Validation in Language Assessment

Validation in Language Assessment contributes to the variety of validation approaches and analytical and interpretive techniques only recently adopted by language assessment researchers. Featuring selected papers from the 17th Language Testing Research Colloquium, the volume presents diverse approaches with an international perspective on validation in language assessment.

Table of Contents:
Contents: L. Bachman, Foreword. A.J. Kunnan, Preface. Approaches to Validation in Language Assessment. Part I:Test Development and Test Taking Process.D.M. Kenyon, An Investigation of the Validity of the Demands of Task on Performance-Based Tests of Oral Proficiency. J. Read, Validating the Word Associates Format as a Measure of Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge. R. Fortus, R. Coriat, S. Ford, Prediction of Item Difficulty in the English Section of the Israeli Psychometric Entrance Test. G. Wigglesworth, The Effect of Planning Time on Second Language Test Discourse. Part II:Test Taker Characteristics and Feedback.J.E. Purpura, The Development and Construct Validation of an Instrument Designed to Investigate Selected Cognitive Background Characteristics of Test Takers. C. Clapham, The Effect of Language Proficiency and Background Knowledge on EAP Students' Reading Comprehension. A. Ginther, J. Stevens, Language Background, Ethnicity, and the Internal Construct Validity of the Advanced Placement Spanish Language Examination. A. Brown, N. Iwashita, The Role of Language Background in the Validation of a Computer-Adaptive Test. K. Hill, The Effect of Test Taker Characteristics on Reactions to and Performance on an Oral English Proficiency Test. B. Norton, P. Stein, Why the "Monkeys Passage" Bombed: Tests, Genres, and Teaching. Part III:Perspectives on Validation Research.L. Hamp-Lyons, B.K. Lynch, Perspectives on Validity: An Historical Analysis of Conference Presentations.

Review :
"...this volume is a significant addition to the literature in educational measurement as well as that of language assessment. It offers a variety of important perspectives on the question of test validation in the context of a coherent framework provided by one of the leading theorists in pyschometrics....its carefully conducted research and thoughtful discussions and interpretations of results should be accessible and of interest to a wide range of practitioners in educational measurement, language testing, applied linguistics, and pedagogy." —Contemporary Psychology "Validation in Language Assessment is an essential read for those working in the language testing community. Kunnan has done an admirable job in selecting the studies represented in this volume as they present diverse approaches to test validity from an international perspective. A particularly valuable part of the book is the annotated list of suggested readings presented at the end of each chapter. Kunnan's volume is a valuable addition to the body of knowledge in language assessment." —TESL-EJ "Kunnan, his contributors, and Erlbaum are to be commended for a rich, well edited, and thematically unified offering. Some wise decisions were made: author-provided abstracts, references following each paper, author-provided annotated bibliographies, and a rich index. This is more than a collection of conference papers. It is a book in its own right with the potential to become a textbook on language test validation....The harvest is evident: Kunnan has maintained a wonderful standard for our crops." —Studies in Second Language "Many of the studies in this volume will advance the notion of validity in valuable ways. One of the central notions developed by the authors is fairly simple, but provocative. That is, validity does not exist independently; it is, rather, a relative phenomenon that differs according to the individuals who take the test....The international representation of the authors in the volume will attract readers from around the world, primarily university-level researchers, graduate students, and test developers." —Lee Gunderson University of British Columbia "This notable volume contributes significant, unique information to researchers, educators, and graduate students whose work focuses on language testing. Each chapter presents a validation study in depth, describing a particular approach to validation research, a unique set of findings, and useful implications for future inquiry and practice in language testing. As a whole, the volume helps to advance knowledge in this area and displays a range of important, innovative orientations to research." —Alister Cumming Ontario Institute for Studies in Education