Orientador: Douglas Altamiro Consolo / Resumo: Neste trabalho investiga-se a abordagem de avaliação da proficiência oral do professor de línguas estrangeiras empregado por um exame brasileiro voltado a essa finalidade específica, o EPPLE – Exame de Proficiência para Professores de Línguas Estrangeiras. O estudo tem por objetivo propor uma abordagem que atenda a necessidades levantadas pela literatura da área acerca da importância da democratização e transparência do processo avaliativo e do emprego de processos decisórios que garantam os princípios de validade sem causar interferências na praticidade das avaliações. Assim, a abordagem proposta subordina-se à elaboração de uma escala de mensuração e à reestruturação da escala de proficiência do exame, agregando-se a opinião de usuários com diferentes graus de especialidade sobre a avaliação de proficiência. Trata-se, portanto, de um estudo de caso de natureza híbrida e cunho exploratório-descritivo que se utiliza de dados secundários e primários para auxiliar a investigação. Os dados secundários consistem em estudos e documentos sobre a caracterização da proficiência linguística para finalidades gerais e para finalidades de ensino, bem como sobre a avaliação dessas proficiências; em dados de fala do teste oral do EPPLE referentes à participação de formandos em Letras de uma universidade pública paulista e de duas universidades públicas mineiras, na qualidade de candidatos ao exame, nos anos de 2015 e 2017; e nos respectivos conceitos atribuídos aos candidatos, seguindo-se ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This research study investigates the assessment model used by a teaching-oriented language examination, the EPPLE – Proficiency Examination for Foreign Language Teachers, in the assessment of foreign language teachers’ oral proficiency. We aim at evaluating the model used by the oral test and proposing a new one that meets current concerns raised by the literature regarding the importance of democratizing the assessment process, guaranteeing transparency and using decision models that assure validity principles without causing interferences in the test’s practicality. Therefore, the model we propose relies on the reorganization of the oral proficiency scale used in the exam through the inclusion of its stakeholders’ opinions. The investigation conducted consists on a quali-quantitative and exploratory-descriptive case study that uses primary and secondary data. Secondary data consist of research studies and documents on the concept of general and teaching purpose language proficiency; speaking data from candidates to the oral test of the EPPLE examination; as well as the respective rates assigned to such candidates according to the proficiency scale used in the exam. The candidates to the EPPLE examination that participate in this study are Letters course undergraduate students from Brazilian public universities, one located in the state of São Paulo and two in the state of Minas Gerais, in the years of 2015 and 2017. Primary data, on the other hand, consist of the answers ob... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the results as recorded in mental ages of the PPVT and TACL when used with developmentally delayed children. One aspect was to observe how well the mean mental age from each test would compare with the mean mental age obtained from psychometric testing (WISC-R or SB-LM results). Another aspect was to determine how well the data from the PPVT and from the TACL would correlate with the psychometric testing results.

The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and equate Cantonese trisyllabic words which could then be used in the measurement of the speech reception threshold. A selection of 90 frequently utilized trisyllabic words were selected and then digitally recorded by male and female talkers of Standard Cantonese and presented to 20 subjects with normal hearing beginning at 6 dB below their pure-tone average (PTA) and ascending in 2 dB increments until one of the following criteria had been met: (a) the participant responded correctly to 100% of the test items, or (b) the presentation level reached 16 dB HL. Using logistic regression, psychometric functions were calculated for each word. Twenty-eight trisyllabic words with the steepest psychometric function slopes were selected. The psychometric function slopes for the 28 selected words, at 50% threshold, ranged from 10.3 %/dB to 19.6 %/dB (M = 14.5 %/dB) for the male talker and from 10.3 %/dB to 22.7 %/dB (M = 14.9 %/dB) for the female talker. To decrease the variability among the words the intensities were digitally adjusted to match the mean subject PTA (4.5 dB HL). The resulting lists included mean slopes from 20 to 80% with of a range of 8.9 %/dB to 16.9 %/dB (M = 12.6 %/dB) for the male talker and a range of 8.9 %/dB to 19.7 %/dB (M = 12.9 %/dB) for the female talker. Digital recordings of the psychometrically equivalent trisyllabic words are available on compact disc.

