Empiricism versus connoisseurship: establishing the appropriacy of texts in tests of academic reading
Abstract
This paper explores the potential of using information technology for the empirical measurement of contextual parameters identified in the socio-cognitive framework (the framework developed by CRELLA for test validation). Previously the level of difficulty represented by reading texts used in English Language tests has been estimated through expert judgement. The study, in contrast, employs computational tools for automated text analyses, demonstrating how relevant contextual features have been opened to empirical measurement by new technology. The techniques showcased in this paper allow for a more rigorous approach to reading test specification.Citation
Green, A., Unaldi, A., Weir, C.J. (2010) 'Empiricism versus connoisseurship: Establishing the appropriacy of texts in tests of academic reading' Language Testing 27 (2):191Publisher
Sage JournalsJournal
Language TestingAdditional Links
http://ltj.sagepub.com/cgi/doi/10.1177/0265532209349471Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0265-53221477-0946
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1177/0265532209349471