This paper assesses the performance of a vocabulary test designed to measure second language productive vocabulary knowledge.The test, Lex30, uses a word association task to elicit vocabulary, and uses word frequency data to measure the vocabulary produced. Here we report firstly on the reliability of the test as measured by a test-retest study, a parallel test forms experiment and an internal consistency measure. We then investigate the construct validity of the test by looking at changes in test performance over time, analyses of correlations with scores on similar tests, and comparison of spoken and written test performance. Last, we examine the theoretical bases of the two main test components: eliciting vocabulary and measuring vocabulary. Interpretations of our findings are discussed in the context of test validation research literature. We conclude that the findings reported here present a robust argument for the validity of the test as a research tool, and encourage further investigation of its validity in an instructional context.
The current study investigates the extent to which receptive vocabulary size test scores can predict second language (L2) speaking ability. Forty-six international students with an advanced level of L2 proficiency completed a receptive vocabulary task (Yes/No test; Meara & Miralpeix, 2017) and a spontaneous speaking task (oral picture narrative). Elicited speech samples were submitted to expert rating based on speakers’ vocabulary features as well as lexical sophistication measures. Results indicate that vocabulary size was significantly associated with vocabulary rating. However, learners with large vocabulary sizes did not necessarily produce lexically sophisticated L2 words during speech. A closer examination of the data reveals complexities regarding the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and speaking. Based on these findings, we explore implications for L2 vocabulary assessment in classroom teaching contexts and provide important suggestions for future research on the vocabulary-and-speaking link.
This article offers a solution to a significant problem for teachers and researchers of language learning that confounds their interpretations and expectations of test data: The apparent simplicity of tests of vocabulary knowledge masks the complexity of the constructs they claim to measure. The authors first scrutinise task elements in two widely cited productive vocabulary measures, Lex30 (Meara & Fitzpatrick, 2000) and the Lexical Frequency Profile (LFP; Laufer & Nation, 1995), to gain a more precise understanding of the relationship between test performance and learner knowledge. Next, in three empirical studies (N = 80, 80, 100) they compare second language learners' performance on Lex30, as the static point of reference, with LFP and with two new tests designed to investigate specific elements of the vocabulary test tasks. Correlation analyses indicate systematic differences in the tests' capacity to capture information about the quality of learners' word knowledge and the size of their vocabulary resource. Using the findings from this empirical work, the authors formulate a model of vocabulary capture onto which test tasks can be mapped. They demonstrate how capturing key elements of the relationship between test scores and lexical competence can guide teachers and researchers in applying and interpreting vocabulary tests.T he apparent simplicity of vocabulary knowledge scores ("this learner 'knows' n number of English words") makes them attractive to practitioners needing a quick, efficient way to assess learners' proficiency, progress, or needs. In reality, though, vocabulary test scores represent complex sets of information, and in order for them to be
Treffers-Daller & Anna Tsakalaki (2020) The contribution of general language ability, reading comprehension and working memory to mathematics achievement among children with English as additional language (EAL):
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