Article appearing in Shiken 19.2 (November 2015) pp. 12-23.
Author: Masaya Kanzaki
Kanda University of International Studies
Abstract:
The Minimal English Test (MET) is a gap-filling dictation test developed by Maki, Wasada and Hashimoto (2003) with a view to evaluating the language proficiency of English learners quickly and easily. In this study, MET results were examined using item analysis to evaluate how well each item on the test functioned. Also, the results of the MET were compared with those of three different types of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) in order to determine the degree to which the scores correlated. The participants in this study were 136 university students in Japan. They completed the MET and the TOEIC listening, reading and speaking tests. The MET results were analyzed for reliability and item statistics and the scores of the four tests were examined for correlations. The speaking test scores and MET scores correlated at .53, which is slightly higher than the correlation between the speaking test score and the scores of the listening and reading tests combined (r = .52).
Keywords: Minimal English Test, TOEIC, correlations, cloze testing, item analysis