Assessing the Validity of ACTFL Can‐Do Statements for Spoken Proficiency: A Rasch Analysis. (11th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tigchelaar, Magda; Bowles, Ryan P.; Winke, Paula; Gass, Susan
• Is Part Of: Foreign language annals. Volume 50:Number 3(2017:Autumn)
• Page Start: 584
• Page End: 600
• Publication Date: 2017-08-11
• Subjects: Spanish -- postsecondary -- proficiency guidelines -- self‐assessment -- test development and validation; Languages, Modern -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 418.0071
• DOI: 10.1111/flan.12286
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0015-718X

Abstract

Abstract: The NCSSFL‐ACTFL Can‐Do Statements describe what language learners can do at the various ACTFL proficiency sublevels. Unlike the European equivalent of the Can‐Do Statements (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), few researchers have assessed the construct validity of the NCSSFL‐ACTFL statements. Concerns have included whether the difficulty levels of the skills described in the statements match the statements' assigned proficiency levels and whether each statement accurately indicates the underlying construct: language proficiency on the ACTFL subscales. This study addressed those two concerns. Undergraduate Spanish learners at an American university (N = 382) self‐assessed their speaking proficiency by responding to a selection of 50 NCSSFL‐ACTFL Can‐Do Statements. A Rasch analysis revealed 15 misfitting items that did not fit the model. The suspected reasons for the misfit were that the statements were vague, described experiences that the learners may not have had, or assessed multiple skills in a single statement. However, 35 statements fit the model. Discussed are how the NCSSFL‐ACTFL Can‐Do Statements can be used to self‐assess proficiency and how the statements should be assessed for content validity and psychometric value.