This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Beglar, D. Articles by Hunt, A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Revising and validating the 2000 Word Level and University Word Level Vocabulary Tests

Temple University, Osaka, davidbeglar{at}kmug.org

Alan Hunt

Eichi University, Osaka

Few researchers have undertaken detailed investigations of the reliability and validity of tests designed to measure vocabulary size. Thus, the purpose of this study was to carefully analyse and validate the revised versions of the 2000 Word Level and the University Word Level of Nation’s Vocabulary Levels Test (Nation 1990), which can be administered for the purposes of course planning and placement in language programs. In this study, 496 Japanese high school and university students completed four forms of the 2000 Word Level Test and 464 participants completed four forms of the University Word Level Test. Two new forms of each test were created and then examined using classical and Rasch item analyses. The new forms were found to be acceptably reliable (a = .84-.95), and the Rasch analysis revealed only 3 misfitting items (k = 108). In addition, these forms had statistically significant correlations with the TOEFL, particularly for the reading and grammar subsections. A variety of evidence is then presented to support the notion that the tests are unidimensional. Finally, the authors suggest further improvements and new directions for future research.

Language Testing, Vol. 16, No. 2, 131-162 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/026553229901600202


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Gardner Validating the Construct of Word in Applied Corpus-based Vocabulary Research: A Critical Survey Applied Linguistics, June 1, 2007; 28(2): 241 - 265. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				k. Mochida and M. Harrington The Yes/No test as a measure of receptive vocabulary knowledge Language Testing, January 1, 2006; 23(1): 73 - 98. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Read and C. A. Chapelle A framework for second language vocabulary assessment Language Testing, January 1, 2001; 18(1): 1 - 32. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. Schmitt, D. Schmitt, and C. Clapham Developing and exploring the behaviour of two new versions of the Vocabulary Levels Test Language Testing, January 1, 2001; 18(1): 55 - 88. [Abstract] [PDF]