English Test Research Articles

The Correlation between Grammar Usage and Indonesian – English Translation Ability of English Study Program Students

Grammar is an important component of a language that contains rules on the sentence structure construction and meaning system of the language. The grammar usage has a contribution in the language learning process, one of which is in translation. This research aimed to discover the correlation between grammar usage and Indonesian – English translation ability of the fourth-semester English Study Program students. The instruments of the research were sentence completion and error recognition questions for English grammar test and Indonesia – English translation essay for translation test. The statistical analysis using Pearson product-moment formula was applied to analyze the correlation between grammar usage and Indonesian – English translation ability of the fourth-semester students. The result of data analysis revealed that the Pearson correlation value r-counted of 0.837 was higher than r-table of 0.320 at the level of confidence 0.05 which meant that alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted and of null hypothesis (H0) was rejected. The research findings revealed that there existed a significant correlation between English grammar usage and Indonesian – English translation ability the fourth-semester English Study Program students of Universitas Riau. It is implied that the proficient English grammar students displayed commensurate in Indonesian – English translation ability while those who lack of grammar usage ability found difficulty in translation tasks. This research highlighted the critical role of grammar in shaping translation of the fourth-semester students of Universitas Riau English Study Program.

Investigating the Interplay Between Authentic Leadership Skills and Second Language Proficiency in a Higher Education Institution

This research investigates the interplay between authentic leadership skills and second language proficiency, specifically English, among academic leaders in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Bulacan, Philippines. In a globalized educational landscape, leadership in HEIs is crucial for institutional success. The study focuses on Authentic Leadership, emphasizing its developmental perspective and four key components: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency. Concurrently, it explores the impact of English language proficiency on leadership within the context of higher education. Using a descriptive correlational research design, the study sampled supervisory staff at NU Baliwag, employing the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) for language proficiency and the Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire for leadership skills. Results indicate a moderate to high level of English proficiency, with a positive correlation between language proficiency and authentic leadership dimensions. The study contributes insights for NU Baliwag, suggesting that enhancing language skills may positively influence leadership development. However, caution is advised in generalizing findings, and the study highlights the need for future research to replicate the study in diverse contexts and consider additional variables for a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics between language proficiency and leadership development in higher education.

A Statistical Analysis of Vietnamese High School English Test Score Data

This statistical study, perhaps the first of its kind in Vietnamese academia, has tried to understand the patterns in high school students’ pre-college national exam test scores which hold tremendous significance in students’ college or university admissions. English belongs to one of the three mandatory subjects (the other two being Mathematics and Literature) where students must be tested as part of their overall evaluation. However, since English is a foreign language for the learners, many high school students, especially those from rural areas, struggle to attain an acceptable level of proficiency. Meanwhile, a good proportion of students, particularly those in urban areas and with their own substantial financial resources, do attend extra tutorial classes to gain an edge in English proficiency. In this study we have analyzed the provincial mean and median test scores over a period of three years (2019, 2020 and 2021). It has been noted that a province’s aggregate performance depends heavily on - (i) the province’s per capita gross domestic product (PCGDP), which measures a province's economic prosperity; and (ii) the average number of students per high school (ANSHS) which indicates the overall competitive environment the students encounter which helps them sharpen their language proficiency.

