An investigation on the writing test of the national english certicate – level b at an giang university center for foreign languages

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES NGUYỄN HOÀNG PHƯƠNG TRANG AN INVESTIGATION ON THE WRITTEN TEST OF THE NATIONAL ENGLISH CERTICATE – LEVEL B - AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES A thesis in TESOL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF TESOL Supervisor: Assoc Prof., Ph.D ĐINH ĐIỀN HOCHIMINH CITY – 2010 i CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINAL I certificate my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: “AN INVESTIGATION ON THE WRITTEN TEST OF THE NATIONAL ENGLISH CERTICATE – LEVEL B AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES ” In terms of the statement of Requirement for Thesis in Master’s Programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other institution Ho Chi Minh City , August 31, 2010 Nguyễn Hoàng Phương Trang ii RETENTION AND USE OF THESES I hereby state that I, NGUYEN HOANG PHUONG TRANG, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) accepted the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for the care, loan or reproduction of theses Signature:…………………………………… Date: August 31, 2010 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, I wish to express my profound gratefulness to my supervisor, Associate Professor – Dr Dinh Dien, Lecture of the Department of Comparative Linguistics – HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Lecturer of the Department of Computing Science - HCMC University of Natural Sciences for his invaluable guidance, assistance and encouragement during the preparation and completion of this thesis Also, I would like to thank to my colleagues of Angiang University Center for Foreign Languages for their kind support that helps me to collect and provide data related to my subject On a personal level, I am grateful to my family, without whom my thesis would not have been possible Last but not least, never would this thesis have been accomplished without all those who helped me their handful hands in the research project: all my colleagues at my Center for Foreign Languages – An Giang University, their precious remarks and suggestions iv ABSTRACT The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and text readability is a robust one Vocabulary knowledge has consistently been found to be the foremost predictor of a text's difficulty However, the relationship is a complex one Procedures used by readability formulae to assess the vocabulary factor can over- or underestimate text difficulty In general, it is not the mechanical counts of easy or difficult words in a text that make a text easy or difficult, but what the reader knows about the words in a text Vocabulary knowledge is strongly correlated to reading comprehension The correlations have been found to be vigorous almost regardless of the measures used or the populations tested Although these measures are of reading comprehension, there certainly would be similar correlations between language comprehension and production and vocabulary Knowledge of word meanings affects every aspect of language knowledge Readability measurement is a research tradition that goes back to the beginnings of the 20th century Readability research generally produces formulae that purport to be able to estimate the relative difficulty of a passage by a combination of factors Word difficulty is assumed to be a cause of comprehension difficulty in these formulae, although what we consider to be word difficulty may actually be a reflection of something else v TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINAL ……………………………… i RETENTION AND USES OF THESES ii ACKNOWLDGEMENTS iii ABSTRACT iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF FIGURE vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF ABBREVIATION ix Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationales 1.2 Practical background of the study 1.3 Aims and scope of the study 1.4 Research questions .6 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Overview of the thesis Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 A review of Readability and use of Readability Analyzer .8 2.1.1 The Development of Readability Formulas in Short .8 2.1.2 Advantages and Limitation of Readability Formulas 2.1.3 A Focus on Two Readability Formulas 12 2.1.3.1 Flesch Reading Ease .12 2.1.3.2 Flesch-Kincaid Readability Formula 14 vi 2.1.4 Overview of some factors/variables in text difficulty 14 2.2 The vocabulary – reading connection 17 2.2.1 Vocabulary size, levels and lexical coverage 17 2.2.2 The relationship between the vocabulary knowledge and success in reading comprehension 21 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 25 3.1 Research method 25 3.1.1 Materials 25 3.1.2 The instruments 