The Missionary Training Center (MTC), affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, needs a reliable and cost effective way to measure the oral language proficiency of missionaries learning Spanish. The MTC needed to measure incoming missionaries' Spanish language proficiency for training and classroom assignment as well as to provide exit measures of institutional progress. Oral proficiency interviews and semi-direct assessments require highly trained raters, which is costly and time-consuming. The Elicited Imitation (EI) test is a computerized, automated test that measures oral language proficiency by having the participant hear and repeat utterances of varying syllable length in the target language. It is economical, simple to administer, and rate. This dissertation outlined the process of creating and scoring an EI test for the MTC. Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to analyze a large bank of EI items. The best performing 43 items comprise the final version MTC Spanish EI test. Questions about what linguistic features (syllable length, grammatical difficulty) contribute to item difficulty were addressed. Regression analysis showed that syllable length predicted item difficulty, whereas grammar difficulty did not.

In this study I addressed three problems related to how sandhi-variation, the adjustments made by speakers to the speech stream, filters comprehension for second language listener processing. The first was the need to better understand proficiency problems encountered by L2 listeners as they decode the speech stream with the phonological features of sandhi-variation, elision and assimilation, by investigating the item difficulty hierarchy of the phenomena. The second was the scarcity of research on aural processing abilities of second language learners in relation to their understanding sandhi-variation in aural texts. The third concerns the lack of research investigating links between learners’ backgrounds and their ability to handle listening texts, especially variations in the speech stream in target aural texts. The purpose of this study was threefold. My first purpose was to investigate the item difficulty hierarchy of sandhi-variation types that learners have in relation to L2 listening proficiency. My second purpose was to evaluate links between aural input containing elision and assimilation and second language aural processing, to provide insight into how learners deal with sandhi-variation as they process such input. My third purpose was to investigate through the use of interviews the aural input that participants have encountered prior to the interventions of this study, to help explain which types of aural input can facilitate intake. Twenty-five first- and second-year Japanese university students participated in the current study. The participants completed a series of instruments, which included (a) a Test of English as a Foreign Language Paper-Based Test (TOEFL PBT), (b) a Listening Vocabulary Levels Test (LVLT), (c) a Modern Language Aptitude Test–Elementary (MLAT-E), (d) a Pre-Listening in English questionnaire, (e) an Elicited Imitation Test (EIT), and (f) a Background and Length of Residency interview. The EIT was used as a sandhi-variation listening test with two component parts (i.e., elision and assimilation) and two sub-component parts (e.g., two different utterance rates), using elicited imitation. Finally, the participants were interviewed about their language backgrounds to gauge their understanding and feelings about English. An empirical item hierarchy for elision and assimilation was investigated, along with the determinants of the hierarchy. Overall, the tendency was for items with elision and assimilation to be more difficult. Results also indicated that the two input rate variables combined with elision and assimilation affected the non-native participants’ listening comprehension. Moreover, the strength of the relationship between two measures of the participants’ language ability, proficiency and aptitude, and their comprehension of items with and without the phonological features of elision and assimilation, were investigated. The results confirmed a positive relationship between language aptitude as measured by the MLAT-E and the comprehension of the phonological features of elision and assimilation. Finally, the results indicated that there were no significant, positive correlations between English language proficiency scores and both the Pre-Listening Questionnaire, which measured the participants’ feelings about second language listening, and the Background and Length of Residency Interview. More research needs to be conducted to determine how learners’ backgrounds are related to listening comprehension in order to better prescribe aural input in second language listening classrooms. / Teaching & Learning

