This document discusses research into factors that affect the difficulty of reading tests and texts. It examines the role of grammar, vocabulary, and dictionaries in reading tests. Regarding grammar, it discusses the transfer hypothesis that limited linguistic proficiency can hinder the transfer of reading skills between languages. For vocabulary, it notes that vocabulary tests highly predict reading comprehension but may measure prior knowledge rather than just lexical knowledge. It also discusses arguments for and against allowing dictionary use during reading tests.

1. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS

2. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Reference
Alderson, J.C. (2000) Assessing reading. (pp. 85-115). C.U.P
Nunan, David. (1999) Second Language Learning. (pp. 249-
271) Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

3. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Research into the assessment of reading.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DIFFICULTY OF READING
TEST ITEMS
 Language of questions
 Types of Questions
 Testing Skills
 Role of Grammar in Reading Tests
 Role of Vocabulary in Reading Tests
 Use of Dictionaries in Reading Tests
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DIFFICULTY OF READING
TEST TEXTS
 Background knowledge Vs Text Content
 Text length
 Theory Quiz (based on today's discussion)

4. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Research into the assessment of reading.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DIFFICULTY OF READING
TEST ITEMS
 Role of Grammar in Reading Tests
Linguistic Knowledge
The Transfer Hypothesis
 Role of Vocabulary in Reading Tests
What do vocabulary tests measure?
 Use of Dictionaries in Reading Tests

5. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
“The large amount of research into reading can be
partly accounted for by the fact that cognitive
psychologists, as much as educators, have been
interested in the processes underlying literacy
development” Grabe (1993) cited in Nunan (1999: 256).

6. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Role of Grammar in Reading Tests
“If grammar and reading tests overlap to a large
extend, why bother testing „reading‟ (although others
might say „grammar‟)…if one believes that reading
involves much more than the use of linguistic
knowledge” (p.98).

7. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Role of grammar in reading tests
THE TRANSFER HYPOTHESIS
“Limited linguistic proficiency would appear to “short-circuit”
the transfer of reading skills from one language to
another(Cziko; Clarke, 1979)” Cited in Nunan (1999).

8. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Role of Vocabulary in Reading Tests
“Tests of vocabulary are highly predictive of performance
on tests of reading comprehension. In studies of
readability, most of vocabulary difficulty account for about
80% of the predicted variance. In short, vocabulary
plays a very important role in reading tests” (p.99).

9. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Role of Vocabulary in Reading Tests
What do vocabulary tests measure?.
“According to Johnston‟s (1984) study it might be prior
knowledge as well as or rather than lexical knowledge” cited
in Alderson (2000:99)
“Clearly vocabulary is important to text comprehension, and thus to test
performance” (p.99)

10. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Use of Dictionaries in Reading Test
“To reduce the effect of vocabulary knowledge on
measures of reading comprehension, it might be wise
to allow students to compensate for lack of vocabulary
by consulting dictionaries” (p.99)

11. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Use of Dictionaries in Reading Test
However, some have argued that allowing students to
use dictionaries during a reading test…
Provide some of what is being tested.
Waste time looking up words.
“it appeared that more proficient students used the dictionaries less” (p.100).

12. THANK YOU

13. READING AS A STRATEGIC PROCESS
Kinds of Linguistic Knowledge
Phonetic knowledge
Phonological knowledge
Morphological knowledge
Syntactic (and semantic) knowledge
Semantic knowledge
Pragmatic knowledge
Knowledge of varieties of language
5th session Reading Strategies.pptx

14. THEORY QUIZ
FIRST QUIZ - SECOND TERM
1. What does the transfer hypothesis claim?
Complete these two outcomes:
2. What does vocabulary test measure?
According to Johnston (1984) study...
3. However, some have argued that allowing students
to use dictionaries during a reading test…