Language for Special Academic Purposes (LSAP) testing: The effect of background knowledge revisited

Language Testing

Volumn 23, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 99-130

  Krekeler, Christian ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES   (Germany)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 29144445228     PISSN: 02655322     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1191/0265532206lt323oa     Document Type: Article

References (42)

1. Alderson, J.C. 1984: Reading in a foreign language: a reading problem or a language problem? In Alderson, J.C. and Urquhart, A.H., editors Reading in a foreign language. Longman, 1-24.
2. Alderson, J.C. 1988: Testing English for specific purposes: how specific can we get? In Hughes, A., editor Testing English for university study (ELT Documents 127). Modern English Publications und British Council, 16-28.
3. Alderson, J.C. 2000: Assessing reading. Cambridge University Press.
4. Alderson, J.C. and Urquhart, A.H. 1985a: The effect of students' academic discipline on their performance on ESP reading tests. Language Testing 2, 192-204.
5. Alderson, J.C. and Urquhart, A.H. 1985b: This test is unfair: I'm not an economist. In Hauptman, P.C., LeBlanc, R. and Bingham-Wesche, M., Second language performance testing. University of Ottawa Press, 25-45.
6. Alvermann, D.E. and Hynd, C.R. 1989: Effects of prior knowledge activation modes and text structure on non-science majors' comprehension of physics. Journal of Education Research 83, 97-102.
7. Arentzen, H., editor, 1997: Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon. Gabler.
8. Bachman, L.F. 1990: Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford University Press.
9. Bernhardt, E.B. 1991: Reading development in a second language. Ablex.
10. Bernhardt, E.B. and Kamil, M.L. 1995: Interpreting relationships between L1 and L2 reading: consolidating the linguistic threshold and linguistic interdependence hypotheses. Applied Linguistics 16, 15-34.
11. Birjandi, P., Alavi, S.M. and Salmani-Nodoushan, M.A. 2002: Text familiarity, reading tasks, and ESP test performance: a study on Iranian LEP and non-LEP university students. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Tehran. Available online at: www.geocities.com/nodoushan/ HomePage.html (September 2005).
12. Bossers, B. 1991: On thresholds, ceilings and short-circuits: the relation between L1 reading, L2 reading and L2 knowledge. In Hulstijn, J.H. and Matter, J.F., editors, Reading in two languages AILA Review 8: Amsterdam, 45-60.
13. Bossers, B. 1983: Three components of background knowledge in reading comprehension. Language Learning 33, 183-07.
14. Bossers, B. 1991: Second language reading: reading ability or language proficiency? Applied Linguistics 12, 159-79.
15. Chen, H-C. and Graves, M.F. 1995: Effects of previewing and providing background knowledge on Taiwanese college students' comprehension of American Short Stories. TESOL Quarterly 29, 663-86.
16. Clapham, C. 1993: Is ESP testing justified? In Douglas, D. and Chapelle, C., editors, A new decade of language testing research: selected papers from the 1990 Language testing research colloquium. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), 257-71.
17. Clapham, C. 1996: The development of IELTS: a study of the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension. Studies in Language Testing. Volume 4. Cambridge University Press.
18. Clapham, C. 2000: Assessment for academic purposes: where next? System 28, 511--21.
19. Clarke, M.A. 1980: The short circuit hypothesis of ESL reading - or when language competence interferes with reading performance. Modern Language Journal 64, 203-09.
20. Douglas, D. and Selinker, L. 1993: Performance on a general versus a field-specific test of speaking proficiency by international teaching assistants. In Chapelle, C. and Douglas, D., editors, A new decade of language testing research: selected Papers from the 1990 language testing research colloquium. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), 235-56.
21. Erickson, M. and Molloy, J. 1983: ESP test development for engineering students. In Oller, J., editor, Issues in language testing research. Newbury House, 280-88.
22. Fulcher, G. 1999: Assessment in English for academic purposes: putting content validity in its place. Applied Linguistics 20, 221-36.
23. Grotjahn, R., Klein-Bradley, C. and Raatz, U. 2002: C-tests: an overview. In Coleman, J.A., Grotjahn, R. and Raatz, U., editors, University, language testing and the C-test. AKS-Verlag, 93-114.
24. Grotjahn, R. and Stemmer, B. 2002: C-tests and language processing. In Coleman, J.A., Grotjahn, R. and Raatz, U., editors, University language testing and the C-test. AKS-Verlag, 115-30.
25. Hock, T.S. 1990: The role of prior knowledge and language proficiency as predictors of reading comprehension among undergraduates. In de Jong, J.H.A.L. and Stevenson, D.K., editors, Individualizing the assessment of language abilities. Multilingual Matters, 214-44.
26. Hung, C.M. 1990: The effects of pre-reading instruction on the comprehension of text by ESL readers. The English Teacher 19 (July).
27. Jensen, C. and Hansen, C. 1995: The effect of prior knowledge on EAP listening-test performance. Language Testing 12, 99-119.
28. Koh, M.Y. 1985: The role of prior knowledge in reading comprehension. Reading in a Foreign Language 3, 375-81.
29. Lee, J. and Schallert, D.L. 1997: The relative contribution of L2 language proficiency and L1 reading ability to L2 reading performance: a test of the threshold hypothesis in an EFL context. TESOL Quarterly 31, 713-39.
30. Mihm, A. 1973: Sprachstatistische Kriterien zur Tauglichkeit von Lesebüchern [Linguistic statistics for evaluating the usefulness of school books]. Linguistik und Didaktik 14, 117-27.
31. Osman, S. 1984: Effects of prior knowledge on ESL reading. In Byong, Wan-Kin, editor, Reading in Asia: the first yearbook of CCA. Hanyang University Press, 43-61.
32. Papajohn, D. 1999: The effect of topic variation in performance testing: the case of the chemistry TEACH test for international teaching assistants. Language Testing 16, 52-81.
33. Peretz, A.S. and Shoham, M. 1990: Testing reading comprehension in LSP: does topic familiarity affect assessed difficulty and actual performance? Reading in a Foreign Language 7, 447-55.
34. Pichette, F., Segalowitz, N. and Connors, K. 2003: Impact of maintaining L1 reading skills on L2 reading skill development in adults: evidence from speakers of Serbo-Croatian learning French. The Modern Language Journal 87, 391-03.
35. Raatz, U. and Klein-Braley, C. 2002: Introduction to language testing and to C-tests. In Coleman, J.A., Grotjahn, R. and Raatz, U., editors, University language testing and the C-test. AKS-Verlag, 75-91.
36. Read, J. 1990: Providing relevant content in an EAP writing test. English for Specific Purposes 9, 109-21.
37. Ridgway, T. 1997: Thresholds of the background knowledge effect in foreign language reading. Reading in a Foreign Language 11, 151-68.
38. Shoham, M., Peretz, A.S. and Vorhaus, R. 1987: Reading comprehension tests: general or subject-specific? System 15, 81-88.
39. Tan, S.H. 1990: The role of prior knowledge and language proficiency as predictors of reading comprehension among undergraduates. In de Jong, J.H.A.L. and Stevenson, D.K., editors, Individualizing the assessment of language abilities. Multilingual Matters, 214-24.
40. Tedick, D.J. 1990: ESL writing assessment: subject-matter knowledge and its impact on performance. English for Specific Purposes 9, 123-43.
41. Yamashita, J. 2001: Transfer of L1 reading ability to L2 reading: an elaboration of the linguistic threshold. Studies in Language and Culture 23, 189-200.
42. Yamashita, J. 2004: Reading attitudes in L1 and L2, and their influence on L2 extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign Language 16, 1-19.