25 3.1.2.1 Readability formulas 25 3.1.2.2 Software tools 27 3.1.2.2.1.The vocabulary statistic Worksheet 27 3.1.2.2.2 The Concordance program (V3.2) 28 3.1.3 Procedure 29 3.2 Summary 29 Chapter 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 31 4.1 Results 31 4.1.1.Readability Progress of texts within years 31 4.1.2 The relationship between the word frequencies and text difficulty 34 4.1.2.1 The frequency of words in the test texts within years 34 (a).The first 3000 MFWs in the Brown Corpus list 35 (b).The first 5000 MFWs in the Brown Corpus list 38 (c).The out of first 5000 MFWs in the Brown Corpus list 40 (d).The 1000 MFWF of Paul Nation’s list 42 vii (e).The frequency of word processing 44 4.1.2 The relationship between the difficulty of the reading texts and the students’ reading’s comprehension scores 46 4.2 Discussion 48 Chapter 5: RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 49 5.1 Recommendations 49 5.1.1 Recommendations for AGU CFL “Reading comprehension” testing practices 49 5.1.1.1 Recommendations for AGU development Process of Reading comprehension tests 50 5.1.1.1.1 A general criterion in selecting test texts 50 5.1.1.1.2 A supportive tool for selecting test texts 51 5.1.1.1.3 A recommended wordlist for learning and teaching at AGU CFL 51 5.1.2 Recommendations for AGU CFL staff 52 5.2 Implications 53 5.2.1 For learners 53 5.2.2 For teachers 54 5.3 Limitations 56 5.4 Conclusion 57 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1 The Vocabulary Statistic Worksheet Figure 3.2: The Concordance software- Concordance V 3.2 Figure 4.1 Average Flesch Reading Ease Grade Levels of the texts Figure 4.2: The first 3000 MFWs in the Brown Corpus wordlist Figure 4.3: The percentage rate of the MFWs in the first 5000 common words in the Brown Corpus word list Figure 4.4: The percentage rate of MFWs in the first out of 5000 words in the BrC wordlist Figure 4.5: The percentage rate of MFWFs in the Paul Nation 1000 list ix LIST OF TABLES Table3.1 Interpretation Table for Flesch Reading Ease Scores Table 4.1: The frequency of processed words in texts Table 4.2 : Correlation between the difficulty of the reading texts and students’ reading comprehension score Italy, they described the town he was in and in (20) said exactly what the building looked like (21) , they had many more failures than successes In the end, the government ordered the CIA to (22) the mission The team was then examined by a group of experts, who were not impressions by the results They decided that (23) the psychics had been right a (24) times, this had probably just happened by (25) 16 a look through b look down on c look up d look into 17 18 19 20 21 22 a employee a come up against a description a also a But a take over 23 a despite 24 a little 25 a chance b employer b come up with b definition b more b Yet b take up c employed c come across c plan c addition c Although c take after d employment d come into d details d else d However d take in b although b some b possibility c in spite of c few c occasion d besides d number d opportunity PAPER 3: USE OF ENGLISH SECTION A: Questions 26 - 40 Choose the most appropriate word or phrase to complete each sentence Write your answer on the answer sheet (15ms) 26 - “Bill hasn’t arrived yet.” – “I wonder .” a when will he come b when he is come c when to come d when he will come 27 He newspaper for tens days a is selling b sells c has been selling d has been sold 28 It costs about sixty dollars to have a tooth a filling b to fill c filled d fill 167 29 The people of the Western Canada have been considering themselves from the rest of the province a to separate b separated c separate d separating 30 Prices for bikes can run $250 a as high as b as high at c as high to d so high as 31 1,000 species of finch have been identified a As many as b As many c As much as d Much as 32 Several of these washers are out of order and a need to be repairing b repairing is required of them c need to repair d need to be repaired 33 She said she met you once at the Hilton last year since? a Have you met her b Did you meet her? c Had you met her d Were you met her 34 Everyone brought lunch to the picnic a theirs b its c their d his or her 35 We able to work on the project since they came here a are b have to be c have been d were 36 The package containing books and records last week a is delivered b are delivered c was delivered d were delivered 37 Only when you are old enough the truth a you know b you know c will you know d you will know 38 My uncle, you talked the other day, is one of the best lawyers in the city a who b that c to whom d whom 168 39 Don’t worry I’ll John repair your bike soon a ask b have c hire d tell 40 After living in the campus for a long time, now I’m used to by myself a live b living c lived d have lived SECTION B: Questions 41 - 50 Choose the underlined