results showed that most of the items were valid, and reliable, had a moderate difficulty level, and had good discriminating power, with only a few items showing minor problems. Overall, the English midterm exam items were considered good quality.

Factors Affect In IELTS Test For Students of STIKOM Uyelindo Kupang

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is a standardized English language proficiency test which is a prerequisite for continuing study or work. There are still many people who experience difficulties in carrying out the IELTS test to achieve a score above 6. The aim of the research is to know what are the factors that affect the result of students IELTS test. This research wants to find out what factors influence students' mastery of IELTS material. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. Qualitative descriptive research uses a series of methods to specify and describe data findings that occur in the field without providing experimental treatment. There are four IELTS materials given during the test, including: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These four materials require strategies in their implementation and each has their own difficulties in mastering them. This research will be conducted at STIKOM Uyelindo Kupang with the research object being students of the Informatics and Information Systems Engineering Study Program Semester 2. It is hoped that this research will provide readers with an understanding regarding the success factors in carrying out the IELTS test.

Learning Achievement in English of the Students at A Private University in Pathum Thani Province Through the Use of the Padlet Application

Background and Aims: Students who achieve high levels in English are better prepared for both academic success and global engagement. It builds self-assurance and provides access to a wide range of opportunities in various fields. Thus, the objectives of this study were 1) to examine the efficiency of teaching English through the use of the Padlet application the students at a Private university in Pathum Thani province, and 2) to compare the learning achievement in English of the students at a Private university in Pathum Thani Province through the use of the Padlet application. Methodology: The participants in this study were 50 students from a private university in Pathum Thani Province who enrolled in Basic Writing in English in the third semester of the academic year 2023, selected through stratified random sampling and simple random sampling methods. The research instrument consisted of 10 sets of English achievement tests. The data was analyzed by Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation, and t-test. Results: The results found that 1) the efficiency of teaching English through the use of the Padlet application of the students at a private university in Pathum Thani Province (E1/E2) was 81.82/83.18. 2) The learning achievement in English of the students at a Private university in Pathum Thani province through the use of the Padlet application was significantly higher than before at the 0.01 level. Conclusion: At a private university in Pathum Thani Province, the use of the Padlet application dramatically increased student learning achievement and significantly increased the efficiency of teaching English (E1/E2: 81.82/83.18). This shows a significant improvement in English proficiency after the intervention, proving the usefulness of Padlet.

Writing Strategies of Chinese Undergraduate English Major Students

English writing is very important for Chinese students since it is a crucial part of many tests, such as the College Entrance Examination for high school students in China, College English Tests (CET), and the Unified National Graduate Entrance Examination. Some students frequently employ writing strategies such as memorizing sample phrases, sentences, or essay templates to cope with exams. Some studies confirmed that there is a certain relationship between students’ use of writing strategies and their writing performance. There are some high-performing students who usually can not only express certain content in a coherent structure but can also organize the sentences well with little to no grammatical mistakes when writing in English. The participants of this case study are undergraduate students who are high-performing writers and English majors. They completed two writing tasks, followed the think-aloud protocol, and joined the semi-structured interview. Results determined the strategies of the participants, such as meta-cognitive, cognitive, rhetorical, and affective/social strategies. Findings have important implications for teaching and learning writing.

A Hybrid Semantic Representation Method Based on Fusion Conceptual Knowledge and Weighted Word Embeddings for English Texts

The accuracy of traditional topic models may be compromised due to the sparsity of co-occurring vocabulary in the corpus, whereas conventional word embedding models tend to excessively prioritize contextual semantic information and inadequately capture domain-specific features in the text. This paper proposes a hybrid semantic representation method that combines a topic model that integrates conceptual knowledge with a weighted word embedding model. Specifically, we construct a topic model incorporating the Probase concept knowledge base to perform topic clustering and obtain topic semantic representation. Additionally, we design a weighted word embedding model to enhance the contextual semantic information representation of the text. The feature-based information fusion model is employed to integrate the two textual representations and generate a hybrid semantic representation. The hybrid semantic representation model proposed in this study was evaluated based on various English composition test sets. The findings demonstrate that the model presented in this paper exhibits superior accuracy and practical value compared to existing text representation methods.

