Test Takers Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State Trait Strtegy Use and State Trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test

Download Test Takers Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State Trait Strtegy Use and State Trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (11 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Test Takers Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State Trait Strtegy Use and State Trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test by :

Download or read book Test Takers Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State Trait Strtegy Use and State Trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigates the nature of test-takersâ appraisal confidence and its accuracy (calibration), reported trait and state strategy use and IELTS Listening difficulty levels in a simulated IELTS Listening test. Appraisal calibration denotes a perfect relationship between appraisal confidence intest performance success and actual performance outcome. Calibration indicates anindividualâs monitoring accuracy. The study aims to examine four aspects theoretically related to IELTS Listening test scores: (1) test-takersâ trait (i.e., generally perceived) and state (i.e., context-specific) cognitive and metacognitive strategy use for IELTS Listening tests; (2) test-takersâ calibration of appraisal confidence for each test question (i.e., single-case confidence) and for entire test sections (i.e., relative-frequency confidence); (3) trait and state test difficulty perception in IELTS Listening tests; and (4) test difficulty and test-takersâ ability as key factors affecting the above variables. The study recruited 376 non-English speaking background (NESB) international students in Sydney, Australia. Quantitative data analysis techniques including Rasch Item Response Theory, Pearson-Product-Moment correlations, -tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used. It was found that test-takers were miscalibrated in their performance appraisals, exhibiting a tendency to be overconfident across the four test sections. Their appraisal calibration scores were found to be worst for very difficult questions. Gender and academic success variables were also examined as factors affecting test-takersâ calibration. The SEM analysis conducted suggests that there are complex structural relationships among test-takersâ appraisal confidence, calibration, trait and state cognitive and metacognitive strategy use, IELTS Listening difficulty, and IELTS Listening performance. The study has advanced our knowledge of strategic processes, including appraisalcalibration and strategy use that affect IELTS Listening test performance. The outcomes of the study can inform IELTS by providing empirical evidence of the reasons for test score variation among different success levels. Recommendations for future research are discussed. [Abstract].

Test-taker's Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test

Download Test-taker's Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (1 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Test-taker's Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test by :

Download or read book Test-taker's Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigates the nature of test-takersâ appraisal confidence and its accuracy (calibration), reported trait and state strategy use and IELTS Listening difficulty levels in a simulated IELTS Listening test. Appraisal calibration denotes a perfect relationship between appraisal confidence in test performance success and actual performance outcome. Calibration indicates an individualâs monitoring accuracy. The study aims to examine four aspects theoretically related to IELTS Listening test scores: (1) test-takersâ trait (i.e., generally perceived) and state (i.e., context-specific) cognitive and metacognitive strategy use for IELTS Listening tests; (2) test-takersâ calibration of appraisal confidence for each test question (i.e., single-case confidence) and for entire test sections (i.e., relative frequency confidence); (3) trait and state test difficulty perception in IELTS Listening tests; and (4) test difficulty and test-takersâ ability as key factors affecting the above variables. The study recruited 376 non-English speaking background (NESB) international students in Sydney, Australia. Quantitative data analysis techniques including Rasch Item Response Theory, Pearson-Product-Moment correlations, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used. It was found that test-takers were miscalibrated in their performance appraisals, exhibiting a tendency to be overconfident across the four test sections. Their appraisal calibration scores were found to be worst for very difficult questions. Gender and academic success variables were also examined as factors affecting test-takersâ calibration. The SEM analysis conducted suggests that there are complex structural relationships among test-takersâ appraisal confidence, calibration, trait and state cognitive and metacognitive strategy use, IELTS Listening difficulty, and IELTS Listening performance. The study has advanced our knowledge of strategic processes, including appraisal calibration and strategy use that affect IELTS Listening test performance. The outcomes of the study can inform IELTS by providing empirical evidence of the reasons for test score variation among different success levels. Recommendations for future research are discussed. [Publisher website].

Test-takers' Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test

Download Test-takers' Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (128 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Test-takers' Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test by :

Download or read book Test-takers' Performance Appraisals, Appraisal Calibration, State-trait Strategy Use, and State-trait IELTS Listening Difficulty in a Simulated IELTS Listening Test written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Assessing Academic English for Higher Education Admissions

Download Assessing Academic English for Higher Education Admissions PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351142380
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (511 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Assessing Academic English for Higher Education Admissions by : Xiaoming Xi

Download or read book Assessing Academic English for Higher Education Admissions written by Xiaoming Xi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-05-26 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assessing Academic English for Higher Education Admissions is a state-of-the-art overview of advances in theories and practices relevant to the assessment of academic English skills for higher education admissions purposes. The volume includes a brief introduction followed by four main chapters focusing on critical developments in theories and practices for assessing reading, listening, writing, and speaking, of which the latter two also address the assessment of integrated skills such as reading-writing, listening-speaking, and reading-listening-speaking. Each chapter reviews new task types, scoring approaches, and scoring technologies and their implications in light of the increasing use of technology in academic communication and the growing use of English as a lingua franca worldwide. The volume concludes with recommendations about critical areas of research and development that will help move the field forward. Assessing Academic English for Higher Education Admissions is an ideal resource for researchers and graduate students in language testing and assessment worldwide.

