
Assessing Second Language Writing
The Rater's Perspective
Tom Lumley(Author)
Peter Lang Verlag
Published on 6. December 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-3-631-53327-7 (ISBN)
Description
This study investigates the process of rating texts written by adult ESL learners. Four experienced raters provided think-aloud protocols describing the rating process for a set of 24 texts. The think-aloud data allowed analysis of the sequence of rating, raters' interpretations of the scoring categories, and difficulties raters faced. The study reveals the complexity of the rating process, whereby raters struggle to resolve a tension between the wordings (or rules) of the rating scale and their complex, initial, intuitive impression of the text. Rating requires training to provide reliable measurement. The study also demonstrates that caution is needed in interpreting results from think-aloud data, despite their methodological value in this kind of study.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Frankfurt a.M.
Germany
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 21 cm
Width: 14.8 cm
Weight
480 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-631-53327-7 (9783631533277)
Schweitzer Classification
Person
The Author: Tom Lumley is a Senior Research Fellow with the Australian Council for Educational Research. He has worked in Australia and Hong Kong on a wide range of language tests and assessment procedures used in academic and workplace contexts. His Ph.D. thesis won the TOEFL Jacqueline A. Ross Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Research on Second/Foreign Language Testing.
Content
Contents: Second language - Writing assessment - Testing - Rating scale - Think-aloud protocol.