Risks in Presenting a Sequencing Task as a Reading Test
A Study Based on Tests of the CILC Certification
abstract
In this essay we identify certain factors worth taking into account when designing sequencing tasks to assess candidates’ reading ability, such as: the number of linguistic fragments into which a text is divided; the need to ensure that there are no plausible alternative reconstructions; the importance of accepting correct sequences suggested by candidates even when they do not match the intended reconstruction. The analysis is based on a B1 exam from the CILS certification in Italian as a foreign language (Summer 2009).
Keywords: Sequencing tasks • Validity • Testing • CILS certification