MPLT: LTRC : School of Languages and Linguistics : The University of Melbourne

Melbourne Papers in Language Testing (MPLT)

Melbourne Papers in Language Testing (MPLT) are a set of peer-reviewed papers published annually by the LTRC (or biennially depending on the number of submissions). MPLT is one of only four journals dedicated exclusively to language testing and assessment and offers an opportunity for both new and more experienced researchers to publish papers, commentaries or reviews of tests or books on language testing and assessment issues. Articles and correspondence on editorial matters should be addressed to Sally O’Hagan at sohagan@unimelb.edu.au.

Submissions should be made as email attachment. As of 2006, MPLT is published exclusively online and papers are freely downloadable as pdf files. Hard copies of back issues for the period 1992 -2001 are also available for purchase at the rate of Aus $16.00 per volume.

ISSN: 1327-0311

Volume 15, Issue 1, 2010	Peter Falvey and David Coniam: A qualitative study of the response of raters towards onscreen and paper-based marking (680kb pdf) Marita Härmälä: Linguistic, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic competence as criteria in assessing vocational language skills: the case of Finland (820kb pdf) Rachael Ruegg and Yuko Sugiyama: Do analytic measures of content predict scores assigned for content in timed writing? (650kb pdf) Is'haaq Akbarian: Review of Coombe et al, A Practical Guide to Assessing English Language Learners (pdf, 300kb) Author contact details: Author notes (245kb pdf)
Volume 14, Issue 1, 2009	Nao Ohkubo: Validating the integrated writing task of the TOEFL internet-based test (iBT): Linguistic analysis of test takers’ use of input materials (360kb pdf) Kieran O'Loughlin: "Does it measure up?" Benchmarking the written examination of a university English pathway program (270kb pdf) Mizue Inoue: Health Sciences Communication Skills Test: the development of a rating scale (495kb pdf)
Volume 14, Issue 2, 2009	David Coniam: Discrepancy essays – natural phenomenon or problem to be solved? (245kb pdf) Raili Hildén: In pursuit of validity: An empirical pilot on validating the Finnish version of the European Language Portfolio developed for upper grades of compulsory basic education (305kb pdf)
Volume 13, Issue 1, 2008	Luke Harding: Accent and academic listening assessment: A study of test-taker perceptions (345kb pdf) Ute Knoch: The assessment of academic style in EAP writing: The case of the rating scale (355kb pdf)
Volume 13, Issue 2, 2008	Tziona Levi: Tziona Levi: Reliability, validity and feasibility of the Project – a component in the Israeli EFL Matriculation test (350kb pdf) Purya Baghaei :The effects of the rhetorical organization of texts on the C-Test construct: A Rasch modeling study (130kb pdf)
Volume 12, Issue 1, 2007	Thi Nhan Hoa Nguyen: Effects of test preparation on test performance – The case of the IELTS and TOEFL iBT Listening Tests (355kb pdf) Catherine Elder, Colleen Bright and Sandra Bennett: The role of language proficiency in academic success: Perspectives from a New Zealand university (360kb pdf)
Volume 11, Issue 1, 2006	Catherine Elder and Aek Phakiti: Editorial (40kb pdf) Douglas Altamiro Consolo: On a (re)definition of oral language proficiency for EFL teachers: Perspectives and contributions from current research) (585kb pdf) Lyn May: An examination of rater orientations on a paired candidate discussion task through stimulated verbal recall) (450kb pdf) Aek Phakiti: Modeling cognitive and metacognitive strategies and their relationships to EFL reading test performance) (920kb pdf)
Volume 10, Issue. 1, 2001	Akiyama, T. The Application of G-theory and IRT in the analysis of data from speaking tests administered in a classroom context (1.03Mb pdf) Futaba, T. Developing In-house assessment for English performance in universities: Additions to standardized testing  (660kb pdf) Grove, E. and Brown, A. Tasks and criteria in a test of oral communication skills for first-year health science students: where from? (620kb pdf) Toyoda, E. and Hashimoto, Y. Analysis of a new Japanese language placement test battery using G-theory and Rasch model programs (855kb pdf)
