Type of Work: Language Materials Development Duration: 06-Jul-2015 to 14-Aug-2015 Compensation: Paid Attractive compensation Internship Location: Princeton, New Jersey, USA Minimum Education Level: No Minimum ELL summer interns will produce materials for use on large-scale, high-stakes standardized tests of English language proficiency. Each intern will work on one of the following: - TOEFL iBT® Test: The TOEFL iBT test is taken by nonnative speakers of English who are planning to apply to a college or university in an English-speaking country. - TOEIC® Tests: The TOEIC tests are taken principally by people who need to communicate with both native and nonnative speakers of English in the context of the global workplace. - TOEFL® Primary™ Tests: The TOEFL Primary tests are taken by nonnative English language learners ages 8+ who are studying English as part of their school curriculum. They measure the English communication skills that provide a foundation for students’ future success. Duties and Responsibilities: The test development work is intellectually challenging and rewarding. The work may include: - writing items that test knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension; - creating conversations and talks that test listening comprehension; - developing scenarios and prompts that allow candidates to demonstrate their writing, speaking or teaching skills; - analyzing curriculum and matching the curriculum with prescribed test specifications. Requirements: Interns must have a very high degree of fluency in English but do not need to be native speakers, nor do they need to be U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens must have appropriate work visas. All interns must have excellent writing skills. The work requires verbal precision and sensitivity to nuance, analytic skill, attention to detail, and receptiveness to instruction. Interns must be able to work well individually and collaboratively, carefully consider constructive feedback, and manage their time effectively to meet targets. How to Apply: Each of the test sections hiring for the summer is associated with a specific work sample. You will need to complete and submit a separate work sample for each test section for which you would like to be considered. Directions for completing and submitting your work sample(s), along with a cover letter and résumé, are available on the ELL Summer Institute Web site at: Applications are due Sunday, March 29, Applicants are selected mainly on the basis of their performance on the work samples. Work samples will be evaluated in April, and you will be notified of your status by April 29. Application Deadline: 29-Mar-2015

What is DMDX good for?

Lexical Decision Task One way of seeing how words are stored or related is to measure how long it takes to recognize them. –Task: press yes if the word you see (or hear) is a word and no if it isn't.

Lexical Decision Task One way of seeing how words are stored or related is to measure how long it takes to recognize them. –Task: press yes if the word you see (or hear) is a word and no if it isn't. –Reaction time measured

Lexical Decision Task Some findings: –longer words take longer to recognize –less frequent words take longer to recognize

Lexical Decision Task Priming: seeing (or hearing) a word activates words that are connected to it

Lexical Decision Task Priming: seeing (or hearing) a word activates words that are connected to it So RT to a related word will be affected –If RT speeds up there is facilitatory priming –If RT slows down there is inhibitory priming

Lexical Decision Task Word thought to affect other word, and which is seen first is the PRIME Word thought to be affected by prime is the Target

Lexical Decision Task Word thought to affect other word, and which is seen first is the PRIME Word thought to be affected by prime is the Target –Prime: tree –Target: leaf

Lexical Decision Task Things you can test with a LDT using DMDX –When a word is accessed, are similar sounding words also accessed? will tree prime leave as well as leaf? –Are semantically similar words activated? will plate prime fork? –Are words with same morpheme activated? will sang prime singer?

Lexical Decision Task Are syllables real? –Task: Name the color a particular letter is in colors go along with syllables –What color is G? »magnet colors don't go along with syllables –What color is G? »magnet –If there are more mismatched when colors don't follow syllables that is evidence that people use syllables.

Lexical Decision Task Are the two languages in bilinguals processed separately or together? –Will a word in one language prime the cognate in the other? matin > morning tree > arbol

Stroop Effect You can't help but understand language Name the color of the word, not the word

BOAT

TREE

BLUE

Phoneme Restoration How much of understanding is in the context –Words presented with a noise masking one phone –People had hard time guessing meaning of word

Phoneme Restoration How much of understanding is in the context –Words presented with a noise masking one phone –People had hard time guessing meaning of word –When same words presented in sentences there was not problem guessing meaning

Phoneme Restoration It was found that the *eel was on the axle. (wheel) It was found that the *eel was on the shoe. (heel) It was found that the *eel was on the orange. (peel) It was found that the *eel was on the table. (meal)

Dichotic Listening Is language processed by one side of the brain? –present different words to each ear at same time