Building a Validity Argument for a Listening Test of Academic Proficiency

Download Building a Validity Argument for a Listening Test of Academic Proficiency PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1443850934
Total Pages : 325 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (438 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Building a Validity Argument for a Listening Test of Academic Proficiency by : Vahid Aryadoust

Download or read book Building a Validity Argument for a Listening Test of Academic Proficiency written by Vahid Aryadoust and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2013-07-26 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the years, various approaches to validation have emerged in psychological and educational assessment research, which can be classified into traditional approaches and modern approaches. Traditional approaches view validity as a multicomponential concept including, for example, content, construct, and predictive validity, while modern approaches conceptualize it as a unitary concept evaluated through argumentation. Drawing on the modern approach, this book builds a validity argument for an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) listening test sample. The book provides some insights into the listening sub-skills that the test engages, the psychometric dimensionality of the test, variables that predict item difficulty parameters, bias across age, nationality, test experience, and gender, as well as predictive-referenced evidence of validity. A variety of techniques including the Rasch model and structural equation modelling are used to answer the research questions and to build a validity argument framework; this argument organizes the thematically related findings into a coherent treatment of the validity of the listening test. The book presents the first treatment of validity argument and related analytical tools in one volume and maps the psychometric/statistical analysis tools onto the validity argument framework. It also provides an extensive literature review of listening comprehension, validation, and psychometric modeling and proposes both methods for developing and validating self-assessment instruments and novel approaches to improving the quality of language assessments.

Second Language Listening

Download Second Language Listening PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521786478
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Second Language Listening by : John Flowerdew

Download or read book Second Language Listening written by John Flowerdew and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-02-07 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As an essential part of communicative competence, listening is a skill which deserves equal treatment with the other basic skills of speaking, reading, and writing. Second Language Listening combines up-to-date listening theory with case studies of actual pedagogical practice. The authors describe current models of listening theory and exemplify each with a textbook task. They address the role of technology in teaching listening, questioning techniques, and testing. Second Language Listening is designed to be used with both pre-service and in-service teachers who are involved in the teaching of listening or the design of pedagogic materials for listening.

Language Assessment

Download Language Assessment PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Pearson Education ESL
ISBN 13 : 9780134860220
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (62 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Language Assessment by : H. Douglas Brown

Download or read book Language Assessment written by H. Douglas Brown and published by Pearson Education ESL. This book was released on 2018-03-16 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices is designed to offer a comprehensive survey of essential principles and tools for second language assessment. Its first and second editions have been successfully used in teacher-training courses, teacher certification curricula, and TESOL master of arts programs. As the third in a trilogy of teacher education textbooks, it is designed to follow H. Douglas Brown's other two books, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (sixth edition, Pearson Education, 2014) and Teaching by Principles(fourth edition, Pearson Education, 2015). References to those two books are made throughout the current book. Language Assessment features uncomplicated prose and a systematic, spiraling organization. Concepts are introduced with practical examples, understandable explanations, and succinct references to supportive research. The research literature on language assessment can be quite complex and assume that readers have technical knowledge and experience in testing. By the end of Language Assessment, however, readers will have gained access to this not-so-frightening field. They will have a working knowledge of a number of useful, fundamental principles of assessment and will have applied those principles to practical classroom contexts. They will also have acquired a storehouse of useful tools for evaluating and designing practical, effective assessment techniques for their classrooms.

Teaching and Researching: Listening

Download Teaching and Researching: Listening PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 131786266X
Total Pages : 428 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (178 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Teaching and Researching: Listening by : Michael Rost

Download or read book Teaching and Researching: Listening written by Michael Rost and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-26 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaching and Researching Listening provides a focused, state-of-the-art treatment of the linguistic, psycholinguistic and pragmatic processes that are involved in oral language use, and shows how these processes influence listening in a range of practical contexts. Through understanding the interaction between these processes, language educators and researchers can develop more robust research methods and more effective classroom language teaching approaches. In this fully revised and updated second edition, the book: examines a full range of teaching methods and research initiatives related to listening gives definitions of key concepts in neurolinguistics and psycholinguistics provides a clear agenda for implementing listening strategies and designing tests offers an abundance of resources for immediate use for teaching and research Featuring insightful quotes and concept boxes, chapter overviews and summaries to guide the reader, Teaching and Researching Listening will engage and inform teachers, teacher trainers and researchers investigating communicative language use.