Volume 9, Issue 1, May 2000	Brown, A. Hill, K. and Iwashita, N. A longitudinal and comparative study: The attainment of language proficiency. (pdf, 1.67mb) Falvey, P. and Cheng, L. Paradigm shift: Teachers’ classroom assessment practices in Hong Kong and the PRC. (pdf, 1.3mb) Phakiti, A closer look at the relationship of cognitive and metacognitive strategy use to EFL reading achievement test performance. (pdf, 2.4mb)
Volume 9, Issue 2, Nov 2000	Dominguez, R Oral tests for children learning a foreign language.  (pdf, 1.03mb) van Dieten, A. Alternative assessment: Self-assessment beyond the mainstream.  (pdf, 712kb) Sasaki, Y. The predictive validity of SPOT and self-assessment questionnaire.   (pdf, 1.23mb)
Volume 8, Issue 1, May 1999	Cho, D A study on ESL writing assessment: Intra-rater reliability of ESL compositions.  (pdf, 1.25mb) Isaac, A. Examining the validity of two instruments as measures of curriculum-related L2 vocabulary development. (pdf, 1.66mb) Lynch, B. and Hamp-Lyons, L. Perspectives on Research Paradigms and Validity: Tales from the Language Testing Research Colloquium.  (pdf, 2mb)
Volume 8, Issue 2, Nov 1999	Coniam, D. and Falvey, P. Assessor training in a high-stakes test of speaking: The Hong Kong English language benchmarking initiative.  (pdf, 1.03mb) O’Hagan, S. Assessment criteria for non-native speaker and native speaker essays: Do uniform standards work?   (pdf, 1.77mb) Ward, S. Bridging the Gap: Evaluating the effectiveness of an early literacy intervention program.   (pdf, 1.38mb)
Volume 7, Issue 1, May 1998	Elder, E. What counts as bias in language testing?  (pdf, 2.37mb) Tait, J. Unstated expectations: how NNS students and ESL teachers depend on what content teachers don’t tell them.  (pdf, 1.80mb) Brown, and Lumley, T. Linguistic and cultural norms in language testing: a case study. (pdf, 908kb)
Volume 7, Issue 2, Dec 1998	Adams, R. J., McNamara, T.F. and Zammit, S. Detecting and evaluating the impact of multidimensionality in language test data.  (pdf, 680kb) Ferguson, G. and White, E. A small-scale study of predictive validity. (pdf, 2.32kb) Ward, S. Evaluating business writing training programs: just how adaptable is the Context Adaptive Model.    (pdf, 948kb)
Volume 6, Issue 1, Nov 1997	Brown, A. Editor’s Preface (pdf, 33kb) Douglas, D. Introduction (pdf, 139kb) Hawthorne, L. Defining the target domain: what language skills are required of engineers and nurses?  (pdf, 771kb) McNamara, T. Problematising content validity: the Occupational English Test (OET) as a measure of medical communication. (pdf, 1.18mb) Hill, K. From job analysis to task design: different approaches to simulating teacher language behaviour.  (pdf, 414kb) Iwashita, N. and Elder, C. Expert feedback? Assessing the role of test-taker reactions to a proficiency test for teachers of Japanese. (pdf, 736kb) Elder, C. and Brown, A. Performance testing for the professions: language proficiency or strategic competence? (pdf, 557kb) Davies, A. The education (and training) of language testers.    (pdf, 405kb)
Volume 6, Issue 2, Dec 1997	Davies, A. The competing claims of accuracy and fluency in the construction of performance tests of language proficiency: two cheers for Robert Lado! (985kb pdf) Hill, K., Davies, A., Oldfield, J. and Watson, N. Questioning an early start: the transition from primary to secondary foreign language learning (660kb pdf) Iwashita, N. Assessment of oral communication skills in LOTE settings in Australia (365kb pdf) Leung, C. and A. Teasdale, A. Raters’ understanding of rating scales as abstracted concept and as instruments for decision making (1.28Mb pdf) Ward, S. Inter-rater reliability in an ESP context   (865kb pdf)