[ES] Las artes mejoran nuestras vidas, realzan nuestro sentido de la estética y pueden ser un instrumento valioso para los educadores de idiomas y para los estudiantes de idiomas en el contexto del inglés como lengua extranjera. Este estudio evaluó el papel de las inteligencias múltiples y la educación artística en el desempeño de los candidatos del sistema internacional de pruebas de idioma inglés. (IELTS) en la sección de lectura del examen IELTS y sus motivaciones. El investigador diseñó las tareas de lectura artística visual para las habilidades de lectura del IELTS de acuerdo con las definiciones de Armstrong (2009) de tareas artísticas visuales para las habilidades de lectura, incluidas a) tareas artísticas visuales para el aprendizaje de vocabulario yb) tareas artísticas visuales para las habilidades de comprensión lectora del IELTS. En este estudio participaron 54 candidatos de IELTS que asistieron a un aula de lectura de IELTS en un instituto de inglés. El grupo experimental (N=27) implementó un programa de educación artística para aprender habilidades de lectura IELTS, y el método tradicional de instrucción se utilizó para el grupo de control (N=27). Primero, se administró una prueba previa de lectura IELTS a ambos grupos. Luego, se aplicó a todos los participantes la escala MIDAS de Shearer (1996) en 119 ítems. Al final del curso, todos los participantes realizaron una prueba posterior de lectura del IELTS y un cuestionario de motivación. Los resultados indicaron que el programa de integración artística resultó en un desempeño superior de los candidatos en el grupo tradicional en el examen de lectura IELTS, en comparación con el grupo de control. Además, la motivación de los candidatos al IELTS que asistieron a un programa de educación artística aumentó significativamente y tuvieron actitudes muy positivas sobre la integración del arte en las aulas de lectura del IELTS. Los resultados revelaron que las inteligencias múltiples de todos los candidatos al IELTS impactaron positivamente su desempeño en el examen de lectura IELTS, y Musical, Kinestésico Visual-espacial contribuyó más al desempeño en el examen de lectura IELTS y visual/espacial en tercer lugar, y después de eso, La inteligencia lingüística tuvo un papel importante en la mejora de las puntuaciones de lectura de los candidatos al IELTS. La inteligencia lógica/matemática tiene un impacto moderado, la interpersonal y naturalista, y la inteligencia intrapersonal tuvo un impacto menos significativo en el desempeño de los candidatos del IELTS en la sección de lectura. Además, los resultados indicaron que la inteligencia musical y la inteligencia cinestésica hicieron una contribución única y significativa al desempeño de predicción de los candidatos en el examen de lectura IELTS. Después de eso, la inteligencia visual-espacial y la lingüística desempeñaron un papel importante, respectivamente. / [CA] Les arts milloren les nostres vides, milloren el nostre sentit de l'estètica i poden ser un instrument preciós per als educadors d'idiomes i per als aprenents d'idiomes en el context d'anglès com a lengua extranjera. Aquest estudi va avaluar el paper de les intel·ligències múltiples i l'educació artística en el rendiment dels candidats a l'sistema internacional de pruebas de idioma inglés. (IELTS) a la secció de lectura de l'examen IELTS i les seves motivacions. L'investigador va dissenyar les tasques visuals de lectura artística per a les habilitats de lectura IELTS d'acord amb les definicions d'Armstrong (2009) de tasques artístiques visuals per a les habilitats lectores, incloent a) tasques artístiques visuals per a l'aprenentatge de vocabulari i b) tasques artístiques visuals per a les habilitats de comprensió lectora IELTS. En aquest estudi van participar 54 candidats a l'IELTS que van assistir a una aula de lectura IELTS en un institut d'anglès. El grup experimental (N = 27) va implementar un programa d'educació artística per aprendre habilitats de lectura IELTS, i es va utilitzar el mètode tradicional d'instrucció per al grup de control (N = 27). En primer lloc, es va administrar una prova prèvia de lectura IELTS per als dos grups. A continuació, es va administrar a tots els participants l'escala MIDAS de Shearer (1996) en 119 ítems. Al final del curs, tots els participants van fer una prova posterior de lectura IELTS i un qüestionari de motivació. Els resultats van indicar que el programa d'integració artística va donar lloc a un rendiment superior als candidats en el grup tradicional a l'examen de lectura IELTS, en comparació amb el grup control. A més, la motivació dels candidats a l'IELTS que van assistir a un