A generative AI-driven interactive listening assessment task.

Assessments of interactional competence have traditionally been limited in large-scale language assessments. The listening portion suffers from construct underrepresentation, whereas the speaking portion suffers from limited task formats such as in-person interviews or role plays. Human-delivered tasks are challenging to administer at large scales, while automated assessments are typically very narrow in their assessment of the construct because they have carried over the limitations of traditional paper-based tasks to digital formats. However, computer-based assessments do allow for more interactive, automatically administered tasks, but come with increased complexity in task creation. Large language models present new opportunities for enhanced automated item generation (AIG) processes that can create complex content types and tasks at scale that support richer assessments. This paper describes the use of such methods to generate content at scale for an interactive listening measure of interactional competence for the Duolingo English Test (DET), a large-scale, high-stakes test of English proficiency. The Interactive Listening task assesses test takers' ability to participate in a full conversation, resulting in a more authentic assessment of interactive listening ability than prior automated assessments by positing comprehension and interaction as purposes of listening. The results of a pilot of 713 tasks with hundreds of responses per task, along with the results of human review, demonstrate the feasibility of a human-in-the-loop, generative AI-driven approach for automatic creation of complex educational assessments at scale.

Mediation of enjoyment and burnout in the link between teacher-student relationships and foreign language achievement and its gender differences

ABSTRACT The significance of teacher-student relationships in foreign language (FL) learning has been well-established. However, the intricacies of how teacher-student relationships indirectly influence FL achievement, particularly through the lens of emotional experience, remain to be fully understood. Grounded in attachment theory and control value theory, this study dissected the mediating roles of enjoyment and burnout in the link between teacher-student relationships and FL achievement, and further explored the gender differences in these mediation effects. The survey encompassed 4,900 English learners from Hainan Province, China. Student-reported scales for enjoyment and burnout in English learning were utilized, complemented by an English achievement test. Structural equation modeling (SEM) elucidated that enjoyment and burnout served as partial mediators in the link between teacher-student relationships and English achievement. Furthermore, multi-group SEM revealed gender-specific variations in these mediation effects, with stronger mediation observed in boys than girls. This study offers theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical insights for FL teaching and learning.

An Experimental Study on the Effect of AIGC on High School Students’ English Words Memory

Vocabulary memorizing is the foundation of English learning, and improving students’ vocabulary memorizing efficiency occupies an essential place in English learning. However, the current vocabulary teaching activities are stereotyped in design and superficial in practice and fail to achieve the teaching goal of improving students’ vocabulary learning ability. With the development of AI, its function for learning is obvious. Therefore, based on AIGC, this study designs an experiment with 60 students from two parallel classes in grade one of a high school in Pingjiang County as the research object. The author adopts the literature method, investigation method, and experimental method. After referring to lots of related literature at home and abroad and conducting the investigation and analysis of the current situation of English vocabulary learning, the design principles and strategies for this experiment are put forward. At the end of the practice, the English vocabulary test and questionnaire survey were used as research tools to collect experimental data, and the SPSS27.0 software was used for statistics and analysis. The results show that AIGC can stimulate students’ interest in vocabulary memorizing, promote memorizing efficiency, and enhance the ability to use the vocabulary.

Developing a clinician-friendly rubric for assessing history-taking skills in medical undergraduates speaking English as a foreign language.

