Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Rationale for the study 1.2 Aim 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Structure of the book Chapter 2 Review of Related Research Literature 2.1 Reading aloud in language teaching 2.1.1 Reading aloud in teaching English as L1 2.1.2 Reading aloud in teaching English as L2 2.2 Reading aloud in language testing 2.2.1 The application of RA in studies on dyslexia 2.2.2 RA in testing NS children 2.2.3 RA in testing foreign language learners 2.3 Summary and conclusions Chapter 3 A Conceptual Framework: Understanding EFL Learners'Performance on Oral Reading 3.1 Need for indirect application of existing cognitive and second language acquisition (SLA) theories 3.2 The neurological basis of oral reading 3.3 Psychological process of oral reading 3.3.1 Reading processes 3.3.2 The process of speech planning and production 3.3.3 Studies on dyslexia 3.4 Componential constructs of oral reading 3.4.1 Representative views on communicative competence 3.4.2 The componential construct of oral reading 3.4.3 Different difficulties in oral reading for NS children and EFL learners 3.5 Reading with expression 3.6 Summary of the conceptual framework Chapter 4 Research Design and Methodology 4.1 Miscue marking 4.1.1 The significance of miscue analysis 4.1.2 The theoretical basis of miscue analysis 4.1.3 The review and design of miscue marking system 4.1.4 Where to pause -- the compartmentalization of the to-be-read passage 4.2 First trial 4.3 Main trial 4.3.1 Test design 4.3.2 The field test Chapter 5 Data Interpretation 5.1 Descriptives of the test data 5.2 Test reliability 5.2.1 Content sampling 5.2.2 Inter-rater and intra-rater differences 5.3 Validity of test results 5.3.1 Construct validity 5.3.2 Rationale tmderlying the RA test's format and content 5.3.3 Item analysis 5.3.4 Study on test bias 5.3.5 Criterion-prediction validity 5.3.6 Questionnaire survey -- face validity of oral reading test 5.4 For whom is the RA test valid?
5.5 Summary 5.5.1 Test difficulty and test usefulness 5.5.2 Suggestions for future test production Chapter 6 Conclusions 6.1 The psychological process of oral reading and its componential constructs 6.2 Miscue analysis 6.3 The operationalization of the construct in the RA test 6.4 The necessity and feasibility of computerizing the RA test 6.5 The potential use of the designed RA test task 6.6 Some recommendations Appendix Appendix to Chapter 4 1. Partition of the to-be-read aloud passages 2. Rating of 10 students by 5 teachers 3. Questionnaire of text suitability for teachers 4. Items and text mapping points 5. Oral reading prototype test paper 6. Questionnaire to students Appendix to Chapter 5 1. Descriptive of variables 2. Descriptive of subtotals and the total for the whole population 3. Descriptive of subscores at component level 4. Reliability analysis -- scale (alpha) of the whole test 5. Reliability analysis -- scale (alpha) of the three passages 6. Correlation coefficients between subscores and the total score for the whole population 7. Hierarchical cluster analysis 8. K-means clustering 9. Reliability analysis -- scale (alpha) of the three subgroups 10. Factor analysis for the whole population 11. Analysis of item bias -- results of logistic regression 12. Discrimination indices for each subgroup -- top level, mid level and bottom level students 13. Linear regression models for the subgroups References Index
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