2018 Annual Conference of China English Language Education Association (CELEA2018)

251 / 2018-06-29 10:16:16

Exploring the Test-taking Process to Validate a Performance Test with Multidimensional Constructs

performance test; critical thinking ability; intercultural communicative competence; test-taking process; English Test for International Communication

Plenary track > 中国特色英语测评研究

As the new era demands foreign language talents with not only language ability but other core abilities such as critical thinking ability and intercultural communicative competence, performance tests with multidimensional constructs are needed to assess such abilities and it is necessary to validate such tests by investigating the test-taking process. The present study explores how test takers undertake two representative tasks of the English Test for International Communication (ETIC), a typical performance test with multidimensional constructs. Test-takers' verbal protocol reports and interviews are collected to capture the test takers' test-taking processes and these data are analyzed to determine if the tasks elicit test takers' critical thinking ability and intercultural communicative competence defined in the constructs. The implications of the study discuss the development of performance tests with multidimensional constructs and the improvement of the models of critical thinking ability and intercultural communicative competence.