The Effect of Task Characteristics on IELTS Reading Performance
Behnam Behfrouz, Elham Nahvi
Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
DOI: 10.4236/ojml.2013.31004   PDF    HTML     6,672 Downloads   11,968 Views   Citations

Abstract

One of the skills that involve thinking processes is reading. Reading is a skill which allows students to become familiar with other people’s ideas; compare and contrast different ideas; examine and evaluate arguments, interpretations, beliefs, or theories; make inferences, predictions, or interpretations; and explore implications and consequences. In essence, reading is a skill that compels students to think critically. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the effects of task characteristics on the learners’ performance in the reading section of IELTS. To accomplish the purpose of the research, a sample of 50 male and female students participated in this study. In order to ensure the homogeneity of the participants and determine the participants’ reading proficiency level, a reading part of the IELTS test was conducted at the outset of the study. Based upon the results, 30 participants were selected to be included within this study. Next, five IELTS tests were given to the participants. The subsequent data was then analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and the Sheffe test. Data revealed that participants performed differently on the IELTS test due to different task types given as a treatment. The results suggest that task characteristics have a significant effect on IELTS reading test performance.

Share and Cite:

Behfrouz, B. & Nahvi, E. (2013). The Effect of Task Characteristics on IELTS Reading Performance. Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 3, 30-39. doi: 10.4236/ojml.2013.31004.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511732935
[2] Amiri, M., & Maftoon, P. (2010). Awareness of reading strategies among Iranian high school students. In EDULEARN10 Proceedings CD (pp. 6782-6791). Valencia: IATED.
[3] Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[4] Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Languag testing in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[5] Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (2010). Language assessment in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[6] Bowen, J. D., Maadsen, H., & Hilferty, A. (1985). TESOL techniques and procedures. Rowley: Newbury House.
[7] Carr, N. T. (2006). The factor structure of test task characteristics and examinee performance. Language Testing, 23, 269-289. doi:10.1191/0265532206lt328oa
[8] Carrell, L. P. (1991). Second language reading: Reading ability or language proficiency? Applied Linguistics, 9, 233-242.
[9] Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book: An ESL/EFL teacher’s course. Boston, MA: Heinleand Heinle.
[10] Chastain, K. (1988). Developing second-language skills: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
[11] Clapham, C. (1996). The development of IELTS: A study of the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate.
[12] Edigar, A. (2001). Teaching children literacy skills in a second language. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 153-169). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
[13] Finocchiaro, M., & Bonomo, M. (1973). The foreign language learner: A guide for teachers. NewYork: Regents.
[14] Freedle, R., & Kostin, I. (1993). The prediction of TOEFL reading item difficulty: Implications for constructvalidity. Language Testing, 10, 133-170.
[15] Grabe, W. (1988). What every EFL teacher should know about the reading in English. TESOL Journal, 31, 130-148.
[16] Grabe, W. (1999). Developments in reading research and their implications for computer-adaptive reading assessment. In M. Chalhoub-Deville (Ed.), Issues in computer-adaptive testing of reading proficiency (pp. 11-48). Cambridge: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate.
[17] Hadley, A. O. (2003). Teaching language in context (3rd ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
[18] Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching & learning. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.
[19] Nuttall, C. (1996). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. Oxford: Macmillan.
[20] Perkins, K., Gupta, L., & Tammana, R. (1995). Predicting item difficulty in a reading comprehension test with an artificial neural network. Language Testing, 12, 34-53. doi:10.1177/026553229501200103
[21] Richards, C. J., & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman dictionary of language teaching & applied linguistics. London: Pearson Education.
[22] Krashen, D. S. (1988). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall International.
[23] Genesee, F., & Upshur, J. A. (1996). Classroom-based evaluation in second language education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.