TY - JOUR

T1 - The C-test as predictor of the academic success of international students

AU - Daller, Michael

AU - Müller, Amanda

AU - Wang-Taylor, Yixin

PY - 2020/4/15

Y1 - 2020/4/15

N2 - The present article gives an overview of several studies on the predictive validity of the Ctest. In the first part of the article, we discuss the construct validity of this test format. Only ifthe underlying construct of this test is understood, can a justification for high predictivevalidity be made. In the second part, we discuss several previous studies where the C-testformat is used to predict the study and training success of international students. The thirdpart discusses the findings of two as yet unpublished studies on the predictive validity of theC-test. We wish to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the validity of the C-test and arguethat it is not only a language test, but also a test of processing speed which is related toworking memory. For international students, processing speed in English as a foreignlanguage is related to vocabulary knowledge, which includes statistical knowledge about theprobability of words occurring in a given context as well as the probability of wordsfollowing or preceding each other. The C-test taps precisely into these aspects of languageproficiency which explains its high predictive validity for the study success of internationalstudents.

AB - The present article gives an overview of several studies on the predictive validity of the Ctest. In the first part of the article, we discuss the construct validity of this test format. Only ifthe underlying construct of this test is understood, can a justification for high predictivevalidity be made. In the second part, we discuss several previous studies where the C-testformat is used to predict the study and training success of international students. The thirdpart discusses the findings of two as yet unpublished studies on the predictive validity of theC-test. We wish to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the validity of the C-test and arguethat it is not only a language test, but also a test of processing speed which is related toworking memory. For international students, processing speed in English as a foreignlanguage is related to vocabulary knowledge, which includes statistical knowledge about theprobability of words occurring in a given context as well as the probability of wordsfollowing or preceding each other. The C-test taps precisely into these aspects of languageproficiency which explains its high predictive validity for the study success of internationalstudents.

M3 - Article

SP - 1502

EP - 1511

JO - International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

JF - International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

SN - 1367-0050

ER -