17 research outputs found
Language requirements and language testing for immigration and integration purposes: A synthesis of academic literature
The present document is the result of a literature-based study of recent developments in the field of language requirements and language testing for immigration and integration purposes. The study was carried out as part of the regular research programme 2011-2014 at the Swiss national Research Centre on Multilingualism (RCM)
A Critical Investigation of Test Use: Language Testing, the Social Dimension
This article is a review of the book âLanguage Testing: The Social Dimensionâ by Tim MacNamara and Carsten Roever
Building a validity argument for the listening component of the Test de connaissance du français in the context of Quebec immigration
LâĂ©valuation linguistique est une pratique omniprĂ©sente dans les contextes dâimmigration, utilisĂ©e comme une mĂ©thode de collecte de donnĂ©es pour Ă©valuer la capacitĂ© des immigrants Ă communiquer dans la langue du pays dâaccueil afin de promouvoir lâintĂ©gration sociale et Ă©conomique ainsi que la productivitĂ© au travail (McNamara & Shohamy, 2008). Contrairement aux tests dâanglais, peu dâattention est accordĂ©e Ă lâinterprĂ©tation et Ă lâutilisation des scores aux tests en français, ce qui incite - et demande â de la validation des scores pour justifier lâutilisation des tests. Cette Ă©tude, qui fait appel aux avancĂ©es de la thĂ©orie de la validitĂ© des tests (Kane, 2006, 2013), construit un argumentaire de validitĂ© pour la composante de la comprĂ©hension orale du Test de connaissance du français (TCF) dans le contexte de lâimmigration au QuĂ©bec. La thĂ©orie de la validitĂ© des tests a Ă©voluĂ© considĂ©rablement depuis le modĂšle tripartite traditionnel de contenu, de prĂ©diction et de construit (Cronbach et Meehl, 1955), a Ă©tĂ© conceptualisĂ©e comme un construit unitaire (Messick, 1989) et, plus rĂ©cemment, a Ă©tĂ© thĂ©orisĂ©e en termes dâargumentation (Kane, 2006, 2013), empruntant des concepts de modĂšles dâinfĂ©rence (Toulmin [1958], 2003), qui englobent des infĂ©rences de score, de gĂ©nĂ©ralisation, dâexplication, dâextrapolation et de dĂ©cision, ayant des rĂŽles importants dans un argumentaire de validitĂ©.
Dans une approche de validitĂ© fondĂ©e sur lâargumentation, les affirmations relatives aux instruments de mesure sont composĂ©es de garanties qui doivent ĂȘtre Ă©tayĂ©es par des Ă©tudes empiriques, qui sont fondamentales pour les affirmations, mais qui appuient Ă©galement les infĂ©rences qui autorisent chacune des affirmations de lâargumentaire. Plus prĂ©cisĂ©ment, cette Ă©tude a analysĂ© des donnĂ©es empiriques pour appuyer les infĂ©rences de scores, de gĂ©nĂ©ralisation et dâexplication, en proposant trois questions de recherche portant sur la reprĂ©sentativitĂ© du construit du TCF, le fonctionnement diffĂ©rentiel dâitems et lâutilitĂ© de la technique de collecte de donnĂ©es. Les questions ont portĂ© sur les sous-compĂ©tences de comprĂ©hension orale dont le TCF Ă©value, le fonctionnement diffĂ©rentiel des items (FDI) selon le genre, la langue maternelle, lâĂąge et lâemplacement gĂ©ographique des candidats ainsi que le fonctionnement des items Ă choix multiples dans lâĂ©valuation de la comprĂ©hension orale en langue seconde.
Bien que de nombreux modĂšles statistiques et de mesure soient couramment disponibles pour analyser les donnĂ©es de rĂ©ponse aux tests, cette Ă©tude a privilĂ©giĂ© lâanalyse factorielle confirmatoire (AFC) pour examiner les sous-compĂ©tences de comprĂ©hension orale opĂ©rationnalisĂ©es dans le TCF, en spĂ©cifiant des modĂšles suivant les suggestions dâun comitĂ© dâexperts. Le modĂšle unidimensionnel de Rasch a permis de gĂ©nĂ©rer les paramĂštres de difficultĂ© des items entre les sous-groupes dâintĂ©rĂȘt pour effectuer les analyses FDI. Et le modĂšle Ă rĂ©ponses nominales (MRN) a Ă©tĂ© utilisĂ© pour modĂ©liser les options des items Ă choix multiples. Les rĂ©sultats issus de ces trois Ă©tudes ont permis dâĂ©tayer chacune des infĂ©rences retenues dans lâargumentaire de validitĂ© pour le TCF.