word or phrase: A, B, C or D that is incorrect or should be rewritten Write your answer on the answer sheet (10ms) 41 Diamonds have the unique ability to allow the passage of neither infrared and visible light A B C D 42 Newton, a chemist, helped to develop the modern electron theory of valence, a theory what A B C explains the forces holding atoms together in molecules D 43 An investigator often begins by work out different conditions for two groups of subjects A B C D 44 In Florida, when it is too cold, people keep young tree warm by watering them with water A B C D 45 The delicious of chocolate depends on the quality of cacao and the process of grinding A B C D 46 The manager had his secretary typed the report for him last Monday A B C D 47 Much of us not like not only the form but also the content of the new project A B C D 48 She wishes she would tell you the bad news yesterday A B C D 49 He does not want to go to the meeting any more because he is tired on hearing silly things A B C D 50 A monsoon is an enormous cycle of air set in motion by differences temperature over land A B C D SECTION C: Questions 51 - 55 169 Choose the sentence A, B, C or D that has the closet meaning to the previous one Write your answer on the answer sheet (5ms) 51 I have studied English for years a I studied English since years b I began to study English years ago c I have studied English since years d The first time I studied English has been years ago 52 He managed to get out of the car although his leg was broken a In spite his leg was broken, he managed to get out of the car b Despite of his broken leg, he managed to get out of the car c Even though his broken leg, he managed to get out of the car d In spite of his broken leg, he managed to get out of the car 53 The cake was so hard that I could not eat it a The cake was too hard to eat it b It was such a hard cake that I could not eat it c The cake was very hard that I could not eat it d The cake was too hard for me to eat it 54 The mother asked him “Don’t play with this dog.” a His mother asked him not to play with that dog b His mother asked him to not play with that dog c His mother asked did not allow him playing with the dog d His mother asks him not to play with that dog 55 Without a passport she couldn’t have left the country a If she doesn’t have a passport, she couldn’t leave the country b If she didn’t have a passport, she wouldn’t leave the country c If she hadn’t had a passport, she wouldn’t have left the country d If she had a passport, she would leave the country THIS IS THE END OF THE TEST OF USE IN ENGLISH 170 AN GIANG UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES Date of Testing: December 23rd, 2007 LEVEL B/ INTERMEDIATE EXAMINATION Total time: 145 minutes; (75 Multiple-choices) Số báo danh ………………………… Mã đề thi 357 ** Lưu ý: Khi làm phần Nghe, thí sinh nên làm trực tiếp đề thi Sau nghe băng, thí sinh có phút để chép câu trả lời từ đề thi vào Phiếu trả lời phút tính vào làm PAPER LISTENING COMPREHENSION Total marks 20 SECTION A (10 ms) Questions - 10 In this section, you will hear either a short conversation or a short talk Listen and choose the best answer to each question The recording will be spoken twice Where is the man? A In a park B On a ferry C At a restaurant D At a train station What kind of movie does the speaker describe? A An action film B A science fiction C A cartoon D A comedy What are they talking about? A Their vacations B Their hobbies C The time they spent together D Their hometowns Who is speaking? A A tour guide B A hotel receptionist C A passenger D An architect What does the woman tell the man? A A way to the corner store B Directions to the library C The name of a bookstore D The library’s hours What is the woman doing? A Cleaning her house B Finishing her housework C Completing her schoolwork D Helping the man with his math Why does the woman want to be careful? A Somebody might take her bicycle B The brakes don’t work C Her bicycle is not reliable D The lock is not safe What will Sam probably do? A Go to the tennis court B Have lunch C See a doctor D Talk to a lawyer What time does the show begin? A At 10.00 a.m B At 5.00 a.m C At 7.00 p.m D At 2.30 p.m 171 10 Why is the woman calling home? A She doesn’t have anything to B She’s taking a different flight C She’s coming home earlier D Her mother had a health problem SECTION B Questions 11-15 (5 ms) Questions You are about to hear a conversation between Angela and Yasunari, a young entrepreneur Listen and choose the best answer to each question The recording will be spoken three times 11 What kind of business does Yasunari want Angela to enter? A Web page design B Local Internet provider C Supermarkets D Nutritional supplements 12 The aging population ………… A is getting smaller B doesn’t know how to use the Internet C is getting larger D remains