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Bedömning av korrekthet och komplexitet i ett muntligt språkfärdighetstest

Assessing accuracy and complexity in a L2 speaking proficiency test

På svenska

Author

  • Anders Agebjörn

Summary, in English

In this thesis, I investigate the relation between assessed speaking proficiency and measured complexity and accuracy in twenty test-takers’ performance in the oral part of the Swedish certificate test Swedex B2. Accuracy and complexity have been measured in seven different ways; both global and local measures from the CAF (Complexity–Accuracy–Fluency) triad have been used. Also, each test-taker’s level of processability capacity, according to the Processability theory (PT), has been estimated. Hence, I have tested correlations between in total eight measurements using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r). Most measures co-vary with each other with some degree of significance. Furthermore, correlations between measurements and grades have been tested. The effect of accuracy and complexity on both a specific grade for ‘Formal accuracy and complexity’ and two holistic grades – one for the oral part of the test and one for the whole test, consisting of four parts – have been investigated. Results indicate that most measurements co-vary with the holistic grade for the oral exam. However, the specific grade co-varies with foremost global accuracy measures, indicating a halo-effect. In a final qualitative investigation, four test-takers are selected and examined closer. From this study, all seven CAF measures can be criticised; only PT level seems to capture the level of proficiency. Quantitative as well as qualitative results are considered in a discussion of both language testing and language proficiency measures.

Department/s

  • Master's Programme: Language and Linguistics

Publishing year

2015

Language

Swedish

Document type

Student publication for Master's degree (two years)

Topic

  • Languages and Literatures

Keywords

  • språkfärdighet
  • komplexitet
  • korrekthet
  • processbarhetsteorin
  • språktestning

Supervisor

  • Anna Flyman Mattsson