programa d'educació artística va augmentar significativament, i van tenir actituds molt positives sobre la integració de l'art a les aules de lectura de l'IELTS. Els resultats van revelar que la intel·ligència múltiple de tots els candidats a l'IELTS va afectar positivament el seu rendiment a l'examen de lectura IELTS, i el musical, cinestèsic i visual-espacial va contribuir més al rendiment de l'examen de lectura IELTS i visual/espacial en tercer lloc, i després d'això, la intel·ligència lingüística va tenir un paper important en la millora de les puntuacions de lectura dels candidats a l'IELTS. La intel·ligència lògica/matemàtica té un nivell moderat, interpersonal i naturalista, i la intel·ligència intrapersonal va tenir un impacte menys significatiu en el rendiment dels candidats a l'IELTS a la secció de lectura. A més, els resultats van indicar que la intel·ligència musical i la intel·ligència cinestèsica van fer una contribució única significativa al rendiment de predicció dels candidats a l'examen de lectura IELTS. Després d'això, la intel·ligència visual-espacial i la lingüística van tenir un paper important, respectivament. / [EN] The arts improve our lives, enhance our sense of aesthetics, and can be a precious instrument for language educators and for language learners in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. This study evaluated the role of Multiple intelligences and Art-education in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) candidates' performance in the reading section of IELTS exam and their motivations. The researcher designed the visual Artistic Reading tasks for IELTS reading skills according to Armstrong's (2009) definitions of visual artistic tasks for reading skills, including a) visual artistic tasks for vocabulary learning and b) visual artistic tasks for IELTS reading comprehension skills. 54 IELTS candidates who attended an IELTS reading classroom in an English institute participated in this study. The experimental group (N=27) implemented an art-education program for learning IELTS reading skills, and the traditional method of instruction was used for the control group (N=27). First, an IELTS reading pretest was administered for both groups. Then, the MIDAS scale by Shearer (1996) in 119 items was administered to all participants. At the end of the course, all participants took an IELTS reading post-test and a motivation questionnaire. The results indicated that the art integration program resulted in candidates' outperformance in the traditional group in the IELTS reading exam, compared with the control group. Also, the motivation of IELTS candidates who attended an art education program was significantly increased, and they had very positive attitudes about integrating art in the IELTS reading classrooms. The results revealed that all the IELTS candidates' Multiple intelligences positively impacted their performance in the IELTS Reading exam, and the Musical, Kinesthetic Visual-spatial contributed the most to the IELTS reading exam performance and visual/spatial in third place, and after that, linguistic intelligence had a significant role in enhancing IELTS candidates' reading scores. Logical/mathematical intelligence has a moderate, interpersonal and naturalistic, and intrapersonal intelligence had a less significant impact on the IELTS candidates' performance in the reading section. Furthermore, the results indicated that musical intelligence and kinesthetic intelligence made a significant unique contribution to the prediction performance of candidates in the IELTS reading exam. After that, visual-spatial and linguistic intelligence played a significant role, respectively. / Heidari Panah, L. (2024). The Role of Multiple Intelligences and Art-Education in performance of IELTS candidates on Reading comprehension section of IELTS Exam and their motivations [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/202762

Vaken hjärnkirurgi med testning av tal- och språkfunktioner ger viktiga fördelar vid operation av lågmaligna gliom. Denna metod ökar möjligheten för radikal resektion av tumören samtidigt som viktiga funktioner som till exempel språk bevaras. Optimering av det intraoperativa språktestningsförfarandet ökar möjligheten för mer sensitiv språktestning. Det finns idag ingen konsensus, varken internationellt eller nationellt, kring hur man bör testa språkliga funktioner intraoperativt. Syftet med föreliggande arbete är att undersöka om det är möjligt att vidareutveckla de metoder som idag används för elicitering av spontantal och testning av läsning under vakenkirurgi av lågmaligna gliom på Akademiska sjukhuset i Uppsala. För att undersöka detta genomfördes en litteraturgenomgång vilken tillsammans med auskultationer vid