Does the Text Matter in a Multiple-Choice Test of Comprehension? The Case for the Construct Validity of TOEFL's Minitalks.

Kostin, Irene; Freedle, Roy

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Peer reviewed

ERIC Number: EJ579761

Record Type: Journal

Publication Date: 1999

Pages: N/A

Abstractor: N/A

ISBN: N/A

ISSN: ISSN-0265-5322

EISSN: N/A

Does the Text Matter in a Multiple-Choice Test of Comprehension? The Case for the Construct Validity of TOEFL's Minitalks.

Kostin, Irene; Freedle, Roy

Language Testing, v16 n1 p2-32 Jan 1999

A study investigated whether examinees taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) attended to the text passages in the "minitalks" when answering the multiple-choice items (n=337) testing listening comprehension. Results support the construct validity of the minitalks, and also allow comparison between reading and listening (minitalk) items. Criticisms of multiple-choice language-comprehension tests are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Descriptors: Construct Validity, English (Second Language), Language Tests, Listening Comprehension, Multiple Choice Tests, Second Languages, Test Content, Testing

Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research

Education Level: N/A

Audience: N/A

Language: English

Sponsor: N/A

Authoring Institution: N/A

Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English as a Foreign Language

Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A