unchanged 13 According to Yasunari, people will use the Internet for ………… A C&D are incorrect B C&D are correct C finding markets for products D shopping 14 The preventive medicine business is reported to be growing at ………… per year A 5% B 10% C 9% D 3% 15 Which statement is not true? A Ginseng tonic cannot be found in convenience stores B Network marketing hasn’t been very successful in Japan C People can find nutritional supplements in convenience stores D Angela wants to make money by making people healthier SECTION C Questions 16-20 (5 ms) Questions Britney and Steve are talking about their best friends Listen and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D The recording will be spoken three times 16 Britney thinks her best friends, Melissa, always makes her feels good about herself by ………… A finding good things to say about her B criticizing her C thanking her D telling her that she likes her 17 When Britney showed Melissa her poem, she …………………… A said it was better than some other poems B said it wasn’t very good C showed it to her parents D laughed at it 18 Melissa has helped Britney ……………… A things B talk to her parents C write poems D develop a lot of confidence 19 What Steve values most about Jackson, is that …………………… A Jackson always tries to please him B Jackson never makes a mistake C Jackson thinks that Steve is never wrong D Jackson always shows him his mistakes 20 When Jackson knew that Steve had a quarrel with his sister, he said to Steve that…… 172 A Steve was being selfish B Steve should apologize to her C Steve should thought about it D Steve was right PAPER READING COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY SECTION Question 21 - 30 Choose the word or phrase that has the closest meaning to the underlined part or that best completes each unfurnished sentence below Record your answers on the answer sheet (10ms) 21 In some countries, a university degree is a sign of _ In other countries it's extremely usual A successful B delight C pride D status 22 Many students in the United States cannot to go to private universities because they are so expensive A enter B afford C support D have 23 Violent criminals, nasty accidents and freezing weather will all turn up when you least expect them A troublesome B embarrassing C sickening D dangerous 24 He wonders what kind of person measures up to such a job A can perform B gets down to C reaches the standard required by D can find 25 In universities in the United States, students choose a lot of elective classes, so no two courses of study are _ A coincide B identical C equal D differ 26 Your letter of application should be original A copied from others B formal C new and different from other letters D informal 27 He said we must continue to rely on the fossil-fuel, coal and gas A get on B depend on C exploit D take on 28 He told his wife that he just couldn’t put his hands on that much money A carry away B steal C find D seize 29 In the modern world, people communicate by telephone, radio, television and computer A give and receive information B connect C talk to each other D get the world’s new 30 Is there anyone who can offer a concrete solution? A final B definite C reasonable D unique SECTION Question 31-35 Read the text and then choose the best answer A, B, C, or D Record your answers on the answer sheet (10 ms) 173 The youngest child of a prosperous Midwestern manufacturing family, Dorothy Reed was born in 1874 and educated at home by her grandmother She graduated from Smith College and in 1896 entered Johns Hopkins Medical School After receiving her M D., she worked at Johns Hopkins in the laboratories of two noted medical scientists Reed’s research in pathology established conclusively that Hodgkin’s disease, until then thought to be a form of tuberculosis, was a distinct disorder characterized by a specific blood cell, which was named the Reed cell after her Marriage in 1906 to Charles Mendenhall took Reed away from the research laboratory For ten years, she remained at home as the mother of young children before she return to professional life She became a lecture in Home Economics at the University of Wisconsin, where her principal concerns were collecting data maternal and child heath and preparing courses for new mothers Dorothy Reed Mendenhall’s career interests were reshaped by the requirements of marriage Her passion for research was redirected to public heath rather than laboratory science Later in life, she concluded that she could not imagine life without husband and sons, but she hoped for a future when marriage would not have to end a career of laboratory research 31 Which of the following should NOT be included in a summary of Dorothy Reed Mendenhall’s life? A She earned a medical degree at Johns Hopkins Medical School B The latter part of her career was devoted to heath of mothers and children