Constructing informal diagnostic reading assessment instruments for lower-level Chinese as second language readers

Abstract

Assessment is important for second language (L2) reading instruction. Compared to standardized tests, informal assessment tools reveal richer information about learners' reading processes and problems, so they provide more helpful information for teachers. To date, few informal diagnostic tools have been developed for L2 reading, and none that is practical and reliable exists for Chinese L2 reading. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating how performance of oral word reading, word segmentation, and oral passage reading relate to comprehension. It also seeks to determine how well the three tasks detect reading problems and evaluate the difficulty levels of instructional materials. A total of 70 beginning English-speaking learners of Chinese participated in this study. The results showed that all three tasks assess comprehension as effectively as the standardized test, and oral passage reading is the most robust assessment tool. The three diagnostic instruments can also be used to evaluate instructional material difficulty. Two of the three textbook-equivalent texts examined in this study fit learners' reading level, although most learners felt one of the texts was too difficult to read. L2 readers develop their componential skills in different ways, although the crucial role of word-level processing remains stable across reader patterns. The quantity and quality of the learners' errors in completing the three tasks provide useful insights into their reading processes and problems. The study's findings suggested that the three tasks are effective diagnostic tools for Chinese L2 reading and indicated the importance of developing reading fluency and training word-level processing skills. v

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“…) the length of the passage. Regarding the length of the texts,Yang (2021) stresses that text reading can be used to detect and diagnose low-level or weak readers Nation (2009). believes that some other factors also have a negative impact on EFL learners' reading speed, such as the -purpose of the reading, and the difficulty of the text.…”