Binomials in English and French: ablaut, rhyme and syllable structure

Abstract Binomial expressions (e.g., hocus-pocus; dribs and drabs) are irreversible sequences of two types: reduplicative binomials (e.g., pitter-patter) and conjoined binomials (e.g., wheeling and dealing). Both types exhibit similar phonological features such as rhyme, alliteration and ablaut alternation. The present study investigates English and French speaker preferences for phonological templates in binomials. Elicitation of preferences was carried out using nonsense sequences exemplifying the templates Simple Rhyme (e.g., fiply-biply; fudette-budette), Complex Onset Rhyme (e.g., settip and slettip; ni cougui ni crougi), and Ablaut (e.g., gesky and gosky; fudette-fudotte), which were pitted against each other, e.g., gesky and gosky (Ablaut) versus gesky and glesky (Complex Onset Rhyme). Results of two experiments – the first involving nonce sequences containing disyllabic terms, the second involving nonsense items with monosyllabic constituents – reveal that English speakers prefer Simple Rhyme in items containing disyllabic constituents, and Ablaut for items containing monosyllabic terms. In contrast, French speakers prefer Ablaut in both the disyllabic term and the monosyllabic term conditions. In both experiments, Simple Rhyme is preferred to Complex Onset Rhyme. The experimental results for English align with statistical distributions of phonological templates in the Thun (1963. Reduplicative words in English: A study of formations of the types tick-tick, hurly-burly and shilly-shally. Lund: Carl Bloms) corpus of binomials. Our testing of English and French respondents further reveals that certain preferences are dissimilar across languages. Our findings lead us to propose that constraint rankings for reduplicatives in English and French under Optimality Theory should be sensitive to the number of syllables in constituent terms. In sum, the study of binomial expressions is enhanced by experimental evidence of speakers’ preferences when presented with competing sequencing patterns.

AI Tools in Teaching and Learning English Academic Writing Skills

Recently, the application of innovative technological solutions has revolutionized various aspects of our lives, and education is no exception. This study investigated the use of AI-powered tools and their effects on teaching and learning English academic writing skills. The research was conducted with the participation of 5 teachers and 60 students from five academic writing classes in two language centers in Hanoi. Data from the research were mainly collected through tests and questionnaires. Interviews were used as a supporting tool. The research findings indicate that teachers and students have positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI), and AI tools are beneficial to the participants at discourse, sentence, and word/phase levels. The application of AI-powered writing tools has a considerable contribution to the students in terms of cohesion and coherence, lexical resources, grammatical range, and accuracy. The study can be considered an informative source of reference for teachers and students who are teaching and learning academic writing, especially prospective candidates for standardized English tests.

Mapping English language proficiency test scores of lecturers onto the common European framework level

This study was conducted to display the lecturer’s English language proficiency test scores at one of the state universities in Indonesia. The research applied descriptive design by quantitative approach. The sample is the lecturers of the English and non-English departments at one of the state universities in Indonesia. The instrument of the research was English language proficiency test of TOEFL ITP. Descriptive statistics was used as data analysis technique, mean and percentage. The result of this research disclosed that 86% of the lecturers are in the level of B1 of CEFR which achieved the targeted score of English competences certification file requirements of certified lecturer and 3.92% of the lecturers are in the A2 level of CEFR. The researchers discovered that the most difficult language skill of the test is in the structure and written expression section where 4 % of the lecturers are in the A2 CEFR level. Then it is also revealed that the lecturers got the lowest scaled score in the structure and written expression section, which was 37. From all parts of the test, none of the lecturers achieved C1 level in the structure and written expression. This is implied that the lecturers have problems in their writing skills and need to improve their grammatical skills to be able to write correct sentence structure in standard academic English.

English language requirement and educational inequality: Evidence from 16 million college applicants in China

This paper studies the unintended effect of English language requirement on educational inequality by investigating how the staggered rollout of English listening tests in China’s high-stakes National College Entrance Exam (NCEE) affected the rural–urban gap in college access. Leveraging administrative data covering the universe of NCEE participants between 1999 and 2003, we find that the introduction of English listening tests significantly lowered rural students’ exam score percentile ranks relative to their urban counterparts, resulting in a 30% increase in the rural–urban gap in college access. Our back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that, as a result of this policy change, more than 54,000 rural students lost college seats to their urban peers between 1999 and 2003, and another 11,000 rural students who elite colleges could have admitted ended up in non-elite colleges, causing them significant future income losses.

