ERIC Number: EJ1019646
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Dec
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0033-6882
EISSN: N/A
Diagnosing the English Speaking Ability of College Students in China -- Validation of the Diagnostic College English Speaking Test
Zhao, Zhongbao
RELC Journal: A Journal of Language Teaching and Research, v44 n3 p341-359 Dec 2013
This study investigates the validity of the Diagnostic College English Speaking Test (DCEST) in the context of EFL teaching and learning in China. The experiment was conducted in three stages over the course of eight weeks at a national key university in China. By means of test administration and questionnaire survey, the researcher gathered various types of data from the control and the experiment group. The results demonstrated that the DCEST had achieved satisfactory reliability and validity. The DCEST displayed a high intra-rater reliability (r = 0.966) and inter-rater reliability (r = 0.884). The construct validity of the DCEST was evidenced by the means of factor analysis, which showed that three factors loaded heavily on each of the three test tasks and accounted for a total of 78.69% of the score variance. The analysis of the questionnaire data provided supportive evidence to the face validity of the DCEST. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research into the impact of the DCEST on oral English teaching.
Descriptors: Oral Language, Construct Validity, Language Tests, Diagnostic Tests, Factor Analysis, Questionnaires, Interrater Reliability, Foreign Countries, Test Reliability, Test Validity, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Control Groups, Experimental Groups, Scores, Second Language Instruction, Interviews, Language Proficiency, College Students, Testing
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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: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A