Language Testing and Validation: An Evidence-Based Approach [Mīkstie vāki]

General Editors' Preface		x
Acknowledgements		xi
Abbreviations		xii
Introduction		1	(2)
Part 1 Testing as Validity		3	(38)
1 Language Testing Past and Present		5	(6)
1.1 The Cambridge Proficiency Examination 1913-1945: 'The Garden of Eden', 'the pre-scientific era'		5	(2)
1.2 Developments in the 1960s: the move towards a language-based examination		7	(1)
1.3 The 1975 and 1984 revisions: 'The Promised Land'?		8	(3)
2 The Nature of Test Validity		11	(6)
3 Before the Test Event: A Priori Validity Evidence		17	(5)
3.1 Theory-based validity		17	(2)
3.2 Context validity		19	(3)
4 After the Test Event: A Posteriori Validity Evidence		22	(21)
4.1 Scoring validity		22	(13)
4.2 Criterion-related validity		35	(2)
4.3 Consequential validity		37	(4)
Part 2 New Frameworks for Developing and Validating Tests of Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing		41	(176)
Introduction		43	(164)
5 Test Takers		51	(5)
5.1 Physical/physiological characteristics: making accommodations		52	(1)
5.2 Psychological characteristics: affective schemata		53	(1)
5.3 Experiential characteristics: familiarity		54	(2)
6 Context Validity in Action		56	(29)
6.1 Task setting		57	(11)
6.2 Task demands		68	(14)
6.3 Setting and test administration		82	(3)
7 Theory-based Validity in Action		85	(34)
7.1 Reading		87	(8)
7.2 Listening		95	(7)
7.3 Speaking		102	(6)
7.4 Writing		108	(11)
8 Response Formats		119	(58)
8.1 Techniques for testing reading comprehension		119	(13)
8.2 Techniques for testing listening comprehension		132	(11)
8.3 Techniques for testing speaking		143	(18)
8.4 Techniques for testing written production		161	(16)
9 Scoring Validity in Action		177	(30)
9.1 Scoring written production		179	(12)
9.2 Scoring speaking tests		191	(10)
9.3 Internal reliability of receptive tests		201	(4)
9.4 Scores, grading and post-exam validation procedures		205	(2)
10 External Validities in Action		207	(10)
10.1 Criterion-related validity		207	(3)
10.2 Consequential validity		210	(7)
Part 3 Generating Validity Evidence		217	(54)
Introduction		219	(2)
11 Research Methodologies for Exploring the Validity of a Test		221	(1)
11.1 An introductory note on research		221	(1)
11.2 A priori validation: investigating the specification of the construct and the operationalization of the test		222	(2)
11.3 Establishing context validity		224	(9)
11.4 Establishing theory-based validity evidence		233	(14)
11.5 Establishing scoring validity evidence		247	(12)
11.6 Establishing evidence on a posteriori validities		259	(12)
Part 4 Further Resources in Language Testing		271	(12)
12 Key Sources		273	(10)
12.1 Books		273	(1)
12.2 Journals		274	(2)
12.3 Professional associations		276	(1)
12.4 Principal testing conferences		276	(1)
12.5 Email lists and bulletin boards		277	(1)
12.6 Internet sites		277	(3)
12.7 Databases		280	(1)
12.8 Statistical packages		280	(3)
Postscript		283	(2)
References		285	(14)
Index		299

CYRIL WEIR is Powdrill Professor of English Language Acquisition and Director of the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment at the University of Luton, UK. He has taught and provided consultancy in language testing, evaluation and curriculum renewal in over fifty countries worldwide. He has published widely in the fields of testing and evaluation. His books include Communicative Language Testing and Understanding and Developing Language Tests. Also as Co-Author, Reading in a Second Language and Evaluation in ELT. He is on the editorial board of Language Assessment Quarterly.