Cohesion and Coherence in Proofreading and Error Correction in TEM-8

TEM-8 (Test for English Majors-Band 8) is an advanced English proficiency test specifically for English majors in China, and those who pass it are generally considered to have a good command of English. Of this kind of test, proofreading and error correction has long been a headache for teachers and students. The sample analysis in this study reveals that, however, many of the errors in this tricky question type are related to the knowledge of cohesion and coherence, yet few studies have linked the two. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the distribution of errors in proofreading and error correction in TEM-8 using the cohesion and coherence theory. Errors in authentic TEM-8 test papers of the recent ten years are categorized according to a classification standard which is based on Halliday and Hasan’s theory. The results show that 66% of the errors are related to cohesion and coherence with 56% of the former and 10% of the latter, which is followed by a tentative discussion about each error type from a psycholinguistic perspective. Despite limitations, this study exposes a close association between cohesion and coherence on the one hand, and proofreading and error correction on the other to some extent.

DEVELOPMENT OF FLIPBOOK-BASED E-MODULES ON VOCABULARY SUBJECTS OF CLASS VIII AT MTsN BERAU

The development of flipbook-based e-modules can encourage the utilization of technology that is currently growing in the world of education while helping students learn independently. Through the E-Module in the form of a flipbook, students can easily access it online and can also help teachers in supporting learning. The purpose of this study is to describe the steps of development, validity, feasibility, and attractiveness of e-modules in the form of flipbooks on the subject of Independence Day Vocabulary material in English subjects developed. This type of research is Research and Development. To produce e-module development products using the Heyzine Flipbook Maker application, researchers refer to the ADDIE model with five development stages consisting of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The result of students' English vocabulary comprehension skills after the implementation of the developed product obtained a percentage of 80% in the successful category. Based on the results of validity, practicality, and English comprehension ability tests obtained on the development of e-modules can be teaching materials that can be used because they have obtained very valid, very practical categories and results of English comprehension ability tests with the success category.

The role of metalinguistic knowledge in third-language development among heritage and late bilinguals

Aims and objectives: This study examined whether bilinguals’ metalinguistic knowledge (MK) across both of their languages as well as heritage/late bilingual experience contributed to the initial development of third-language (L3) morphosyntax using Japlish, a semi-artificial language. Methodology: 48 heritage and 63 late English-Spanish bilinguals were exposed aurally to Japlish sentences containing word order patterns and case markers. Participants completed an acceptability judgment task (AJT) and a picture-matching task (PMT) immediately after exposure and again 2 weeks later as well as English and Spanish MK tests. Data and analysis: Logistic mixed effects analyses were run on AJT and PMT accuracy scores, grammatical/ungrammatical items, linguistic structure, and time of testing. MK scores and heritage/late bilingual status were included as predictors in the statistical model. Findings: MK significantly contributed to overall AJT scores, including grammatical and ungrammatical items and time of testing. MK also contributed to ungrammatical word order and case markers. For the PMT, MK significantly contributed to scores, especially during delayed testing. A weak correlation emerged between participants’ MK across both of their languages and their rule-based knowledge of Japlish linguistic structures. Heritage and late bilingual experiences did not significantly contribute to these results. Originality: This study included two different bilingual groups to investigate how variation in bilingual experience shapes additional language learning. It also advances our knowledge on the role of MK in the learning of linguistic structures not involved in transfer. Furthermore, a more nuanced examination of MK is considered as it relates to type of assessment, linguistic structure, and time of testing. Significance: The findings highlight the critical role of MK for both bilingual populations and its facilitative role in the development of initial L3 morphosyntax. The results are interpreted under the lens of structural sensitivity theory.

Exploring the effects of task difficulty and learner variables on performance on picture description writing tasks

Picture description (PD) tasks are widely used in second language (L2) teaching, research, and assessment to elicit and/or evaluate L2 learners’ writing performance. However, there is little research on the effects of the characteristics of such tasks on L2 writing performance. This study aimed to examine the effects of task difficulty and learner variables on the linguistic characteristics of responses to the 2020 version of the Duolingo English Test (DET) PD writing tasks. The written responses of 1439 test takers from four first language (L1) backgrounds and at different levels of L2 proficiency to 335 DET PD tasks at two levels of difficulty were analyzed and compared in terms of measures of fluency, accuracy, and complexity using various computer programs. The findings indicated that task difficulty did not affect writing performance significantly; high-proficiency learners tended to perform better than did their low-proficiency counterparts; responses receiving higher scores tended to be longer and more accurate; and learner L1 was significantly associated with writing grades and linguistic features. The findings and their implications for the DET PD task and the DET validity argument are discussed.

