Arabic L2 Proficiency Test: Practice, Specifications and Standards
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Abstract
This paper focuses on Arabic L2 proficiency tests that measures Arabic
L2 learners’ proficiency in the language skills, such as: listening, reading,
speaking and writing; elements, such as: syntax, vocabulary, phonetics,
and culture; and language requirements, such as: genres, prosody, and
rhetoric.
To the knowledge of the researcher, few tests currently exist either
through the Arab world or worldwide. This paper will briefly discuss
these tests, especially the specifications and standards that the developers
consider to design them including the test objectives, content, and rationale.
The current paper pays extra attention to the King Saud University
Arabic L2 Proficiency Test which was developed during the years 2012
through to 2014. The researcher involvement in the development of the test
while working as head of TASOL Research Chair at King Saud University
allows for a comprehensive understanding of the test. In addition, the paper
will highlight the results of an experiment that the researcher conducted to
examine the validity of Arabic L2 oral tasks tests.
The current paper also sheds light on the strengths and areas of
development of Arabic L2 proficiency tests and concludes with a framework
that identifies the most necessary needs to develop an international Arabic
L2 proficiency test to measure Arabic L2 learners’ proficiency including
skills, elements and requirements.
Article Details
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