The Development and Validation of a Multiple-Choice Translation Test for ESL College Freshmen.

The development and validation of a test of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) proficiency are described. The measure is a multiple-choice test based on translation of a literary text from English to Arabic and vice versa. Intended for rapid student placement, it is seen as overcoming most of the defects inherent in traditional translation tests. The development process is summarized, including text selection, preparation of items, pilot testing with 240 university ESL students, to generate distractors appropriate to ESL students, and item analysis based on an administration of the test's final form to 92 freshmen ESL students in Egypt. Analyses of test reliability and validity, and item analysis indicate that both English-to-Arabic and Arabic-to-English sections of the test provide good assessment of ESL learners' translation ability. The piloted test, final version, answer sheet and key for the latter, and a revised form are appended. These items are in both Arabic and English. (MSE)