Measuring Heritage Language Learners’ Proficiency for Research Purposes: An Argument-based Validity Study of the Korean C-test
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: C-test items accurately and reliably distributed Korean learners into a wide range of proficiency levels (IRT person separation index=5.50 and Cronbach's a=.94).Although C-test performance was closely related to the literacy-based WPT proficiency indicator (r=.87), it also correlated strongly with the oracy-based OPIc and EIT proficiency measures (r=.81 or higher).Multiple regression analyses showed that both speaking and writing proficiency could explain 80% of the C-test score variance with 𝑅 " = .80,𝐹(2,90) = 181.83,𝑝 = .000.Nevertheless, writing was more important than speaking proficiency in predicting C-test performance for HLLs, whereas both language skill predictors were equally important for FLLs.Furthermore, a hierarchical cluster analysis provided a bottom-up categorization of learners into HLLs and FLLs and questioned the expectation that HLLs are always linguistically different to FLLs.Overall, the evidence supported the use of the Korean C-test to assess both HLLs and FLLs across a range of proficiency levels for applied linguistic research purposes.The study concludes with suggestions for future research.
Author: Young‐A Son
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2945151052