The Validity Argument of a Web-Based Spanish Listening Exam: Test Usefulness Evaluation

his study describes research used for supporting a validity argument for a new Spanish Listening Exam, whose scores are intended to place examinees into appropriate levels of university Spanish classes. This study contributes to the field of argument-based approaches to language assessment by implementing Bachman\u27s (2005)Bachman, L. F. 2005. Building and supporting a case for test use. Language Assessment Quarterly, 1: 1–34. [Google Scholar] assessment use argument framework. The validity argument is supported by research providing backing for three warrants pertaining to the quality of inference that can be made on the basis of examinees\u27 performance. These warrants, based on three qualities of test usefulness (Bachman & Palmer, 1996Bachman, L. F. and Palmer, A. S. 1996. Language testing in practice, Oxford, , UK: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar]), guided test development and research toward a placement test with the purpose of grouping students according to their levels of language ability within the framework of the communicative approach for learning Spanish

Assessing L2 listening in CALL and listening strategy use

This longitudinal study examines students’ learning strategies of 222 Spanish intermediate learners when taking several listening tests. It also examines the effect of different instructional formats (online-hybrid vs. face2face-blended) on the learners’ strategy use. There were four versions of the same text: an audio format, a video format, a redundancy-enhanced version in audio format, and a redundancy-enhanced version in video format. A pseudo-cross over design was utilized for this study with four listening tests used with each group. Participants completed a questionnaire immediately after each listening test to learn about learners’ strategies before, during and after listening in order to elicit information about the particular strategies that learners used to complete each listening test. Results indicated that there was a listening comprehension strategy development over time without explicit instruction, but participants from different instructional formats developed different strategies. There was a statistically significant difference for intermediate-low learners when perceiving the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, but the effect of redundancy does not seem to have an impact. Intermediate-mid learners did not perceive a difference with the use of strategies when completing listening tests with or without redundancy

Technology-mediated TBLT in a Hybrid Environment: Bridging Content and Language Production

This article examines the use of technology-mediated, task-based language teaching (TBLT) in a hybrid environment as an instructional approach in an intermediate-level Spanish course. It (a) evaluates elements of a hybrid course that was developed with computer-assisted language learning (CALL) materials to help learners improve their Spanish, focusing on two areas of specialization––engineering and business; (b) examines the effectiveness of the course materials and curriculum with a focus on CALL readings; (c) demonstrates that the technology-mediated TBLT approach in the hybrid learning environment was successful in linking content and language; and (d) establishes that the learners’ speaking skills had improved over the course with a computerized oral assessment. Language assessment results indicate that the technology-mediated TBLT program not only had an impact on intermediate Spanish learners’ speaking skills, but also prepared learners to perform tasks in both the target language and their fields of interest (i.e., business and engineering). The results contribute to the research of the effectiveness of technology-mediated TBLT

The Benefits of Reflective Practice using Speaking Tasks in Teaching Spanish for the Professionals

This mixed-method research study examines the speaking proficiency of Spanish learners with the Virtual Oral Interview Classroom-based Exam (VOICES), a free oral assessment tool for students and teachers, and the American Council Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) for assessing their oral ability. Students’ oral proficiency was assessed at the beginning and end of the semester via the OPI, and oral performance was assessed during the middle and at the end of the semester with VOICES. During the semester, learners practiced with structured and communicative output activities with the purpose of developing communicative competence. Using active learning as a pedagogical approach and reflective practice based on Schön’s principles (1987), Spanish instruction was focused on conscious awareness, scaffolding, autonomous and meaningful communication as a way to improve the performance of oral tasks. The study employs the convergent design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011) that entails the collection of qualitative and quantitative data sets to provide a better understanding of the best practices for teaching and assessing speaking. Participants in this study were 13 undergraduate students at a large public university in the Midwest of the United States and one instructor. They were enrolled in an intermediate Spanish conversation course designed for professionals. The use of active learning and reflective practice contributed positively to building a comfortable and engaging learning environment

A longitudinal study on language learning vocabulary in L2 Spanish

[EN] Some learners perform better on listening tests that include visual input instead of only audio (Wagner, 2008) while others have found no difference in the performance of participants in the two test formats (Batty, 2015). These mixed results make it necessary to examine the role of using audio and video in listening comprehension (LC). This study examines the effect of input modality on the learning of new vocabulary with intermediate L2 learners. The study gave four versions of the same text: a baseline in audio format, a baseline in video format, a redundancy-enhanced version in audio format and a redundancy-enhanced version in video format. Three hundred sixty two intermediate learners of Spanish participated in this study over a period of three consecutive semesters. Results about input modality indicated audio or video does not seem to matter in responding correctly to the vocabulary items. However, the redundancy-enhanced version in audio and video formats helped learners to respond correctly to vocabulary items when enrolled in face2face-blended courses compared to online-hybrid courses.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Pardo-Ballester, C. (2018). A longitudinal study on language learning vocabulary in L2 Spanish. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 679-687. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8062OCS67968