operation och intervjuer med yrkesverksamma logopeder och neurokirurger har utmynnat i ett förslag på ett intraoperativt högläsningstest innehållande meningar med nonord, meningar utan nonord samt enskilda ord. Nivåindelningen av testmaterialet möjliggör för testledaren att individuellt anpassa språktestning utifrån patientens förmåga. I samband med färdigställandet av testet genomfördes en pilottestning av materialet. Det föreslagna lästestet förväntas vara mer heltäckande än det som används idag då det möjliggör testning av flera läsfunktioner så som de beskrivs i ”dual route-modellen”, en psykolingvistisk teori om läsning. Dessutom har ett förslag på riktlinjer kring intraoperativt elicitering av spontantal formulerats. / Awake surgery is the gold standard for treatment of low-grade gliomas nearby eloquent language areas in the brain. This method increases the possibility of radical resection while cognitive functions such as language are preserved, as the method allows for online testing of cognitive functions. Improvement of the intraoperative language tests could increase the possibility of more sensitive testing and thereby decrease the risk of postoperative language impairments. There is no international or national agreement on how intraoperative language testing should be performed. The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of developing the methods of language testing which are used today at Akademiska sjukhuset in Uppsala, focusing on reading and spontaneous speech. Therefore the authors have conducted a review of current literature. The literature review, observations of surgery and interviews with speech pathologists and neurosurgeons resulted in the development of an intraoperative reading aloud test with three tasks consisting of sentences with nonwords, sentences without nonwords and single words. The classification of the test material into different levels will allow clinicians to adapt the reading test based on each individual case. A pilot trial of the reading test was preformed. The proposed test is expected to be more comprehensive in comparison to the tests that are currently used, as it enables testing of the different reading routes described in the dual route model, a psycholinguistic reading model. Additionally, guidelines for eliciting spontaneous speech have been defined.

Teachers of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle to find effective instructional methods to use with their students on a daily basis. The characteristic verbal, social, and behavioral limitations of children with ASD make finding effective teaching methods difficult. Though some intensive intervention methods, such as discrete trial teaching (DTT), have numerous studies demonstrating their effectiveness with students with ASD, the required one-on-one format makes it impractical to use in a classroom setting on a regular basis. Direct Instruction (DI) appears in the literature as a promising intervention for students with developmental disabilities. One benefit of DI is that, unlike DTT and similar interventions, it can be implemented in a group format. This group format provides a practical alternative for classroom teachers to use with their students with ASD. This study utilized a multiple probe across behaviors design to further investigate the use of DI to teach high school students with ASD how to answer “wh-” questions. The researcher used the Science Research Associates (SRA) Reading Mastery language program, which is a DI program designed to develop language skills. Three participants between the ages of 15 and 17 participated in 20-25 minute instructional sessions four times a week for eight weeks. Data were collected on each participant’s accuracy in answering “wh-” questions during baseline, acquisition (teaching), and maintenance conditions. The results indicate that DI was effective in helping participants acquire the language skills necessary to accurately respond to “what,” “where," and “who” questions. Implications for small group language instruction for students with ASD and recommendations for future research are discussed. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

