I wish to conduct my dissertation on language assessment with a focus on the construction of computerized c-tests to assess my students English proficiency. Can you give me some advice?
I will do my best, because whatever your study reveals, it is bound to add face validity to the C-Test and enhance my message to the world; i.e., that there is always a better way and that the C-Test is one such “better way”. My advice is to keep doing what you are doing. There are several C-Test programs on the Internet, but none are as user-friendly as ClozeOnline, nor do any of them offer our email and administrative services. You already are in the right place on the Internet for creating the tests. To administer them, I will send you a disk for each of the computers you intend to use during the test. When you have settled on what texts you intend to use, send them to me and I will give them a native rating. Your students objective, then, is to come within ten percent of that rating; i.e., if our native speakers can restore 90 of the 100 deletions, your NNS need to restore at least 81 deletions to get a perfect score (100%).
