EAN: 9783039117178

TEXT COMPLEXITY AND READING COMPREHENSION TESTS...

Based on the analysis of a specially compiled corpus of internationally recognized English as a
foreign language (EFL) reading tests at different levels of proficiency  this volume explores
the relation between the complexity of written texts and the difficulty of reading
comprehension tests. It brings together linguistic investigations into the text-inherent
complexity of the tests and a study of the data derived from their administration to groups of
Italian university students. The study of text complexity draws on corpus linguistics  text
linguistics and systemic functional linguistics. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are
carried out on the language used in the reading texts and in the related tasks that make up the
corpus of tests. The assessment of test difficulty  on the other hand  is informed by research
on language testing  and  in particular  by findings and methodologies of Classical Test Theory
and Item Response Theory. Relevant aspects of these theories are used to analyze and interpret
both the data obtained from the administration of the tests and the data collected by means of
feedback questionnaires completed by test takers. The application of such diverse methodologies
and the subsequent comparison of the results of the analyses has brought out interesting
correlations between text-inherent complexity  perceived test difficulty and actual test
difficulty.

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