國民中學基本學力測驗（簡稱「基測」）英語科屬高代價之語言測驗，測驗結果攸關每年三十萬左右國中畢業生的升學依據，影響層面甚廣，測驗對教學的影響即語言測驗文獻中所探討之回沖效應。 本研究旨在探討基測英語科對台灣北部地區九年級學生英語學習的回沖效應，以問卷調查台灣北部地區（基隆市、台北市、台北縣、桃園縣、新竹市、新竹縣）九年級學生，從以下四個面向探討基測英語科所造成的回沖效應：（1）學生對基測英語科試題的了解及看法；（2）學生的學習目的；（3）學生的學習方式；（4）課堂活動。本研究以四個行政層級（直轄市、市、鎮、鄉）作為抽樣依據，共計發出1,490份問卷。 研究主要結果如下： 一、大多數學生了解基測英語科之題型及測驗目的。僅有半數學生認為試題簡單，進一步分析顯示，比較了解題型及目的的學生認為試題簡單。 二、學生學習目的與《國民中小學九年一貫課程綱要》英語課程目標一致。不以基測作為主要英語學習目標的學生英語成績較好。 三、學生最常從事的學習活動是聽英語歌曲、看英語影片或節目，也會學習千字表之外的字詞。大部分的學生沒有藉由參考書、參加校內課後輔導或校外補習來準備基測英語科。 四、最常見的課堂活動是老師帶唸課文或單字、文法練習，及寫測驗卷或聽老師檢討內容。相較之下，口說聽力的教學活動較少。 結果顯示基測英語科對學生的學習影響不大，但對老師的課堂教學產生負面回沖效應，進而影響學生學習。綜合研究結果，本研究建議教師應增加課堂教學活動的多樣性，減少測驗相關教材及練習，以培養學生學習英語的興趣與方法。 / The effect of testing on teaching and learning is generally known as washback in the field of language testing and assessment. Despite a growing attention to the concept of washback, most washback studies focus on teachers, not on learners as test takers, who are the most important stakeholders in testing. The purpose of this study is to investigate the washback effect of the Basic Competence English Test (BCET), a high-stakes language test, on 9th-graders in northern Taiwan. The method of questionnaire survey was used to collect students’ perspectives on the following four areas: (a) perceptions of the BCET, (b) learning motivation, (c) learning activities, and (d) class activities. A convenient sample of a proportionate size was selected based on four administrative levels (i.e., national, municipal, town, and village levels) from Keelung City, Taipei City, Taipei County, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu City, and Hsinchu County. Altogether 1,490 ninth-graders from 42 classes at 22 schools were selected for the survey across northern Taiwan. The major findings of the study are as follows: 1. Most 9th-graders in northern Taiwan were aware of the BCET test format and the BCET test purpose. Nearly half of them found the BCET not to be easy. The more the students understood the BCET format, the more likely they thought that the BCET was easy. Similarly, the more the students understood the BCET purpose, the more likely they regarded the BCET as an easy test. 2. Three top motivations for the students to learn English coincide with the overall objectives of English language education in Grade 1-9 Curriculum. Students’ English achievement gets better if they do not regard the BCET as the primary goal of language learning. 3. Students’ most common learning activities include listening to English songs, watching movies/programs in English, and learning words and phrases beyond the word list of 1,000 basic English vocabularies. The BCET does not drive students to undertake the following practices: using practice books for examinations, attending cram schools, and attending self-study classes for the test at school. 4. It was common for the 9th-graders to do practice tests or mock examinations in class, and listen to their teachers explaining the test items. Instruction relating to formal aspects of English also occurred frequently in English language courses, while few aural/oral practice activities were undertaken in classroom teaching. Based on the findings of the BCET washback effects on students and teachers, this study suggests that English teachers should attempt to employ various types of classroom activities, as proposed in Grade 1-9 Curriculum, rather than relying on examination-oriented materials and practices, so as to promote learning interests and develop effective methods of learning.

In order to continuously improve teaching and learning of a language program, it is a crucial part of program evaluation to assure that its assessment instruments have a beneficial influence on the teaching and learning procedures. For that reason, evidence was gathered to investigate the validity of test scores of the German Proficiency Exam (GPE) used by the German Section of the Germanic and Slavic Languages Department at Brigham Young University. The GPE consists of seven exam components: Listening comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, and strong verbs. The GPE component scores of 179 students were used to conduct the analysis for this study. In order to estimate the reliability of the test scores, Cronbach's Alpha was calculated for the listening comprehension exam, the reading exam, the grammar exam, the strong verbs exam, and the vocabulary exam. In addition, the analysis included overall descriptive statistics, item facility and item discrimination, distractor analysis, ANOVA, and a post-hoc Tukey's pairwise comparison. The results of the Cronbach's alpha indicated relatively high reliability of scores of all the exam components except the listening component. The item and distractor analysis of the strong verbs and vocabulary exam revealed that the scoring procedures need to be revised so that the scores reflect a student's true knowledge. The descriptive statistics of the exams showed a limited usage of the scoring range and suggest defining the scoring procedures and training the scorers. Further, it was suggested to define general language construct and the specific construct of each language skill on the basis of which proficiency levels can be developed. Using the results of the data analysis. various suggestions were given to improve the validity of scores of the GPE.