PASARA NAMSAENG (MAHASARAKHAM UNIVERSITY)

REFINING VOCABULARY ASSESSMENT: CREATING COMPREHENSIVE TESTS FOR RECEPTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF ACADEMIC VOCABULARY : LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

This study presents an innovative approach to assessing academic vocabulary knowledge, probing into form, meaning, and use distinctions. By analyzing past research, the study identifies optimal test formats to evaluate the complex aspects of vocabulary knowledge, including word parts, form and meaning, associations, and grammatical functions. Additionally, the creativity of a sentence writing test is harnessed to gauge the depth of a student’s productive knowledge. The study selects twenty target words that bridge the Academic Word List and the Academic Vocabulary List, establishing a foundational bedrock for test construction. Employing recognition and recall principles, the research crafts four receptive knowledge tests, four productive knowledge tests, and an innovative sentence test. These tests undergo rigorous validation through factor analysis and the robust metrics of Item Response Theory, including a Rasch analysis. This systematic process assures the unidimensionality, local independence, item reliability, and overall fit of the model, culminating in a suite of assessments that stand on the solid ground of validity and reliability. The implications of this research offer educators and researchers in university settings powerful tools for refined assessment and a fresh perspective in language testing. This study is a beacon for advancing vocabulary assessment, providing a compass for educators to navigate the complex seas of language proficiency measurement.

Pasara Namsaeng is a PhD student and a university lecturer in the English Language Teaching Program, Department of Western Languages and Linguistics at Mahasarakham University in Thailand. Her main research areas include second language acquisition, vocabulary knowledge, language assessment and evaluation, and writing skills.