Equilibrium mergers in a composite industry

This industry is formed by single-component producers whose components are combined to create composite goods. When a given firm has the possibility of merging with either a complement or a substitute good producer, its equilibrium choice depends on the degree of product differentiation in the composite good market. A merger between complements, which allows for mixed bundling, only happens when composite goods are very differentiated. Private incentives do not always go along with social interests and the equilibrium merger can differ from the socially optimal merger. After a merger, outsiders have also the opportunity to react and merge to other outsiders or to join the previous merge.merger, composite goods, substitutes, complements, pricing strategies, countermerger

Habitat Variation in Vernal Pool Ecosystems on Both Sides of the Strait of Gibraltar

We studied vernal pool (VP) ecosystems along a latitudinal gradient crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in order to determine its role in the distribution of VP plant communities. We analyzed flora, vegetation, physical–chemical water parameters, and climatic data from two vernal pool areas on both the European (Iberian) and African (Moroccan) sides of the Strait. Despite the minor distance between both territories, the pools clearly differed in species composition and ecology. However, they showed a similar vegetation zonation in growth forms, including isoetid, batrachiid, and helophytic vegetation. The distribution of the plant communities was related to nutrient load, temperature, and precipitation. Water nitrate concentration was higher in Morocco, where VPs are characterized by Isoetes velata subsp. adspersa and Ranunculus saniculifolius communities. Iberian VPs had lower water nitrate content, and were characterized by Isoetes velata subsp. velata and Ranunculus peltatus communities. We think this nutrient difference is likely to be caused by the different land management regime on each side of the Strait, with more intensive agriculture in Morocco. Long-term (historical) and present-day (ecological) processes have been proposed to account for the habitat variation in vernal pool ecosystems on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar

Seasonal changes of benthic communities in a temporary stream of Ibiza (Balearic Islands)

Seasonal changes in benthic communities (diatoms and invertebrates) in a temporary stream of the Ibiza island (Balearic Islands, Spain) were studied. The physico-chemical parameters, diatom quality indices and some invertebrate metrics were used to describe and identify the observed temporal changes in benthic communities. A total of 43 diatom taxa and 51 invertebrate taxa were identified. Only 4 diatom species appeared in all the samples: Achnanthidium minutissimum, Diploneis oblongella, Navicula veneta and Nitzschia inconspicua. The invertebrate community was dominated by the orders Diptera, Oligochaeta and Gastropoda along the sampling period. Changes in the physico-chemical parameters of the water and hydrological events determined the structure of the benthic communities in this temporary stream.Se han estudiado los cambios estacionales de las comunidades bentónicas (diatomeas e invertebrados) en un arroyo temporal de la isla de Ibiza (Islas Baleares, España). Los parámetros físico-químicos, índices diatomológicos de calidad y algunos métricos de invertebrados se han utilizado para describir e identificar los cambios temporales que se observan en las comunidades bentónicas. Se han identificado un total de 43 taxones de diatomeas y 51 taxones de invertebrados. Únicamente 4 especies aparecen en todas las muestras: Achnanthidium minutissimum, Diploneis oblongella, Navicula veneta y Nitzschia inconspicua. La comunidad de invertebrados estuvo dominada por los órdenes Diptera, Oligochaeta y Gastropoda a lo largo del período de muestreo. Los cambios en los parámetros físico-químicos del agua y los eventos hidrológicos determinaron la estructura de la comunidad bentónica en este río temporal

Developing Spanish Online Readings Using Design-Based Research

This article reports on the use of design-based research (DBR) in the development of online reading materials for beginning and intermediate Spanish learners. The report focuses on four studies of two main aspects of the development, namely, interface design and learner perceptions. The discussion of interface design includes the analysis of learner expectations and interface organization. The analysis of learner perceptions includes frequency of use and impact of multimedia glosses on the learning of vocabulary. Findings reveal the importance of involving learners in all aspects of materials design and development and make evident the strengths of a DBR approach to the research and development of instructional materials for language learning