Panel 7.2.  Placement Exams

Moderator: Sasha Razor (University of California, Los Angeles)

CAVA: A Spanish Vocabulary Test for Heritage Speakers

• Eve Zyzik (University of California, Santa Cruz)
• Amàlia Llombart (Cal Poly Pomona)

We describe the design and validation of the California Assessment of Vocabulary Acquisition (CAVA), a receptive vocabulary test that measures meaning recognition of Spanish words at five frequency levels. Preliminary findings confirm the construct validity of CAVA as well as a correlation between participants’ vocabulary size and language dominance.

Examining SHL/SNS Performance on Linguistic Items for Placement Implications

• Patricia MacGregor-Mendoza (New Mexico State University)
• Gabriela Moreno (New Mexico State University)
• Jeffrey Longwell (New Mexico State University)

We piloted new items for our placement test. Preliminary results indicate that responses of L2 learners on items differ significantly from SHL/SNS learners showing promise for their integration into our placement test. Here we demonstrate the results of analyses to confirm each item’s reliably to provide meaningful information regarding placement.

Developing and Validating of a web-based Test to Measure Vietnamese Heritage Learners’ Listening Proficiency

• Hoan Nguyen (University of Hawai`i at Manoa)

This presentation describes the design and validation of a web-based Vietnamese Listening Proficiency Test (VLPT) for pedagogical and research purposes. The VLPT is designed to measure Vietnamese heritage learners’ general listening ability from low intermediate to high advanced level following the ACTFL proficiency guideline for listening (ACTFL, 2012).

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