Performance in tests of spoken language can be influenced by a wide range of features of both task and participants. This article hypothesizes that there may be effects on performance attributable to an interaction of variables such as the task topic, the gender of the person presenting the topic and the gender of the candidate. In contrast to…

Investigates the process by which raters of texts written by English-as-a-Second-Language learners make their scoring decisions using an analytic rating scale designed for multiple test forms. Demonstrates that the task raters face is to reconcile their impression of the text, the specific features of the text, and the wordings of the rating…

Investigates potential problems with training native speaker interlocutors to carry out a series of oral interactions with a candidate for overseas employment with the Australian government. Findings reveal the effects of interlocutor variables and audiotape quality on ratings. Evaluates the overall feasibility of the procedure and examines…

This study addressed the question of the consistency of rater characteristics over time, and investigated the potential of multifaceted Rasch measurement in exploring this question. The purpose of the research is to investigate the use of these analytical techniques in rater training for the speaking subtest of the Occupational English Test, an…