Selon les modĂšles dâAFC recommandĂ©s par le comitĂ© dâexperts, les rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que les deux versions analysĂ©es dans cette Ă©tude Ă©valuent principalement la comprĂ©hension de lâinformation explicitement Ă©noncĂ©e dans le discours oral, sous reprĂ©sentant ainsi le construit. Quelques items visaient lâhabiletĂ© Ă infĂ©rer des idĂ©es implicites et la comprĂ©hension du sujet gĂ©nĂ©ral ou de lâidĂ©e principale, mais cette derniĂšre sous-compĂ©tence ne se retrouvait que dans une seule version du test, ce qui suggĂšre que les versions ne sont pas comparables. Lâanalyse FDI a identifiĂ© de nombreux items dans les versions du test et entre les sous-groupes dâintĂ©rĂȘt, mais trĂšs peu ont Ă©tĂ© associĂ©s Ă un biais potentiel, qui comprenait la perception de la voix, le genre littĂ©raire et la familiaritĂ© du vocabulaire. Par consĂ©quent, Ă©tant donnĂ© que de nombreux items signalĂ©s pour fonctionnement diffĂ©rentiel ne pouvaient pas ĂȘtre associĂ©s Ă un biais potentiel, la rĂ©ponse Ă cette question est partiellement Ă©laborĂ©e et attĂ©nue lâargumentaire de validitĂ©. Les rĂ©sultats du MRN suggĂšrent que la plupart des items fonctionnaient bien, tandis que dâautres avaient potentiellement deux bonnes rĂ©ponses.
Lâapproche de la validitĂ© fondĂ©e sur lâargumentation sâavĂšre utile pour regrouper des Ă©tudes empiriques dans un ensemble cohĂ©rent permettant dâĂ©tayer et de justifier lâinterprĂ©tation et les utilisations du TCF dans un contexte dâimmigration, qui peut Ă son tour servir Ă remĂ©dier les points faibles constatĂ©s, en fournissant un moyen dâattĂ©nuer les rĂ©futations potentielles qui menacent la validitĂ© de lâargument. Certaines mises en garde dans le cadre de validation sont Ă©galement soulignĂ©es et concernent lâaccessibilitĂ© des donnĂ©es pour aborder les infĂ©rences dâextrapolation et de dĂ©cision dans des contextes dâimmigration, mais comme Newton et Shaw (2014, p. 142) le soulignent: « lâapproche de validitĂ© fondĂ©e sur lâargumentation sous-tend le fait que la validation nâest pas simplement une Ă©tude isolĂ©e, mais un programme: potentiellement un programme trĂšs intensif ». Et ce programme peut inclure des parties prenantes importantes comme les reprĂ©sentants gouvernementaux qui peuvent aider Ă complĂ©ter lâargumentaire de validitĂ© du TCF en matiĂšre dâimmigration au QuĂ©bec.Language testing is a ubiquitous practice in immigration contexts used as a data collection procedure to assess immigrantsâ ability to communicate in the language of the host country to promote social as well as economic integration and productivity in the workplace (McNamara & Shohamy, 2008). Unlike English tests, little attention has been directed to the interpretation and uses of scores from French proficiency tests, which prompts â indeed, requires â validation research to justify test use. Drawing on advances in test validity theory (Kane, 2006, 2013), this study builds a validity argument for the listening component of the Test de connaissance du français (TCF) in the context of Quebec immigration. Test validity theory has evolved considerably since the traditional tripartite model of content, predictive and construct components (Cronbach & Meehl, 1955), have been conceptualized as a unitary construct (Messick, 1989) and more recently have been theorized in terms of argumentation (Kane, 2006, 2013), borrowing concepts from models of inference (Toulmin [1958], 2003), which include scoring, generalization, explanation, extrapolation and decision inferences that play key roles in a validity argument.
In an argument-based approach to validity, claims about testing instruments are composed of warrants that must be supported by backings in the form of empirical studies, which are foundational for the claims, but also support the inferences that authorize each of the claims in the argument. More specifically, this study gathered empirical evidence to support the scoring, generalization and explanation inferences, proposing three research questions that addressed construct representation, potential bias and test method usefulness. The questions were concerned with the listening subskills that the TCF assesses, differential item functioning (DIF) across gender, first language, age, and geographical location as well as the option functioning of multiple choice (MC) items in the assessment of second language listening comprehension.
