ERIC Number: EJ1309882
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2229-0443
EISSN: N/A
Questioning in TOEFL iBT Speaking Test: A Case of Washback and Construct Underrepresentation
Sayyadi, Ali; Rezvani, Reza
Language Testing in Asia, v11 Article 21 2021
Admission in English-medium universities or institutions of higher education depends on the results obtained by candidates in large-scale proficiency tests including Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test (iBT). The structure and administration procedure of the TOEFL iBT speaking test leaves no room for carrying out reciprocal interactions and, consequently, examining applicants' questioning ability. This study highlights the significance of non-native students' skills to ask oral English questions in academic contexts as experienced by non-native graduates from English-medium universities and in the view of Iranian TOEFL iBT instructors. Further, the washback of the absence of the skill in the TOEFL iBT test was investigated in speaking preparation classes. Twelve non-native graduates and nineteen Iranian TOEFL iBT instructors participated in the study. They were all interviewed about the significance of oral questioning. The instructors' views were also sought about the consequences of the disregard of questioning in the test. To triangulate the data, two classes of the instructors were also observed. Classroom observations and interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The results indicated that the participants generally assumed questioning as indispensable in academic interactions. Despite their acknowledgment of its significance, as both the interviews and observations unveiled, the instructors, however, tended not to work on their students' questioning because of the absence of the skill in the test, the students' reluctance, limited preparation time, and dependence of their professional reputation on the test results rather than target situation performance. The study further discusses the implications of the findings for the test construct representation and preparation courses.
Descriptors: Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Language Tests, Computer Assisted Testing, College Admission, Language of Instruction, Language Proficiency, Speech Communication, Oral Language, College Graduates, Language Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Academic Language, Questioning Techniques, Test Content, Test Preparation, Second Language Instruction, Foreign Countries, Testing Problems, Test Construction
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English as a Foreign Language
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A