The Relationship between Using Multiple-Choice Cloze Test-Taking Strategies and English Proficiency English teaching theories and practices Final Paper NA2C0013 Judy Ai 哀宛君

Introduction Tests play an important role in our competitive society because they are referable indicators in making decisions. Therefore, how to enhance the test performance has become a significant concern. Besides, multiple-choice cloze tests are extensively applied to various examinations to assess different aspects of language learning. Despite the fact that there are many kinds of test formats, multiple-choice cloze tests are regarded as the most influential one on test-taking strategies.

Literature Review Test-Taking Strategies Research on test-takers’ processes of taking tests has grown since the late 1970s (Abraham & Vann, 1996; Cohen, 1998; Cohen, 1984). A new approach to second language testing research has regarded test-takers’ processes as a source of perceptions on test reliability and validity by the 1990s (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Chapelle, 1996; Cohen, 1998; Daneman & Hannon, 2001)

The early research on language test-taking strategies mostly focus on native learners (Homburg & Spaan, 1981; Raatz & Klein-Braley, 1981), which provides the foundation for later work in the field of second language test-taking strategies (Cohen, 2006). As far as test-taking strategies in second language as concerned, Gordon (1987) investigates how test strategies impact on EFL reading testing by Israeli high school students and finds a relationship between proficiency and strategy use— high-proficiency students understand the text at the global level, such as predicting information accurately in context and using lexical and structural knowledge to deal with linguistic difficulties; however, low-proficiency students process information only at the local level.

Cohen (1998) believed that the validity of language tests is depreciated and the test results are abated if the test- takers fail to use appropriate test-taking strategies. Cohen (2006) classified test-taking strategies into three different kinds of strategies: language learner strategies, test- management strategies, and test-wiseness strategies.

Language learner strategies The strategies mean the ways that test-taker operate their basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and the related skills of vocabulary, grammar, and translation (Cohen, 2006). Strategies such as scanning and skimming in reading are included. For example, in reading passage, test-takers can use their language learner strategies to indicate the key points, look for examples, and figure out the development of the paragraph.

Test-management strategies The strategies refer to the strategies for responding meaningfully to testing items that are consciously selected to assist in producing a correct answer (Cohen, 2006). Test-management strategies consist of logistic issues. For instance, test-takers eliminate the unreasonable options through the meaning of the paragraph; test-takers keep track of time by sipping the difficult questions and take the easier ones first.

Test-wiseness strategies The strategies are “defined as a subject’s capacity to utilize the characteristics and formats of the test and/or the test taking situation to receive a high score” (Millman, Bishop, & Ebel, 1965, p. 707). For example, test-takers use the clues in other items to answer an item under consideration; test-takers select an option without knowing its meaning because it seems to have a key word in it.

Test-Taking Strategies on Multiple- Choice Jeong-Won Lee (2002) investigated into the relationship between test-taking strategies and test items, and the result illustrated that test-taking strategies, test-takers’ reading ability, and test items could be utilized variably. Dolly and William (1986) constructed a research that the participants were instructed to use test-strategies on multiple-choice test for several weeks. The result showed that those participants made better outcomes on tests by using proper test-taking strategies.

According to Mcphail (1981), the test-taking strategies were classified into four groups: time using, avoidance, guessing, and intent consideration. Narjes Ghafournia (2012) used the classification to investigate whether there is any significant interaction between the participants’ level of general English proficiency and use of certain multiple-choice test-taking strategies. The findings revealed that the more proficient the test-takers were, the more frequently they used total test-taking strategies and that there were significant differences among the participants in using guessing strategies.

Test-taking Strategy Use and Cloze Performance In a study conducted by Kletzien (1991), good and poor first language (L1) test-takers were asked to complete a cloze test in which twelve context-dependent content words were eliminated. The study showed that the main factor of the difference between good and poor test-takers was not in knowledge of comprehension strategies, but in regulation of comprehension strategies. Both groups of test-takers used the same strategies for reading cloze passages of three difficulty levels—independent level, instruction level, and frustration level. The most often used strategies identified in the data are “focusing on vocabulary,” “rereading previous text,” “making inferences,” and “using prior knowledge” (p.78).

Kuo (2002) conducts a session of strategic reading training which is inclusive of drawing inferences through cohesive devices and Davey’s Five-step Teacher’s Think- aloud Modeling approach for the participants and compares their cloze performance before and after this training program. The results show that these two procedures can help improve the participants’ reading comprehension and in turn process their cloze performance.

In the other study conducted by Kuo (2003), he examines participants’ processing tactics on cloze tests and finds that the most frequently used strategies by successful participants are: making use of knowledge of phrase, knowledge of grammar, and knowledge of context; in the other hand, the less successful participants use knowledge of phrase, knowledge of guessing, and knowledge of grammar to complete the cloze tasks. Besides, the less successful participants report more strategy use when taking the tests, which, Kuo explained that the reason which brought about the result may be lacking appropriate and correct use of processing strategies. According to the findings of these two studies, it can be concluded that appropriate strategy use of the learners and effective strategy training can bring about a positive effect on cloze performance.

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