Although multiple statistical and measurement models are readily available to analyze test response data, this study privileged confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the listening subskills operationalized in the TCF, specifying the models following suggestions from a panel of experts. The unidimensional Rasch model was used to generate the difficulty parameters across subgroups of interest to perform the DIF analyses. And the nominal response model (NRM) was used to model the response options of the MC items. The results from these three studies yielded backings for each of the selected inferences in the validity argument for the TCF.
Based on the CFA models recommended by the panel of experts, the results suggested that the TCF test forms under study primarily assess examineesâ understanding of explicitly stated information in aural discourse, thereby underrepresenting the listening construct. A few items were found to target the ability to infer implicit ideas and understanding of the general topic or main idea, however, this latter subskill was only found in one test form, suggesting that the forms are not equivalent. The DIF analysis flagged multiple items across test forms and between the subgroups of interest, but very few were associated to potential bias, which included speech perception, literary genre and vocabulary familiarity. Thus, given that many items flagged for DIF could not be associated to a potential bias, this question was partially answered and attenuates the validity argument. The results from the NRM suggested that most items functioned well while others were potentially doubled keyed.
The argument-based approached to validity proved helpful in putting together empirical evidence into a coherent whole to support and build a case for the interpretation and uses of the TCF in the context of immigration, which in turn can be used to address the identified weaknesses, providing a means to attenuate the potential rebuttals that threaten the validity of the argument. Some caveats in the validation framework were also outlined and relate to the accessibility of data to address the extrapolation and decision inferences in immigration contexts, but as Newton and Shaw (2014, p. 142) advocated âthe argument-based approach underlies the fact that validation is not simply a one-off-study but a program: potentially a very intensive programâ. And this program can include key stakeholders such as government officials that help complete the validity argument for the TCF in Quebec immigration
An Interview with Professor Antony Kunnan
The Web Journal Editorial Board (represented by Drew Fagan and Adrienne Wai Man Lew) had the pleasure to meet with Professor Antony Kunnan, the guest speaker of the 2010 APPLE Colloquium and Lecture, for a most in-depth discussion revolving his specialties: language testing.
Professor Kunnan is a prominent figure in language assessment. He has published widely in the field, most recently on the topic of test fairness and on assessment issues related to citizenship and immigration. Professor Kunnan is the editor of Language Assessment Quarterly, and a former President of the International Association of Language Testing.
At the end of the interview, Prof. Kunnan was thoughtful enough to have recommended several relevant book / journal titles for our further reading.To view the recommendation items, please see below.
We would like to thank Professor Kunnan for agreeing to speak with us amid his hectic schedule on the day of the Lecture. We would also like to thank Professor Jim Purpura and Catherine Box, Program Associate for Applied Linguistics, for coordinating the event. Last but not least, we would like to show our appreciation to our fellow Editorial Board member, Christos Theodoropulos, for his great ideas with regard to the interview questions
Recommended from our members
An Interview with Professor Antony Kunnan
The Web Journal Editorial Board (represented by Drew Fagan and Adrienne Wai Man Lew) had the pleasure to meet with Professor Antony Kunnan, the guest speaker of the 2010 APPLE Colloquium and Lecture, for a most in-depth discussion revolving his specialties: language testing.
Professor Kunnan is a prominent figure in language assessment. He has published widely in the field, most recently on the topic of test fairness and on assessment issues related to citizenship and immigration. Professor Kunnan is the editor of Language Assessment Quarterly, and a former President of the International Association of Language Testing.
At the end of the interview, Prof. Kunnan was thoughtful enough to have recommended several relevant book / journal titles for our further reading. To view the recommendation items, please see below.
We would like to thank Professor Kunnan for agreeing to speak with us amid his hectic schedule on the day of the Lecture. We would also like to thank Professor Jim Purpura and Catherine Box, Program Associate for Applied Linguistics, for coordinating the event. Last but not least, we would like to show our appreciation to our fellow Editorial Board member, Christos Theodoropulos, for his great ideas with regard to the interview questions
Ăvaluer les compĂ©tences langagiĂšres dans un processus migratoire â lâexemple du QuĂ©bec : une dĂ©marche discriminatoire et Ă©litiste ?
