Using Speaking Test Data to Define the Advanced Proficiency Level for L2 Arabic Speakers
Summer Loomis (PhD, The University of Texas at Austin) is an independent scholar in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Abstract
Reaching the Advanced level of proficiency in speaking is a common goal of second language learners, but data on advanced learners of less commonly taught languages such as Arabic are scarce. This mixed‐methods study reports words‐per‐minute and type‐token ratios for three ACTFL levels—10 Intermediate Mid, 10 Advanced Mid, and 8 Superior—obtained from full‐length OPIs. Independent‐samples t tests revealed a significant difference between Intermediate Mid and Advanced Mid speakers on both measures, but no significant difference between Advanced Mid and Superior speakers was found. Qualitative observations on the distinctive features of Advanced learners' speech are also shared.
Number of times cited: 2
- Troy L. Cox, Margaret E. Malone and Paula Winke, Future directions in assessment: Influences of standards and implications for language learning, Foreign Language Annals, 51, 1, (104-115), (2018).
- Paula Winke and Susan M. Gass, Individual Differences in Advanced Proficiency, The Handbook of Advanced Proficiency in Second Language Acquisition, (157-178), (2018).
