ITEM ANALYSIS IN MULTIPLE-CHOICE LISTENING TESTS FROM CILS CERTIFICATE IN ITALIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Abstract

This paper analyses three multiple-choice listening tests from CILS certificate in Italian as a Foreign Language (level B1, summer session 2009 and 2012).Item Analysis involves examining the behavior of each individual item based on statistical data on answers from a sample. It offers answers to questions such as: do the items allow for sufficient discrimination between candidates of different skill levels? Do the keys and distractors work appropriately?Our investigation reveals certain issues of undercalibration, non-correspondence between items and information present in the text, and item distribution. In one case, the item’s construction risks misleading the test taker (item #2, summer session 2012).As well as providing an example of item analysis, this study allows the reader to gain awareness of how difficult it is to design an exercise widely used in both testing and teaching centers, that is, the multiple-choice question.

Keywords

• Italian as a FL
• Assessing Listening
• Item Analysis