Translation Strategies of Chinese-English Culture-Specific Items: the Case of Translation Test from CET4 and CET6

Culture-specific items (CSIs) constitute a critical component within the realm of cultural translation, particularly evident in the context of China’s widely participated CET-4 and CET-6 (College English Test Band 4 and Band 6). These examinations have garnered increasing scholarly attention due to their substantial influence on language education and international communication. Drawing inspiration from Nida’s (1945) cultural criteria and Newmark’s (1988) translation strategies, this comprehensive study delves into the intricacies of CET-4 and CET-6 CSIs spanning the decade from 2013 to 2023. The findings reveal that diverse types of CSIs necessitate distinct translation strategies, influenced by political, economic, sociocultural factors, and translation purposes. Moreover, a majority of these CSI employ a combination of translation strategies to fulfill their translation objectives. In essence, this study analyzes CSIs in China’s CET-4 and CET-6 English tests, enhancing the understanding of cultural translation and improving the cultural translation skills. It reveals that different CSIs require distinct translation strategies influenced by various factors, providing valuable insights for translators, students and educators.

The Role of Second Language Reading Proficiency in Moderating Second Language Word Recognition

Drawing upon the division of labor between orthographic and phonological information, this study investigated whether and how L2 reading proficiency moderates learners’ reliance on phonological and orthographic information in retrieving word meanings. A total of 136 Chinese collegiate students who learned English as a foreign language (EFL) completed English reading proficiency tests and were divided into higher and lower reading proficiency groups using an extreme-group approach. Behavioral tasks were used to measure the participants’ sensitivity to and processing skills of orthographic and phonological information. The analysis showed that the reliance on phonological and orthographic information differed significantly across L2 reading proficiency groups: The higher reading proficiency group was sensitive to both phonological and orthographic information within words, while the lower reading proficiency group was only sensitive to orthographic information; only orthographic processing skills significantly contributed to the word meaning retrieval of individuals in the higher reading proficiency group, while phonological processing skills were the only predictor for the lower reading proficiency group. These results suggest that the use of phonological and orthographic information vary as a function of L2 learners’ English reading proficiency. Implications regarding the changing patterns of L1 influences and the language-universal and language-specific aspects of word recognition were discussed.

Translanguaging pedagogies: Using an action research approach to support English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in a first-year undergraduate anatomy course.

Internationalisation of higher education has increased the number of EAL students studying in Anglophone countries, including Australia. Required English language proficiency tests (e.g., IELTS) do not reflect discipline-specific terminology nor prior learning necessary for successful study. Furthermore, anatomy study, the focus of this paper, requires an extensive terminology, predominantly derived from Latin or Greek, that creates significant learning challenge for all students, particularly EAL students.This pilot study was based in a large first-year anatomy course at an Australian university, with >30% EAL students. To address challenges for EAL students (as identified by teaching staff), translanguaging pedagogies were implemented through repeated cycles of action research. Translanguaging approaches, beyond simply translation of resources, employ EAL students’ full linguistic repertoire in the classroom to support acquisition of discipline content and the target language.Collaboration between the teaching team, a translanguaging expert and past EAL students identified specific translanguaging strategies for implementation. These strategies included a translanguaging workshop for teaching staff, encouragement of students’ use of home languages and targeted translated documents. A mixed methods approach was applied to evaluate the implementation. Initial findings show a positive response from both staff and students with additional reflections for future implementation and transferability to similar educational contexts.