The Occupational English Test (OET) is a globally recognized test for healthcare professionals who speak English as a foreign language (EFL). Although its speaking sub-test criteria are publicly accessible, practical application demands specialized assessor training. The aim of the study was to create a physician-friendly rubric for assessing the English history-taking skills of EFL medical undergraduates inspired by the OET speaking sub-test. Informed by the OET criteria, a rubric was tailor-made to assess the English history-taking skills of EFL medical undergraduates studying in Japan. Using this rubric, 14 physicians assessed the English history-taking skills of 134 sixth-year medical undergraduates. We used exploratory factor analysis to ascertain its construct validity, evaluated the instrument's reliability through Cronbach's α and inter-rater reliability with chi-squared tests, and conducted a multiple regression analysis, ensuring adherence to key regression assumptions. Three key factors were found: linguistic-clinical distinction, communication dynamics, and medical comprehension. The rubric's internal consistency was verified, achieving a Cronbach's α of 0.799. Discrepancies in assessor scores highlighted the need for calibration. Four criteria emerged as vital in assessing the students' performance. The tailored rubric effectively assesses the English history-taking skills of EFL medical undergraduates.

What Are the Effective Tests for Measuring English Proficiency in a Japanese Project-Based English Program? A Comparison of the Test of English for International Communication, Global Test of English Communication, and CNN Global English Test Service

What Are the Effective Tests for Measuring English Proficiency in a Japanese Project-Based English Program? A Comparison of the Test of English for International Communication, Global Test of English Communication, and CNN Global English Test Service

LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES OF THE HIGH ACHIEVERS OF TOEFL JUNIOR TEST IN AN INDONESIAN ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL: A CASE STUDY

This study investigates the language learning strategies (LLSs) employed by high-achieving students in the TOEFL Junior Test within the context of an Indonesia Islamic boarding school. Motivated by Indonesia's lower rankings in literacy, particularly in English, as highlighted by the 2022 PISA results, this study aims to address the gap in understanding how students in this specialized educational setting approach LLSs. This study focuses on six high-achieving female ninth-grade students from SMP Al Izzah Islamic Boarding School Batu, identified as high achievers based on their superior TOEFL Junior Test scores and exceptional performance on the school’s English final test. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) 7.0, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The findings reveal that high achievers predominantly employ metacognitive strategies, such as goal setting and self-monitoring, as well as compensation strategies to overcome language barriers. Cognitive strategies, particularly engaging with English media, play a significant role in their language acquisition, while memory strategies are moderately used for vocabulary retention. This research highlights the importance of self-discipline, time management, and a supportive learning environment with its accessible teachers and nurturing community, significantly enhances continuous learning and overall students’ well-being. The study recommends for future research to expand the sample size to other Islamic boarding schools from various regions with more samples and explore the long-term impact of these strategies on academic and professional achievements.

Utilizing Baidu Index Data to Investigate the Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Public Concern towards Lifelong Education

Background and purpose: With the advancement of Industry 4.0 and the vigorous development of the Internet, search engines have become one of the important platforms for the public to obtain information. As the world's largest Chinese search engine, Baidu is widely popular with the Chinese public. Similar to Google Trends, the Baidu Index is one of the most important databases on the Internet and even in the entire data age. This study adopted the Baidu Index to investigate the public's attention to "Lifelong Education" and analyze its changing trend and geographical distribution, to grasp the public's attention to it in a more comprehensive way. Materials and methods: The Baidu Index was used to obtain the attention of the keyword “Lifelong Education" from July to November 2023. The characteristics of attention are analyzed from three aspects: trend research, demand graph, and user portrait. Finally, it focuses on the comparison between the keyword "Lifelong Education" and the related word "Lifelong Education Platform". Results: The term "Lifelong Education" showed two fluctuations during the period, both of which showed an initial rise and then a decline. For the demand graph, the public pays the most attention to "Lifelong Education Platform", "Lifelong Learning" and "Compulsory Education". The group that pays more attention to "Lifelong Education" is mainly distributed in East China, mostly female, 20~29 years old. Conclusion: Similar to Google Trends, the Baidu Index is a useful tool to study the trend of keyword searches, insight into the change in netizens' demand and monitoring the trend of media public opinion. The results show that the main reasons for the two obvious changes in search volume are that the National Open University of China opens freely lifelong education platform and provides free and comprehensive learning resources, and "Lifelong Education" appears as a translation in the National College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) in June 2023.