James E. Purpura

An analysis of the relationships between test takers' cognitive and metacognitive strategy use and second language test performance

Summary and Implications The relationships between strategy use and SLTP areextremely complex, and at times very subtle; multidimensionalconstructs are involved and multiplex interactions could occurbetweenandamongthestudyvariables.Nonetheless,thepresentfindingshaveanumberofimplicationsforSLAandlanguagetest-ing research.Theoretically, this study has drawn on learner strategyresearch, cognitive psychology, and SL assessment research topropose a model of the relationships between self-reported cogni-tive and metacognitive strategy use and SLTP, thereby contribut-ing to the formulation of a more comprehensive view of cognitionand SLTP. The model presented here showed that MP seems toexert an executive function over CP. Moreover, using certainstrategies appears to affect SLTP, albeit both negatively and posi-tively; using other strategies seems to have no effect at all. Thismodel, although limiting its notion of SLTP to the 5 tasks meas-uredbythe FCEAnchorTest andgeneralizableonlytothepopula-tions studied, provides baseline information for furtherexploration of the relationships between strategy use and LTP.Methodologically,thestudyusedquestionnairedatatorepre-sent mental processing. Although I thoroughly analyzed the databefore including them in the models, I cannot claim that data fromself-reports directly reflect mental processing. Nonetheless, manyresearchers,myselfincluded,supporttheuseofquestionnairesasaviable elicitation procedure because they afford such a degree ofstructure,despitetheconstantthreattointernalvalidity.Analytically, this study has demonstrated the value of usingexploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, andSEM as primary research tools for investigating multiple vari-ables simultaneously and providing insights into their possiblerelationships. It also showed that, in addition to the use of “stan-dard” models, the use of “non-standard” models allows for theexploration of “specific” effects—a use of SEM previously not seenin language-testing research.

Investigating the Effects of Strategy Use and Second Language Test Performance with High- and Low-Ability Test Takers: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach.

Implicit in the research on strategy use is the notion that high- and low-ability language learners utilize strategies differently and that these differences are related to differential performance; however, to date, no study has tested these assumptions statistically. This study uses structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the relationships between strategy use and second language test performance (SLTP) with high- and low-ability test takers. 1,382 test takers were given strategy questionnaires and a language test, and separate baseline models of strategy use and SLTP were established for each group. These models were then estimated simultaneously with cross-group equality constraints imposed. The similarities and differences in this multi-group model provided the means for evaluating the viability of the parameter estimates across ability levels. The results showed that the metacognitive strategy use (MSU) and SLTP models produced almost identical factorial structures for each group, while the cognitive strategy use (CSU) models were somewhat different. Then, while some evidence of cross-group equivalence was observed, the cross-group tests of invariance could not be uniformly supported in the data; the effect of MSU on CSU was found to be variant across the groups, as was the effect of the retrieval processes on lexico-grammatical ability, suggesting that the variation in lexico-grammatical ability and reading ability stems from the test takers’ use of the retrieval processes in concert with the metacognitive strategies.

Linguistic and Cultural Challenges in Communication and Translation in US-Sponsored HIV Prevention Research in Emerging Economies.

Linguistic and cultural differences can impede comprehension among potential research participants during the informed consent process, but how researchers and IRBs respond to these challenges in practice is unclear. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 researchers, research ethics committee (REC) chairs and members from 8 different countries with emerging economies, involved in HIV-related research sponsored by HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), regarding the ethical and regulatory challenges they face in this regard. In the interviews, problems with translating study materials often arose as major concerns. Four sets of challenges were identified concerning linguistic and cultural translations of informed consent documents and other study materials, related to the: (1) context, (2) process, (3) content and (4) translation of these documents. Host country contextual issues included low literacy rates, education (e.g., documents may need to be written below 5th grade reading level), and experiences with research, and different views of written documentation. Certain terms and concepts may not exist in other languages, or have additional connotations that back translations do not always reveal. Challenges arise because of not only the content of word-for-word, literal translation, but the linguistic form of the language, such as tone (e.g., appropriate forms of politeness vs. legalese, seen as harsh), syntax, manner of questions posed, and the concept of the consent); and the contexts of use affect meaning. Problems also emerged in bilateral communications – US IRBs may misunderstand local practices, or communicate insufficiently the reasons for their decisions to foreign RECs. In sum, these data highlight several challenges that have received little, if any, attention in past literature on translation of informed consent and study materials, and have crucial implications for improving practice, education, research and policy, suggesting several strategies, including needs for broader open-source multilingual lexicons, and more awareness of the complexities involved.

Investigating the Foreign Language Needs of Professional School Students in International Affairs: A Case Study

On-going demographic changes and increasing globalization have challenged professional schools to prepare students for the plurilinguistic and pluricultural realities of the workplace both within and across national boundaries. Given these evolving workplace realities, professional schools may need to re-assess the degree to which their students’ career needs are being met by existing language programs, so that policy and resources can be adjusted accordingly. The current inquiry reports on a large-scale assessment designed to investigate the foreign language needs of students in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and to evaluate the degree to which these needs are being addressed. Recognizing that different stakeholders may have opposing perceptions of foreign language needs, this study utilized a conceptual model of needs assessment that surveyed multiple sources of data within and across a variety of stakeholder groups. These perceived needs were then examined and compared. The findings showed a disparity among the needs of the professional school students, foreign language instruction, and SIPA’s language policy. The model of needs assessment used in this study served as an invaluable framework for examining the different dimensions of foreign language needs.

A Lifetime of Language Testing: An Interview with Adrian (Buzz) Palmer

Adrian (Buzz) Palmer was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1940, studied at the University of Michigan (U of M), and graduated with a BA in economics. His MA and PhD, also from the U of M, are in lin...