Psychometric Modelling of Reading Aloud with the Rasch Model

Reading aloud is recommended as a simple technique to measure speaking ability (Hughes & Hughes, 2020; Madsen, 1983). Reading aloud is currently used in the Pearson Test of English and a couple of other international English as a second language proficiency tests. Due to the simplicity of the technique, it can be used in conjunction with other techniques to measure foreign and second language learners' speaking ability. One issue in reading aloud as a testing technique is its psychometric modeling. Because of the peculiar structure of reading-aloud tasks, analyzing them with item response theory models is not straightforward. In this study, the Rasch partial credit model (PCM) is suggested and used to score examinees' reading-aloud scores. The performances of 196 foreign language learners on five reading-aloud passages were analyzed with the PCM. Findings showed that the data fit the RPCM well and the scores are highly reliable. Implications of the study for psychometric evaluation of reading aloud or oral reading fluency are discussed. © International Journal of Language Testing.All rights reserved