Validity Argument in Language Testing

Download Validity Argument in Language Testing PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 110860238X
Total Pages : 371 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (86 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Validity Argument in Language Testing by : Carol A. Chapelle

Download or read book Validity Argument in Language Testing written by Carol A. Chapelle and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-21 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Language tests play pivotal roles in education, research on learning, and gate-keeping decisions. The central concern for language testing professionals is how to investigate whether or not tests are appropriate for their intended purposes. This book introduces an argument-based validity framework to help with the design of research that investigates the validity of language test interpretation and use. The book presents the principal concepts and technical terms, then shows how they can be implemented successfully in practice through a variety of validation studies. It also demonstrates how argument-based validity intersects with technology in language testing research and highlights the use of validity argument for identifying research questions and interpreting the results of validation research. Use of the framework helps researchers in language testing to communicate clearly and consistently about technical issues with each other and with researchers of other types of tests.

Teaching and Learning Second Language Listening

Download Teaching and Learning Second Language Listening PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136912371
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (369 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Teaching and Learning Second Language Listening by : Christine C. M. Goh

Download or read book Teaching and Learning Second Language Listening written by Christine C. M. Goh and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-04-23 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This reader-friendly text, firmly grounded in listening theories and supported by recent research findings, offers a comprehensive treatment of concepts and knowledge related to teaching second language (L2) listening, with a particular emphasis on metacognition. The metacognitive approach, aimed at developing learner listening in a holistic manner, is unique and groundbreaking. The book is focused on the language learner throughout; all theoretical perspectives, research insights, and pedagogical principles in the book are presented and discussed in relation to the learner. The pedagogical model─a combination of the tried-and-tested sequence of listening lessons and activities that show learners how to activate processes of skilled listeners ─ provides teachers with a sound framework for students’ L2 listening development to take place inside and outside the classroom. The text includes many practical ideas for listening tasks that have been used successfully in various language learning contexts.

Applying the Rasch Model

Download Applying the Rasch Model PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317805259
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (178 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Applying the Rasch Model by : Trevor Bond

Download or read book Applying the Rasch Model written by Trevor Bond and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-06-05 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cited over 1900 times, this classic text facilitates a deep understanding of the Rasch model. The authors review the crucial properties of the model and demonstrate its use with a variety of examples from education, psychology, and health. A glossary and numerous illustrations aid the reader's understanding. Readers learn how to apply Rasch analysis so they can perform their own analyses and interpret the results. The authors present an accessible overview that does not require a mathematical background. Highlights of the new edition include: -More learning tools to strengthen readers’ understanding including chapter introductions, boldfaced key terms, chapter summaries, activities, and suggested readings. -Divided chapters (4, 6, 7 & 8) into basic and extended understanding sections so readers can select the level most appropriate for their needs and to provide more in-depth investigations of key topics. -A website at www.routledge.com/9780415833424 that features free Rasch software, data sets, an Invariance worksheet, detailed instructions for key analyses, and links to related sources. -Greater emphasis on the role of Rasch measurement as a priori in the construction of scales and its use post hoc to reveal the extent to which interval scale measurement is instantiated in existing data sets. -Emphasizes the importance of interval level measurement data and demonstrates how Rasch measurement is used to examine measurement invariance. -Insights from other Rasch scholars via innovative applications (Ch. 9). -Extended discussion of invariance now reviews DIF, DPF, and anchoring (ch. 5). -Revised Rating Scale Model material now based on the analysis of the CEAQ (ch.6). -Clarifies the relationships between Rasch measurement, True Score Theory, and Item Response Theory by reviewing their commonalities and differences (Ch.13). -Provides more detail on how to conduct a Rasch analysis so readers can use the techniques on their own (Appendix B). Intended as a text for graduate courses in measurement, item response theory, (advanced) research methods or quantitative analysis taught in psychology, education, human development, business, and other social and health sciences, professionals in these areas also appreciate the book‘s accessible introduction.

Examining Listening

Download Examining Listening PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107602637
Total Pages : 481 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (76 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Examining Listening by : Ardeshir Geranpayeh

Download or read book Examining Listening written by Ardeshir Geranpayeh and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-03-27 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume examines the nature of second language listening proficiency and how it can be assessed. The book highlights the need for test developers to provide a clear explication of the ability constructs which underpin the tests they offer in the public domain. This is increasingly necessary if claims about the validity of test score interpretation and use are to be supported both logically and with empirical evidence. It operationalises a comprehensive test validation framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework embraces six core components, examining and then analysing Cambridge ESOL listening tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker; Cognitive Validity; Context Validity; Scoring Validity; Criterion-related Validity; and Consequential Validity.

Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics

Download Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317863054
Total Pages : 728 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (178 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics by : Jack C. Richards

Download or read book Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics written by Jack C. Richards and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-04 with total page 728 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This best-selling dictionary is now in its 4th edition. Specifically written for students of language teaching and applied linguistics, it has become an indispensible resource for those engaged in courses in TEFL, TESOL, applied linguistics and introductory courses in general linguistics. Fully revised, this new edition includes over 350 new entries. Previous definitions have been revised or replaced in order to make this the most up-to-date and comprehensive dictionary available. Providing straightforward and accessible explanations of difficult terms and ideas in applied linguistics, this dictionary offers: Nearly 3000 detailed entries, from subject areas such as teaching methodology, curriculum development, sociolinguistics, syntax and phonetics. Clear and accurate definitions which assume no prior knowledge of the subject matter helpful diagrams and tables cross references throughout, linking related subject areas for ease of reference, and helping to broaden students' knowledge The Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics is the definitive resource for students.

Insights into Non-native Vocabulary Teaching and Learning

Download Insights into Non-native Vocabulary Teaching and Learning PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Multilingual Matters
ISBN 13 : 1847694802
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (476 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Insights into Non-native Vocabulary Teaching and Learning by : Rubén Chacón-Beltrán

Download or read book Insights into Non-native Vocabulary Teaching and Learning written by Rubén Chacón-Beltrán and published by Multilingual Matters. This book was released on 2010-07-12 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a field like L2 vocabulary teaching and learning where interest and research studies are burgeoning, this book offers a useful collection of papers that contains new ways of investigating vocabulary development, techniques for vocabulary teaching such as the Focus on Form hypothesis, word associations, and the use of concordance data. In addition, it tackles recent areas of analysis such as the treatment of vocabulary in teaching materials—an area of almost complete neglect in the literature. The book is divided into three parts. Part one provides the overview and deals with the development of a model for vocabulary teaching and learning. Part two focuses on empirical studies on lexical processing in English and Spanish. Part three centers on materials design for vocabulary teaching and learning. The advances made in this book will certainly be of interest to researchers, teachers, and graduate students working on this very active field of inquiry.

Academic Discourse Across Disciplines

Download Academic Discourse Across Disciplines PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Peter Lang
ISBN 13 : 9783039111831
Total Pages : 332 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (118 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Academic Discourse Across Disciplines by : Ken Hyland

Download or read book Academic Discourse Across Disciplines written by Ken Hyland and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2006 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume reflects the emerging interest in cross-disciplinary variation in both spoken and written academic English, exploring the conventions and modes of persuasion characteristic of different disciplines and which help define academic inquiry. This collection brings together chapters by applied linguists and EAP practitioners from seven different countries. The authors draw on various specialised spoken and written corpora to illustrate the notion of variation and to explore the concept of discipline and the different methodologies they use to investigate these corpora. The book also seeks to make explicit the valuable links that can be made between research into academic speech and writing as text, as process, and as social practice.

The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology

Download The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137599006
Total Pages : 926 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (375 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology by : Aek Phakiti

Download or read book The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology written by Aek Phakiti and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-11-19 with total page 926 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Handbook provides a comprehensive treatment of basic and more advanced research methodologies in applied linguistics and offers a state-of-the-art review of methods particular to various domains within the field. Arranged thematically in 4 parts, across 41 chapters, it covers a range of research approaches, presents current perspectives, and addresses key issues in different research methods, such as designing and implementing research instruments and techniques, and analysing different types of applied linguistics data. Innovations, challenges and trends in applied linguistics research are examined throughout the Handbook. As such it offers an up-to-date and highly accessible entry point into both established and emerging approaches that will offer fresh possibilities and perspectives as well as thorough consideration of best practices. This wide-ranging volume will prove an invaluable resource to applied linguists at all levels, including scholars in related fields such as language learning and teaching, multilingualism, corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis, discourse analysis and pragmatics, language assessment, language policy and planning, multimodal communication, and translation.

Measuring Second Language Performance

Download Measuring Second Language Performance PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Addison Wesley Longman
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (321 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Measuring Second Language Performance by : Timothy Francis McNamara

Download or read book Measuring Second Language Performance written by Timothy Francis McNamara and published by Addison Wesley Longman. This book was released on 1996 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 'performance test' has emerged as the central concept around language testing. McNamara examines recent developments and provides an important contribution to the ongoing debate.