The influence of English language proficiency test scores on the academic success of ESL undergraduate students

ABSTRACT This study considers language proficiency test scores achieved by ESL students who subsequently entered a New Zealand university at the undergraduate level. Scores from IELTS and the university’s in-house English Proficiency Test are analysed to determine the predictive ability of overall scores on these two tests and scores for each of the four language skills on academic success. The results indicated that language proficiency had a significant effect on undergraduate academic achievement. Furthermore, analyses of the predictive ability of scores for listening, speaking, and reading were remarkably similar between the tests, with non-significant results of similar magnitude for each skill. On the other hand, IELTS writing scores demonstrated a non-significant negative effect on academic achievement, while EPT writing scores were strongly significantly predictive of academic achievement. The results suggest that universities may benefit from measuring ESL students’ academic writing proficiency in more authentic university-level writing tasks.

The Effects of Teacher-Centered and Student-Centered Approaches in TOEIC Reading Instruction

Teacher-centered instruction is prevalent in preparation courses for large-scale standardized language tests. Student-centered instruction, while known to be effective in enhancing communicative competence, has been considered ineffective and time-consuming to implement in preparation courses for large-scale standardized language tests. To investigate this assumption, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of two teaching approaches— teacher-centered and Jigsaw—on students’ Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) Reading Comprehension Part Seven scores. The results showed that both groups experienced significant improvements from the pre-test to the post-test in their overall performance; however, there was no statistically significant difference between them. Furthermore, students in the Jigsaw group showed statistically significant improvements in all three passage types (single, double, and triple), while students in the teacher-centered group showed insignificant improvement in one of the three passage types (single passages). These findings suggest that both teaching approaches can effectively improve students’ TOEIC Reading Comprehension scores. The study adds to the body of research on teaching approaches in EFL TOEIC Reading Comprehension university classrooms. The findings suggest that teacher-centered and student-centered approaches can effectively improve students’ TOEIC Reading Comprehension scores.

Development of the Children's English and Spanish Speech Recognition Test: Psychometric Properties, Feasibility, Reliability, and Normative Data.

The Children's English and Spanish Speech Recognition (ChEgSS) test is a computer-based tool for assessing closed-set word recognition in English and in Spanish, with a masker that is either speech-shaped noise or competing speech. The present study was conducted to (1) characterize the psychometric properties of the ChEgSS test, (2) evaluate feasibility and reliability for a large cohort of Spanish/English bilingual children with normal hearing, and (3) establish normative data. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate speech perception in children (4-17 years) and adults (19-40 years) with normal hearing using the ChEgSS test. In Experiment 1, data were collected from Spanish/English bilingual and English monolingual adults at multiple, fixed signal-to-noise ratios. Psychometric functions were fitted to the word-level data to characterize variability across target words in each language and in each masker condition. In Experiment 2, Spanish/English bilingual adults were tested using an adaptive tracking procedure to evaluate the influence of different target-word normalization approaches on the reliability of estimates of masked-speech recognition thresholds corresponding to 70.7% correct word recognition and to determine the optimal number of reversals needed to obtain reliable estimates. In Experiment 3, Spanish/English bilingual and English monolingual children completed speech perception testing using the ChEgSS test to (1) characterize feasibility across age and language group, (2) evaluate test-retest reliability, and (3) establish normative data. Experiments 1 and 2 yielded data that are essential for stimulus normalization, optimizing threshold estimation procedures, and interpreting threshold data across test language and masker type. Findings obtained from Spanish/English bilingual and English monolingual children with normal hearing in Experiment 3 support feasibility and demonstrate reliability for use with children as young as 4 years of age. Equivalent results for testing in English and Spanish were observed for Spanish/English bilingual children, contingent on adequate proficiency in the target language. Regression-based threshold norms were established for Spanish/English bilingual and English monolingual children between 4 and 17 years of age. The present findings indicate the ChEgSS test is appropriate for testing a wide age range of children with normal hearing in either Spanish, English, or both languages. The ChEgSS test is currently being evaluated in a large cohort of patients with hearing loss at pediatric audiology clinics across the United States. Results will be compared with normative data established in the present study and with established clinical measures used to evaluate English- and Spanish-speaking children. Questionnaire data from parents and clinician feedback will be used to further improve test procedures.

