Sun-Young Shin

Numerous studies have compared the effect of input mode (video‐based vs. audio‐only) on the listening comprehension of adult second language (L2) learners. However, there is a notable absence of research regarding how various types of audio‐visual input in a listening test affect young learners' listening comprehension. To address this gap, this study examined the effects of audio‐visual input type and text listenability on the listening comprehension performance of 50 English language learners (ELLs) in Grades 3–5 in the U.S. In this study, participants completed a computer‐delivered English listening test comprising three test forms, each containing six passages. These passages included a combination of three video passages and three audio‐only passages. The video passages were carefully designed to balance two key variables in a counter‐balancing manner: the listenability of the text, assessed using Lexile Audio Measure, and the nature of visual elements, which encompassed speaker‐only visuals, visual‐only elements, and a combination of speaker‐and‐visuals. This study found that students performed equally well on both video‐based and audio‐only passages, and the type of visuals accompanying the content did not have a statistically significant impact on students' listening comprehension scores. However, the listenability of the text significantly influenced students' listening scores, especially in the context of audio‐only passages. Furthermore, responses to a post‐test questionnaire revealed that students had a positive perception of all three types of audio‐visual input. This study contributes to our understanding of how audio‐visual input types and text listenability affect the listening comprehension performance of Grades 3–5 ELLs.

Despite consistent calls for authentic stimuli in listening tests for better construct representation, unscripted texts have been rarely adopted in high-stakes listening tests due to perceived inefficiency. This study details how a local academic listening test was developed using authentic unscripted audio-visual texts from the local target language use (TLU) domain without compromising the reliability of the test results and validity of the score interpretations. The purpose of the listening test was to identify international students who need additional language support at a U.S. university. We show that efficiency persists when using authentic unscripted texts that are representative of the local context both at the test development phase and at the classification phase where placement decisions are made in a dependable manner. Expert judgments highlighted the improved correspondence of the listening test using locally sourced audio-visual texts to the local TLU domain, providing additional support for using the listening test for local placement purposes. Additionally, dimensionality assessments demonstrated that test design decisions inevitably entailed with using authentic unscripted texts did not threaten the internal structure of the test. We argue that local resources are indispensable in developing authentic test stimuli and in supporting the validity of local test interpretation and use.