ERIC Number: EJ1383599
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Jul
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0265-5322
EISSN: EISSN-1477-0946
Assessment of Fluency in the Test of English for Educational Purposes
Tavakoli, Parvaneh; Kendon, Gill; Mazhurnaya, Svetlana; Ziomek, Anna
Language Testing, v40 n3 p607-629 Jul 2023
The main aim of this study was to investigate how oral fluency is assessed across different levels of proficiency in the Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP). Working with data from 56 test-takers performing a monologic task at a range of proficiency levels (equivalent to approximately levels 5.0, 5.5, 6.5, and 7.5 in the IELTS scoring system), we used PRAAT analysis to measure speed, breakdown, and repair fluency. A multivariate analysis of variance and a series of analyses of variance were used to examine the differences between fluency measures at these different levels of proficiency. The results largely replicate previous research in this area suggesting that (a) speed measures distinguish between lower levels (5.0 and 5.5) and higher levels of proficiency (6.5 and 7.5), (b) breakdown measures of silent pauses distinguish between 5.0 and higher levels of 6.5 or 7.5, and (c) repair measures and filled pauses do not distinguish between any of the proficiency levels. Using the results, we have proposed changes that can help refine the fluency rating descriptors and rater training materials in the TEEP.
Descriptors: Language Fluency, Language Tests, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Oral Language, Replication (Evaluation), Language Proficiency, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A