Setting standards for a diagnostic test of aviation English for student pilots

Standard-setting is an essential component of test development, supporting the meaningfulness and appropriate interpretation of test scores. However, in the high-stakes testing environment of aviation, standard-setting studies are underexplored. To address this gap, we document two stages in the standard-setting procedures for the Overseas Flight Training Preparation Test (OFTPT), a diagnostic English test for ab initio pilots, aligned to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Language Proficiency Rating Scale (LPRS). Performance-level descriptors (PLDs) were empirically generated in Stage 1 in collaboration with six subject matter experts (SMEs). These PLDs made explicit the correspondence between linguistic performance levels within the target language use domain and the ICAO scale. Findings suggest that the ICAO scale is not fine-grained enough to distinguish levels of linguistic readiness among ab initio pilots, nor does it adequately reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities valued by SMEs within this domain. In Stage 2, 12 SMEs were recruited to set standards and were divided into two groups to investigate the replicability of Ebel method standard-setting procedures. Cut scores were determined for the OFTPT reading and listening tests, which were inferentially linked to the LPRS. There were no significant differences in the cut scores arrived at by both groups and reliability was excellent, suggesting that test users can have confidence in the standards set.

Nasalance scores in Spanish-speaking children aged 3 to 5 years according to gender, age, and vowel load

Nasometry is a non-invasive, easy-to-use technique that provides objective data regarding the amount of acoustic energy in the oral and nasal cavities during speech. The goal of this study is to create a Spanish passage and determine normative nasalance values for typical Spanish-speaking children, 3 to 5 years of age, that allows us to compare the values in children of the same age who present hypernasality and velopharyngeal dysfunction. Second, to determine if there are significant differences in nasalance scores based on age or gender. Third, to test the impact of vowel load on nasalance scores. Data were collected from 130 children with no known speech, language, or hearing disorder. Participants were organized into three groups according to age. A nasometric assessment protocol for Spanish was developed based on an adaptation of the MacKay-Kummer Simplified Nasometric Assessment Procedures-Revised (SNAP-R; 2005). All participants were required to repeat the speech stimuli. Data were collected using the icSpeech nasometer and were recorded on EXCEL 365 sheets for further analysis. Normative data is now available for a Spanish version of the SNAP-R Test. No significant differences were found between the genders, but significant differences were found based on age. It was also found that a load of high and anterior vowels, especially the phoneme /i/, increased nasalance scores. This protocol created passages in Spanish that mimic the passages of the SNAP-R Test in English. These Spanish passages were normed for Spanish-speaking children. This study confirms that high vowels result in higher nasalance values and therefore, the vowel composition of a specific passage determines the nasalance score, not the language of the passage.

Lesson Learned from the Initial Phase of the Development Process of CEFR-Based Uttaradit Rajabhat University Test of English Proficiency

Background and Aims: The development of the CEFR-Based Test of English Proficiency enriches the broader field of language assessment. By sharing valuable insights into the complexities of aligning assessments with international frameworks. Thus, this academic article aims to present the lesson learned during the initial phase of the development process of the CEFR-Based Uttaradit Rajabhat University Test of English Proficiency (URU-TEP). Linking the URU-TEP to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), widely used as a reference in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, is crucial if test results are to be interpreted under the CEFR levels. Methodology: This study used the method of studying documents and related research, using thematic analysis and presenting descriptive information. Results: the finding is divided into four sections: the current state of the English proficiency test at URU, the process of developing the five-skill URU-TEP based on the CEFR, the process of obtaining test validity and reliability, and opportunities and challenges. Conclusion: The essence of the discovery is to enhance understanding in various areas. of the English proficiency testing process at Uttaradit Rajabhat University It also emphasizes consideration of the validity and reliability of the test to support quality and improve the examination process in the future.