Language and the Performance of English-Language Learners in Math Word Problems

In this article, Maria Martiniello reports the findings of a study of the linguistic complexity of math word problems that were found to exhibit differential item functioning for English-language learners (ELLs) and non-ELLs taking the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) fourth-grade math test. It builds on prior research showing that greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of Englishlanguage math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency. Through textual analyses, Martiniello describes the linguistic features of some of the 2003 MCAS math word problems that posed disproportionate difficulty for ELLs. Martiniello also uses excerpts from children's think-aloud transcripts to illustrate the reading comprehension challenges these features pose to Spanish-speaking ELLs. Through both DIF statistics and the voices of children, the article scrutinizes the appropriateness of inferences about ELLs' math knowledge based on linguistically complex test items.

Download Full-text

Probabilistic Approaches to Examining Linguistic Features of Test Items and Their Effect on the Performance of English Language Learners

Applied Measurement in Education ◽

10.1080/08957347.2014.944308 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 236-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Guillermo Solano-Flores

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

English Language ◽

Linguistic Features ◽

Test Items

Download Full-text

A Systemic-Functional Analysis of English Language Learners' Writing

DELTA Documentação de Estudos em Lingüística Teórica e Aplicada ◽

10.1590/0102-4450364601799092306 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 207-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Luciana C. DE OLIVEIRA

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

English Language ◽

Educational Practice ◽

Linguistic Features ◽

Lexical Cohesion ◽

Systemic Functional Linguistic ◽

Clause Combining ◽

The University ◽

Passing Score

This article presents a systemic-functional linguistic analysis of two writing samples of the University of California Analytical Writing Placement (AWP) Examination written by English language learners (ELLs). The analysis shows the linguistic features utilized in the two writing samples, one that received a passing score and one that received a failing score. The article describes some of the grammatical resources which are functional for expository writing, which are divided under three main categories: textual, interpersonal, and ideational resources. Following this brief description is the analysis of both essays in terms of these resources.. The configuration of grammatical features used in the essays make up the detached style of essay 1 and the more personal style of essay 2. These grammatical features include the textual resources of thematic choices and development, clause-combining strategies (connectors), and lexical cohesion; interpersonal resources of interpersonal metaphors of modality; and ideational resources of nominalization and abstractions as ideational metaphors. Implications for educational practice and recommendations for educators based on the analysis are provided.

Download Full-text

Testing English language learners under No Child Left Behind

Language Testing ◽

10.1177/0265532211404186 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 323-341 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Michael B. Bunch

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

No Child Left Behind ◽

Language Learners ◽

English Language ◽

Content Standards ◽

Test Items ◽

Left Behind ◽

Grant Program ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Title Iii

Title III of Public Law 107-110 (No Child Left Behind; NCLB) provided for creation of assessments of English language learners (ELLs) and established, through the Enhanced Assessment Grant program, a platform from which four consortia of states developed ELL tests aligned to rigorous statewide content standards. Those four tests (ACCESS for ELLs, CELLA, ELDA, and MWA) are now in use in one or more states, along with a host of other commercially available or locally developed tests. The tests (those developed by consortia as well as the others) are quite similar in many ways, principally in their contents: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Most measure these domains with a combination of multiple-choice (MC) and open-ended (OE) test items. This article provides an overview to the four consortium-developed tests as well as an in-depth analysis of one representative example. It also provides a summary of the characteristics of four commercially available tests. Not surprisingly, the four commercially available tests are rather similar to one another and to the consortium-developed tests in terms of content, psychometric characteristics, and development. The primary difference between the two sets is that the commercially available tests tend to report percentile ranks as well as proficiency levels. Now that the Race to the Top program is in place, we face many of the same challenges we faced a decade ago when NCLB was passed. While the Enhanced Assessment Grant competition emphasized summative assessment, the latest competition emphasizes formative assessment, which gives rise to the hope that educators can not only discover students’ strengths and weaknesses with these new tests, but do so in a timely manner and have opportunities to use the information constructively. Current work by at least one organization is encouraging in this regard.

Download Full-text

Fairy Tales and ESL Texts

Cross-Disciplinary Advances in Applied Natural Language Processing ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-447-5.ch018 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 273-283 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rachel M. Rufenacht ◽

Philip M. McCarthy ◽

Travis Lamkin

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

Fairy Tales ◽

English Language ◽

Native English Speakers ◽

English Speakers ◽

Linguistic Features ◽

Potential Value ◽

Reading Material ◽

Text Types

This chapter describes a study that investigates the potential value of using traditional fairy tales as reading material for English language learners (ELL). Using the computational textual analysis software, the Gramulator, the authors analyzed the linguistic features of fairy tales relative to a corpus of ELL reading material and a corpus of baseline educational texts for native English speakers. The results of the analyses suggest that there are significant similarities between fairy tales and ESL texts, but differences lie in the content of the text types, with fairy tales appearing significantly more narrative in style and ESL texts appearing more expository. The study has important implications for educators and materials developers in the field of English as a Second Language.

Download Full-text