C Marriage and motherhood left her confused about her career D The Reed cell was named after her 32 What was Dorothy Reed’s area of research at Johns Hopkins? A Maternal heath B Manufacturing C Tuberculosis D Pathology 33 Why did she stop working in the research laboratory? A Johns Hopkins did not accept women as laboratory scientist B Her work on Hodgkin’s disease was completed C She became more interested in health public D Marriage required that she remain at home 34 What did Dorothy Reed Mendenhall imply about marriage? A She would have preferred not to marry and have a family B It inspired her passion for research C It should be the greatest source of joy for women D It need not prevent women from having careers in laboratory research 35 The word prosperous (line 1) most nearly means A generous B prestigious C large D rich SECTION Question 36-45 Read the passage below carefully and then choose the best word for each blank 174 Record your answers on the answer sheet (10 ms) There has been a revolution in the world of newspapers Not many years (36) , newspapers were still being produced using techniques unchanged for (37) hundred years The journalists gave their stories to a typist, who prepared them for an editor, who passed them on (38) _ the printer The printer who was a (39) _ skilled man, set up the type (40) was then collected to make the pages When the pages were complete, the printing machines could be (41) _ Nowadays, what (42) _? The journalists type their stories into a computer The (43) checks their spelling, plans the page, shapes the articles When the pages are ready, another computer may control the printing (44) _ can be no doubt about it, producing a newspaper is an entirely different (45) now 36 A after B ago C yet D before 37 A some B over C an D a 38 A through B by C to D with 39 A very B partly C hardly D mostly 40 A They B All C Which D This 41 A stopped B moved C started D switched 42 A occurs B goes C gives D happens 43 A computer B editor C typist D printer 44 A It B There C You D We 45 A skill B work C business D management PAPER USE OF ENGLISH SECTION A (20 marks) Question 46-60 Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence Record your answers on the answer sheet 46 He congratulated me winning the competition A about B at C on D of 47 A newly-born kangaroo can find its mother’s pouch its eyes are not yet open A in spite of B although C because D despite 48 She always goes home _ the boss has gone home A as soon as B until C while D before 49 Only after I had reached the cinema _ that I had forgot to take my wallet with me A did I realize B I realized C have I realized D had I realized 50 Do you happen to know _ ? A of whom this watch is B whose watch is this C whose watch this is D this watch is whose 175 51 Active People say that 99 is a lucky number Passive A It is said that 99 to be a lucky number B 99 is to be a lucky number C 99 is said to be a lucky number D It is said that 99 was a lucky number 52 She isn’t on the left There is a right-hand traffic custom in her country A used to driving B used to be driven C used for driving D used be drive 53 There’s somebody walking behind us I think we are _ A followed B follow C being followed D being following 54 They warned me against in the hotel near the airport because of the extremely noise there A to stay B not staying C staying D not to stay 55 It is assumed that the lower the price is A the happier the consumers B the consumers are happier C the happier the consumers are D the consumers are the happiest 56 Let’s go ahead & it now Nothing _by waiting A has accomplished B will be accomplished C are accomplished D have been accomplished 57 By the end of next year, Bill _ Chinese for years A has learned B will learn C would learn D will have learned 58 He regrets in the trip to the mountain a month ago A not to join B not joined C not joining D not join 59 Do you happen to know _ ? A whose watch this is B this watch is whose C of whom this watch is D whose watch is this 60 He was happy to find the kind of job _ A which he had trained for B which they had trained him for C which was for his training D for which he had trained SECTION Questions 61- 70 The sentences below have four underlined words or phrases A, B, C, D Identify the one underlined expression that must be changed for the sentence to be correct Write the answer on the answer sheet.