University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

CAF across proficiency levels and profiles: an investigation of ESL student writings in an English placement test

Avci, Arzu

Content Files
AVCI-THESIS-2020.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/108618

Description

Title
CAF across proficiency levels and profiles: an investigation of ESL student writings in an English placement test
Author(s)
Avci, Arzu
Issue Date
2020-07-16
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Yan, Xun
Department of Study
Linguistics
Discipline
Teaching of English Sec Lang
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2020-10-07T22:44:39Z
Keyword(s)
  • complexity
  • accuracy
  • fluency
  • second language writing
  • language testing
Abstract
This study was an examination of the predictive value of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) across proficiency levels and profiles in second language writing. 150 ESL essays of international students registered at a North American university were analyzed using various CAF measures. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA results indicate that fluency is the strongest indicator of proficiency. Accuracy is also found to distinguish across proficiency levels. Length-based complexity measures are found to better predict proficiency while subordination is found to be a comparatively weak indicator. For lexical complexity, number of different words could better distinguish writers across proficiency levels. When results are analyzed for language profiles, it is found that syntactic complexity and accuracy better distinguish across profiles.
Graduation Semester
2020-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108618
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2020 Arzu Avci

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Linguistics