英语写作表现测量指标的类别及特性研究

A study of the writing performance measures and their attributes

本文对英语写作语言表现测量中10项常用测量指标进行了不同角度的统计分析和检验,以印证不同指标在测量语言的准确度、复杂度和流利度方面所呈现的特性以及这些指标的所属类别。检验发现除个别指标外,大部分指标在其类别的归属性方面都得到了统计检验的证实。在观察两种水平之间以及两种时间条件下所得到的结果时发现:虽然同属一个类别的指标,所得到的测量结果仍然有所不同:某些指标要相对敏感一些。深入的探讨发现:有的是由于比率分子式中语言分析单位的差别所致,有的则与文本的长度有关。研究还发现,通常被认为属于写作流利度的指标"R/W"没有得到统计检验的支持。研究结果表明,测量指标的取舍中可能存在一些易被疏忽的问题。

This study examines 10 writing measures which are commonly used in measuring EFL / ESL learners’ linguistic accuracy, complexity and fluency, for the purpose of better understanding the belongingness and the attributes of those measures. Statistical analyses of the data reveal that 8 measures have been grouped into its own categories as predicted, except R / W and EFS / S. To explore the attributes of those 10 measures, t-test has been applied to find out whether and how these 10 measures vary when measuring learners’ writing performance at 2 different proficiency levels and under two time conditions. The results show that some measures, even those that have been found belonging to the same category, have produced varied results, indicating different degrees of sensitivity in reflecting learners’ linguistic performance. A further observation suggests that the varied results may have to do with the componential fractions in the formula of the measures as well as the length of the writing text. The study also points out the possible pitfalls when choosing and applying the measures in our study.