Dr Helen Donaghue and Lyndon Taylor presented at the BALEAP PIM in Edinburgh this month.

Their research evaluated a pre-sessional reading test using stimulated recall interviews.

In their presentation, Helen and Lyndon argued that EAP tests should be rigorously and comprehensively evaluated if we are to have confidence that the scores accurately represent students’ language abilities.

This presentation reported on a study in which the researchers asked twenty students to talk through the process of answering questions on a pre-sessional reading test: a verbal reporting protocol.

The aim of the research was to find out how students approached specific test tasks to see if there was alignment between their cognitive processes and those the test writers wanted to elicit/test.

The research shows how the process helps them assess not only the effectiveness of test items but also the teaching of EAP reading.