Volume 5, Issue 1, May 1996	Grove, E. Creativity and Accountability in Competency-based Language Programmes: Issues of Curriculum and Assessment  (1.03Mb pdf) Brown, A. and Iwashita, N. The role of language background in the validation of a computer-adaptive test (880kb pdf) Elder, C., Davies, A., Hajek, J., Manwaring, D. and Warren, J. Is Grammar Good For You? The relationship between metalinguistic knowledge and success in studying a language at university. (pdf, 1.09mb)
Volume 5, Issue 2, Nov 1996	Davies, A. What second language learners can tell us about the native speakers: identifying and describing exceptions  (1.24Mb pdf) Hill, K. Who should be the judge? The use of non-native speakers as raters on a test of English as an international language (990kb pdf) Iwashita, N. The validity of the paired interview format in oral performance assessment (760kb pdf) Pavlou, P. and Rasi, S. Considerations in developing writing prompts for simulated oral proficiency interviews (585kb pdf)
Volume 4, Issue 1, May 1995	Davies, A. Testing Communicative Language or Testing Language Communicatively: what? how? (1.09Mb pdf) Elder, C. Do Bilinguals Perform Better than Monolinguals on School Foreign Language Examinations?  (1.59Mb pdf) Gruba, P. The Role of Visual Media in Listening Assessment (945kb pdf) Lumley, T. The Judgements of Language-trained Raters and Doctors in a Test of English for Health Professionals (1.12Mb pdf)
Volume 4, Issue 2, Nov 1995	Davies, A. Introduction: Measures and Reports (560kb pdf) Ingram, D. Scales  (1.01Mb pdf) Scarino, A. Language Scales and Language Tests: development in LOTE (640kb pdf) Hill, K. Scales and Tests: a Case Study (750kb pdf) North, D. Scales of Language Proficiency (2.78Mb pdf)
Volume 3, Issue 1, May 1994	Elder, C. Performance Testing as a benchmark for LOTE Teacher Education (1.27Mb pdf) O'Loughlin, K. Lexical Density in Candidate Output On Two Versions of an Oral Proficiency Test (1.26Mb pdf) Hill, K and Storch, N. Analytic Rating Scales: How diagnostic are they? (3.5Mb pdf)
Volume 3, Issue 2, Nov 1994	Lunt, H. The Investigation of Oral Proficiency and Language Learning Strategies in a Migrant ESL Context (820kb pdf) Lumley, T., Lynch, B. and McNamara, T. A New Approach To Standard-Setting In Language Assessment (3.19Mb pdf) Elder, C. Are raters’ judgements of Language Teacher effectiveness wholly language-based? (1.24Mb pdf)
Volume 2, Issue 1, May 1993	Hamilton, J., Lopes, M., McNamara, T. and Sheridan, E. Rating scales and native speaker performance on a communicatively oriented EAP Test  (1.08Mb pdf) Lumley, T. Reading comprehension sub-skills: teachers’ perceptions of content in an EAP test (1.51Mb pdf) Wigglesworth, G. and O'Loughlin, K. An investigation into the comparability of direct and semi-direct versions of an oral interaction test in English (525kb pdf) Elder, C. Language proficiency as a predictor of performance in teacher education (1.01Mb pdf)
Volume 2, Issue 2, Nov 1993	Storch, N. The development and validation of a writing test and an analytic scoring scheme used in the ESL program, the University of Melbourne. (1.57Mb pdf) Brown, A. LSP testing: the role of linguistic and real-world criteria.  (1.14Mb pdf) Quinn, T.J. The competency movement, Applied Linguistics and Language Testing: some reflections and suggestions for a possible research agenda.   (1.96Mb pdf)
Volume 1, Issue 1, May 1992	Davies, A. Is language proficiency always achievement? (pdf, 900kb pdf)  Elder, C. How do subject specialists construe language proficiency? (1Mb pdf) Brown, A., Elder, C., Lumley, T., McNamara, T. and McQueen, J. Mapping abilities and skill levels using Rasch techniques (1.51Mb pdf) Brown, A. and McNamara, T. The role of test-taker feedback in the test development process  (1.72Mb pdf)
Volume 1, Issue 2, Dec 1992	Davies, A. Speculation and empiricism in applied linguistics  (1.38Mb pdf) O’Loughlin , K. Do English and ESL teachers rate essays differently?  (1.58Mb pdf) Chitravelu, N., Khong, C.P. and  Tan, S. H. Issues in the design of a large-scale test of English (pdf, 1.85mb)

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Melbourne Papers in Language Testing (MPLT)