IELTS Collected Papers

Research in speaking and writingassessment

Edited by

Lynda Taylor and Peter Falvey

CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITY PRESS

Contents

Abbreviations x

Contributors xii

Series Editors' note xv

Introduction 1Lynda Taylor

PART 1

Speaking1 Interviewer style and candidate performance in the IELTS

oral interview 37Annie Brown and Kathryn Hill

Methodology evaluation 62

2 An investigation into the role of gender in the IELTSoral interview 63Kieran O'Loughlin

Methodology evaluation 96

3 An investigation of the rating process in the IELTSoral interview 98Annie Brown

Methodology evaluation 140

4 A survey of examiner attitudes and behaviour in the IELTSoral interview 142Brent Merrylees and Clare McDowell

Methodology evaluation 183

5 The impact of the joint-funded research studies on the IELTSSpeaking Module 185Lynda Taylor

vii

Contents

PART 2

Writing

6 Authenticity in the IELTS Academic Module Writing test: acomparative study of Task 2 items and university assignments 197Tim Moore and Janne Morton

Methodology evaluation 249

7 A linguistic analysis of Chinese and Greek LI scripts for IELTSAcademic Writing Task 2 250Barbara Mayor, Ann Hewings, Sarah North and Joan Swann withCaroline Coffin

Methodology evaluation 314

8 A corpus-based investigation of linguistic responses to an IELTSAcademic Writing task 316Chris Kennedy and Dilys Thorp

Methodology evaluation 378

9 Investigating task design in Academic Writing prompts 379Kieran O'Loughlin and Gillian Wigglesworth

Methodology evaluation 420

10 The effect of standardisation-training on rater judgements for theIELTS Writing Module 422Clare Furneaux and Mark Rignall

Methodology evaluation 445

11 Assessing the value of bias analysis feedback to raters for theIELTS Writing Module 446Barry O'Sullivan and Mark Rignall

Methodology evaluation 477

12 The impact of the joint-funded research studies on the IELTSWriting Module 479Lynda Taylor

viii

Contents

Appendices1.1 Progress of the IELTS interview 581.2 Description of the multifaceted Rasch model 612.1 Transcription notation 953.1 Instructions to raters 1394.1 IELTS Speaking test: examiner questionnaire 1654.2 Individual comments made by IELTS examiners (Australia) 1694.3 Individual comments made by IELTS examiners (Asia-Pacific) 1796.1 Sources of IELTS Task 2 items used in the study

Sample IELTS Task 2 items used in the study and list oftopics 242

6.2 Interview schedule 2456.3 Sample question paper from Monash University 2477.1 Problems of reliability in analysing language errors 3038.1 Academic Writing Task 2: the question prompt 3728.2 Topic analysis at each level 3739.1 Control tasks 4079.2 Experimental tasks 4099.3 Research design for administration of control and

experimental tasks 4179.4 Ethics consent 419

10.1 Instructions for Project Task 1 43910.2 Tables 10.9-10.13 44010.3 Examples of raters' notes explaining rationale for score

awarded 44211.1 Planning schedule for the project 47011.2 Rater confidentiality declaration 47111.3 Examples of feedback reports 47211.4 IELTS Research Project - Questionnaire 475

References 493