An Investigation Into The Context Validity Of Writing Tests: Effects Of Contextual Features On Efl Test-takers' Writing Performance

As the nature of language is perceived as a tool of communication, it is now well recognized that writing is, by nature, a communicative act. In recognition of the importance of context in communication, Cyril Weir (2005) introduced the term"context validity"into the field of language testing. Given that all acts of communication take place within certain context, writing test tasks should, accordingly, be contextualized for test-takers. There is, however, no consensus among researchers on the question whether contextual features should be provided in writing tasks, and if so, what contextual features should be included. Given the relative paucity of research and the controversy in this area, additional empirical research needs to be conducted for a better understanding of the effects that contextualizing writing tasks has on writers'performance. The present study hereby attempted to probe into the context validity of EFL writing tests, and more specifically, to explore what contextual features are to be provided in writing tasks and what effects, if any, these contextual features have on Chinese undergraduates'writing performance, in the hope of exerting much-needed positive washback effects on the teaching and learning of EFL writing in colleges and universities in China. Therefore, the research questions addressed in the present study were as follows.(1) What contextual features should be included in writing tasks?(2) What effects do the writing tasks with different degrees of contextual features have on the overall quality of EFL test-takers'essays, as quantified by the essay rating?(3) What effects do the writing tasks with different degrees of contextual features have on the textual features of EFL test-takers'essays, as measured by the text analysis?(4) What effects do the writing tasks with different degrees of contextual features have on EFL test-takers'cognitive processes of writing?(5) What effects do the writing tasks with different degrees of contextual features have on EFL test-takers'affective domain of writing? Through a comprehensive review of the relevant literature and a detailed analysis of the contextual features provided in writing tasks, the present study achieved a framework of three types of writing tasks with different degrees of the contextual features. The framework played a guiding role in designing the writing tasks and helped to set the scene for statistical analyses in the present study.In order to examine the possible effects of contextual features on Chinese undergraduates'writing performance, the present study carried out a comparative study with a within-subjects and between-subjects mixed design, where students of various English proficiencies wrote on three types of tasks. To capture the whole picture, the present study combined both product and process analyses by collecting multiple sources of evidence from writing tests, questionnaire surveys, text analyses, observations, immediate retrospection studies, and semi-structured interviews.The major findings of the present study are as follows. First, multiple-method statistical analyses of test-takers'essay scores on the three types of writing tasks indicated that in general, the overall quality of their writing was significantly enhanced as the contextual features grew richer, which distinctly manifested the facilitating role of the contextual features in improving students'writing quality. This held true for students at different levels of English proficiency. Therefore, when writing on tasks with richer contextual features, students tended to better display their writing ability.Second, text analyses of test-takers'essays showed that task type and English proficiency exerted consistent effects on the six text characteristics. Along with the richness of the contextual features, test-takers tended to write more fluently, to use more complex syntactic structures, to write more accurately, to be more sensitive to audience traits and expectations, to better achieve their writing purpose, and to be less coherent. Across the three task types, test-takers who were more proficient tended to write more fluently, to use more complex syntactic structures, to demonstrate greater linguistic accuracy, to adapt to audience traits and expectations more sensitively, and to achieve their writing purpose more effectively. Third, methodologically triangulated evidence revealed that in general, Chinese undergraduates appeared to employ basically the same writing process across the three task types (i.e., first planning, then revising). However, there were differences for students at different levels of English proficiency and across the three types of writing tasks. More proficient students tended to be aware of the genre and the style of their writing. When writing on the writing tasks with rich contextual features, more proficient students, especially the advanced ones, appeared to be more sensitive to the prospective audience so as to achieve the specified purpose. Some still, however, wrote for the purpose of pleasing raters or teachers, employing such strategies as using complex grammar and complicated syntactic structures in order to get a high score.Finally, task type exerted remarkably significant influences over students'affective factors. Test-takers tended to show a much higher situational interest in writing tasks along with the richness of the contextual features. However, there were no significant effects of English proficieny on their situational interest, nor significant interaction between task type and English proficiency. Moreover, surveys and interviews evidenced that test-takers responded more positively to tasks with the richer contextual features, considering them to be more novel, authentic, challenging, and enlightening.To sum up, the contextual features provided in writing tasks exerted significant effects on Chinese EFL test-takers'written products and writing processes. In order to facilitate writers to best demonstrate their communicative writing ability, the present study tentatively suggested that writing task designers provide richer contextual features for Chinese EFL learners. This can contribute to improving the context validity of EFL writing tests, to fostering students'awareness of communicative writing, and to motivating students to make best efforts and to be more interested in English writing, thus helping change the embarrassing situation of"writing for the purpose of writing"in the teaching and learning of EFL writing.