Using Rational Cloze for Diagnostic Testing in L1 and L2 Reading

Abstract

Although both first and second language reading have been frequently explored, much of the research has tended to be product oriented and comparative in nature. That is, researchers have tended to focus on quantitative differences in reading comprehension test scores between groups ofnative and non-native speakers. Very few studies have examined how readers understand text in both their first and second languages. This paper presents results from a case study of a bilingual reader (French Ll/English L2) who read both easy and hard texts in her first and second language. Rational doze and introspection tasks were used to examine quantitative and qualitative differences in comprehension across languages. Results indicated that there were differences in the extent to which this reader successfully manipulated meaning especially at the whole text level. Implications of the rational doze procedure for diagnostic testing and teaching are discussed.

Doubts on the validity of correlation as a validation tool in second language testing research: the case of cloze testing

“…The need for qualitative investigation has been voiced and practiced in different forms by a good number of researchers including (Gefen 1979), (Shohamy 1983), (MacLean 1984), (Lado 1986), (Markham 1987, Markham 1988, (Jafarpur 1995(Jafarpur , 1996, (Connelly 1997), (Storey 1997), (Sasaki 2000), (Babaii and Ansary 2001) and (Mackey and Gass 2005) among others. (Markham 1988: 48), for example, asserts that 'purely quantitative techniques do not necessarily mirror the internal thought processes of the subjects.'…”

O teste cloze de múltipla escolha na avaliação em compreensão de leitura na língua inglesa: um estudo com mestrandos da área da saúde

“…al., 2009WITTER, 2008) e internacionais (ANGLAT, 2008;BRIÈRE, et.al., 1978;BROWN, 1980;2002;MACLEAN, 1984;MCKAMEY, 2006). Para avaliação de leitura em língua inglesa como língua estrangeira, a eficácia do teste cloze já foi demonstrada por alguns autores, a exemplo de Maclean (1984), Oller (1972) e Carrel;Carson (1993) No campo educativo, o cloze foi introduzido por Taylor em 1953, que o nomeou partindo do princípio de fechamento "closure" da psicologia de Gestalt (CUNHA, 2009). O teste consiste na organização de um texto, de mais ou menos 250 palavras, do qual se suprimem alguns vocábulos e se pede ao leitor que preencha os espaços com as palavras que melhor completarem o sentido do texto.…”

“…Como proposto na sua forma original, pode ser feito um lacunamento rígido (razão fixa), no qual se apagam rigorosamente cada quinta, sétima, ou décima palavra do texto, ou um lacunamento racional, ou seja, o avaliador decide quais e quantas palavras serão omitidas. Apesar de o lacunamento rígido ser ainda o mais utilizado, alguns pesquisadores indicam o uso do lacunamento racional (MACLEAN, 1984;BROWN, 2002;BORMUTH, 1967), pois as palavras são escolhidas de acordo com os objetivos específicos do avaliador.…”

The cloze test as a measure of language proficiency: a statistical analysis

“…Alderson (1980: 59-60) proposes that the rational deletionprocedure should not' be referred to as a 'cloze' but as a 'gapfilling' procedure. Such a proposal has been accepted by some researchers, for example Weir (1993: 81), but not accepted by others, for example Bachman's (1985) 'Performance on cloze tests with fixed ratio and rational deletions', Maclean's (1984) 'Using rational cloze for diagnostic testing in L1 and L2 reading' and Markham's (1985) 'The rational deletion cloze and global comprehension in German'. There is nothing wrong with the proposal that the rational-deletion procedure be called a gapfilling test, if it remains nothing more than that -a proposal.…”