Validation of the Speeded Cloze-Elide Test as an Overall Measure of
Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language
Abstract
In this study, the cloze-elide test was developed and administered under
time constraints. This research is aimed to examine the validity and
reliability of the speeded cloze-elide test and investigate its
relationship with reading comprehension, C-Test, and multiple-choice
cloze test. Processing speed is a vital indicator to distinguish high to
low levels of language proficiency. The obtained test scores of the test
takers' performance in the restricted time reveal their level of overall
language proficiency. One-hundred fifty Iranian undergraduate English
students were selected to participate in this study. A reading
comprehension test, C-tests, multiple-choice cloze tests and speeded
cloze-elide tests were presented to the students. The Cronbach's alpha
reliability revealed that speeded cloze-elide test is highly reliable.
Moreover, the principal component analysis resulted in the presence of
one component which supports the unidimensionality of the data. The
findings also illustrated that the C-Test is a slightly better measure
of reading comprehension than multiple-choice cloze test and speeded
cloze-elide test. Based on the analysis of data, time limitations
increase the test validity and test reliability on the cloze-elide test.