Ce rĂ©cit de pratique relate mes expĂ©riences professionnelles en tant quâexaminateur pour un test de français langue Ă©trangĂšre utilisĂ© dans le contexte de la sĂ©lection des immigrant·es au QuĂ©bec. Lâobjectif du texte est de montrer que ces pratiques Ă©valuatives sont discriminatoires et engendre des consĂ©quences non conformes aux principes dĂ©mocratiques pour les personnes immigrantes peu scolarisĂ©es et celles ayant le français comme langue premiĂšre ou de scolaritĂ©. Pour ce faire, le processus de sĂ©lection des immigrant·es est prĂ©sentĂ©, ainsi que mes expĂ©riences professionnelles, le processus Ă©valuatif et la nature de la discrimination identifiĂ©e. Ensuite, la littĂ©rature scientifique est mobilisĂ©e pour tenter de comprendre la source de ce problĂšme. La littĂ©rature sur les rĂ©fĂ©rentiels de compĂ©tence en langue Ă©trangĂšre est exploitĂ©e, de mĂȘme que lâĆuvre thĂ©orique de Hulstijn, qui permet de reconceptualiser la compĂ©tence langagiĂšre en deux compĂ©tences distinctes. La premiĂšre compĂ©tence, dite Ă©lĂ©mentaire, regroupe les savoirs et habiletĂ©s partagĂ©es par toutes les personnes ayant une langue donnĂ©e comme langue premiĂšre. La seconde, dite avancĂ©e, dĂ©signe les savoirs et habiletĂ©s davantage acadĂ©miques. Câest cette dualitĂ© qui expliquerait la nature discriminatoire du processus Ă©valuatif dans le cadre de la sĂ©lection des immigrant·es. Finalement, un retour rĂ©flexif justifie la pertinence de ce rĂ©cit de pratique pour le champ de lâĂ©ducation et de la formation
The Impact of English Language Proficiency and Workplace Readiness on the Employment Outcomes of Tertiary International Students (Full Report)
This project examines the influence of English language proficiency (ELP) on workplace readiness and employment outcomes for international students and graduates who seek to work in Australia. The study adopts a mixed method approach involving a detailed review of relevant literature, semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups, and quantitative analyses of three statistical data sets â Australian 2006 Census data, Australian Education International (AEI) data from January 2002 to June 2008, and the former Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (October 2005 and October 2006).
The qualitative data from the interviews enabled the authors to analyse the topic of investigation from several different perspectives including those of: international students and graduates; local (permanent resident or citizen) students and graduates; representatives of tertiary institutions and VET providers; recent offshore graduate job seekers with overseas qualifications; and Australian employers and regulatory bodies in five professional and three trade fields.
The findings show that international students employment outcomes are not as good as their Australian domestic counterparts and that they face greater challenges in finding full-time employment after graduation. While ELP is a key factor influencing their employment outcomes â particularly if graduates have low levels of ELP â the findings from this study show that ELP is not the only or principal issue.
Employers\u27 first priority is to engage graduates with strong profession-specific skills and then to consider their âwell-roundednessâ. The âwell-roundednessâ includes graduatesâ personal characteristics and attributes, the diversity of their experiences and skills, as well as their âcultural fitâ into the workplace.
There is potential to respond to this expectation through policies and practices that support integrated approaches for enhancing ELP and workplace readiness within educational institutions, as well as increasing international studentsâ awareness of the value of the experiences and skills they can develop outside of their studies
Sprachliche Anforderungen und Sprachtests im Migrations- und Integrationsbereich: Eine Zusammenfassung der akademischen Literatur
Das vorliegende Dokument ist das Ergebnis einer literaturbasierten Studie der neueren Entwicklungen im Bereich der sprachlichen Anforderungen und Sprachtests fĂŒr Migrantinnen und Migranten. Die Studie war Teil des Forschungsprogramms 2011-2014 am wissenschaftlichen Kompetenzzentrum fĂŒr Mehrsprachigkeit (KFM)
Requisiti linguistici e testing linguistico per lâimmigrazione e lâintegrazione: Sintesi della letteratura scientifica
Il presente documento Ăš il risultato di uno studio della letteratura esistente sui recenti sviluppi nel campo dei requisiti linguistici e del testing linguistico per lâimmigrazione e lâintegrazione. Lo studio fa parte del programma di ricerca ordinario per il triennio 2011- 2014 del Centro scientifico di competenza per il plurilinguismo