Validity Issues in the Information-detection Test Taken from CILS Certification

Journal title RIV Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione
Author/s Paolo Torresan
Publishing Year 2015 Issue 2014/59 Language Italian
Pages 20 P. 104-123 File size 146 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIV2014-059006
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In this article, we consider a reading test developed by the Centro di Certificazione CILS (CILS Certification Centre) of the Università per Stranieri di Siena, designed for students of Italian as a foreign language. The so-called “information-detection test” is a variant of a true/false test. We have studied the design of the test, examined its goals, studied its scoring systems, collected data based on samples tested on foreigners and natives, analyzed all of the items and considered the structure of the text on which the test is based. Numerous critical issues are identified making the tests poorly suited to the certifying body’s purposes.

Keywords: Language Assessment, Validity, Reading, Teaching Italian as a FL, Proficiency Tests, Item Writing.

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Paolo Torresan, Test a individuazione di informazioni della certificazione di italiano per stranieri CILS: aspetti crititci in "RIV Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione" 59/2014, pp 104-123, DOI: 10.3280/RIV2014-059006