Testing Esl Sociopragmatics ― Development and Validation of a Web-based Test Battery

Applied linguists describe the development and validation of a pragmatics test designed for second language learners of Australian English. They created a web-based testing instrument assessing test takers' ability to judge the politeness and conventionality of utterances, recognize conventional discourse structure, produce conventionally appropriate language, and participate in extended conversations. They validated the test using language learners in Australia and some in Chile, as well as native speakers of Australian English. The test can serve as a low-stakes screening and feedback instrument, they say, showing gaps in the pragmatic knowledge of learners such as international students and migrants. Annotation c2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Carsten Roever is Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the University of Melbourne.
Catriona Fraser holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Melbourne.
Catherine Elder is the former director of the Language Testing Research Centre at the University of Melbourne.