(10ms) 61 Many people died of malaria, smallpox before the process of vaccination A B C was invented in the 19th century D 62 There are thousand of different types of roses A B C D 63 Visitors to Vancouver often comment on how beautiful its setting is and on 176 A B C how clean is it D 64 The French Quarter is the most famous and the most old section of New A B C D Orlean 65 The mother got the child repeat what her father had said A B C D 66 Some games reply mainly in skill and practice while others primarily involve A B C luck D 67 Sponges have neither heads or separate body organs A B C D 68 First specializing in industrial photography, Margaret Bourk-White later A B became a famous news photographer and editorial C D 69 In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered A B C cars because they were quiet, operated smoothly and handle easily D 70 Brakes and clutches serve very different functions in an automobile, and their A B C principles of operation are nearly the same D SECTION Questions 71 - 75 Choose the rewritten sentence that still keeps the meaning as the original one(s) Write your answer on the answer sheet.(5 ms) 71 I was very hungry at lunch time I had had a big breakfast A In stead of having had a big breakfast, I was very hungry at lunch time B Because of having had a big breakfast, I was very hungry at lunch time C In spite of having had a big breakfast, I was very hungry at lunch time D As a result of having had a big breakfast, I was very hungry at lunch time 72 People rebuilt the school because it wasn’t large enough A People rebuilt the school in order that to make it larger B The school rebuilt so that it wasn’t small any longer C Because of small, the school was rebuilt D The school was rebuilt in order to be larger 73 “ Shut the door but don’t lock it” She said to us A She told us to shut the door but not lock it 177 B She told us shut the door but don’t lock it C She told us to shut the door but not to lock it D She told us to shut the door but don’t lock it 74 The question was so difficult that I had to ask for help A It was such difficult question that I had to ask for help B It was such a difficult question that I had to ask for help C The question was too difficult for me to ask for help D I had to ask for help because of the question was too difficult 75 Mary felt ill, but she went to school A Even though Mary felt ill, she went to school B In spite her illness, Mary went to school C Despite of her illness, Mary went to school D Although Mary was ill, but she still went to school -THIS IS THE END OF THE TEST IN USE OF ENGLISH 178 TERMS 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 30/03 30/03 10/08 10/08 21/12 21/12 22/08 22/08 19/12 19/12 27/08 27/08 (p1) (p2) (p1) (p2) (p1) (p2) 18/04 (p1) (p2) (p1) (p2) 24/04 28/08 04/12 08/01 26/03 (p1) (p2) 10/09 10/12 25/03 13/05 12/08 23/12 COUNTS Words Para Sentences 297 255 155 722 401 207 454 376 163 423 165 244 305 202 116 3 31 28 11 20 3 15 13 50 24 23 31 16 22 12 12 15 2.3 4.0 3.0 3.1 4.8 2.3 4.6 3.1 2.2 425 184 307 211 232 259 199 298 208 3 3 11 24 26 13 12 10 2.6 4.3 4.3 4.5 4.0 3.3 19 AVER Sent/Par Ws/Sent Char/Ws 19.8 21.1 17.2 13.1 16.7 11.2 19.7 12.0 5.0 5.0 4.6 4.1 7% 16% 0% 2% 4.6 5.5 4.3 4.7 3.1 2.7 8.0 9.9 17.0 13.7 20.3 20.3 20.3 23.2 22.3 16.7 12.7 4.0 4.2 4.4 5.2 5.0 5.3 5.4 4.7 5.0 4.3 2.0 4.0 4.0 3.7 4.5 2.5 26.3 4.9 8.9 19.9 22.1 24.8 20.8 4.4 5.1 5.8 4.6 5.1 R.Indexes P.Sent.s Fl R E Fl Grade 14% 4% 22% 0% 38.7 35.4 51.2 68.8 53.5 27.2 65.8 47.0 82.8 66.7 12 12 10.3 Coleman 13.1 13.8 9.7 G.F 14.1 13.8 10.6 6.9 9.9 12.0 9.7 4.1 8.1 9.3 11.4 6.9 8.9 9.3 10.0 11.3 4.0 7.5 8.3 10.9 10.5 7.5 10.2 8.9 5% 18% 8% 60.1 35.7 42.2 24.3 20.6 43.5 51.0 64.8 8.0 12 12 12 12 12 9.9 7.3 9.3 14.0 11.2 14.2 9.8 11.5 14.1 9.8 8.2 11.9 10.8 14.1 8.2 12.1 11.3 8.0 9% 41% 33% 26% 11% 20% Readability statistic for CFL selected Reading Passage for Level B examination 179 37% 0% 23% 22% 8% 30% 39.7 70.1 28.5 15.6 56.4 36.4 12.0 5.6 12 12 11.5 12 12.5 10.0 14.0 17.6 10.6 14.1 16.3 6.5 14.5 17.5 13.3 11.7 APPENDIX CHECK READABILITY LEVEL- USING MICROSOFT WORD On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Spelling & Grammar tab Select the Check grammar with spelling check box Select the Show readability statistics check box, and then click OK Copy and paste the document to be tested into Word…or type the first two paragraphs On the Tools toolbar, click Spelling and Grammar When Microsoft Word finishes checking spelling and grammar, it displays information about the reading level of the document 180 APPENDIX Terms No of words 3000 5000 Out of 5000 P.N.1000 Families 30/03/2003 299 79,86% 87,50% 12,50% 62,50% 30/03/2003(P2) 254 79,64% 85,81% 14,20% 72,86% 10/08/2003 159 70,65% 79,91% 16,51% 67,27% 10/08/2003(P2) 657 83,17% 86,80% 13,20% 74,92% 21/12/2003 406 14,61% 20,79% 10,11% 80,90% 21/12/2003(P2) 207 52,29% 73,24 26,74% 52,23% 18/04/2004 464 85,66% 89,14% 10,87% 77,39% 22/08/2004 379 78,53% 83,05% 16,95% 71,75% 22/08/2004(P2) 170 76,48% 81,19% 18,82% 79,07% 19/12/2004 381 76,96% 83,87% 16,13% 72,69% 19/12/2004(P2) 168 79,80% 82,83% 17,17% 75,76% 24/04/2005 252 59,39% 67,52% 32,50% 49,38% 28/08/2005 305 62,07% 68,97% 31,03% 54,02% 04/12/2005 202 62,07% 68,97% 31,03% 68,33% 08/01/2006 116 78,76% 85,61% 14,38% 62,23% 26/03/2006 425 71,37% 79,25% 20,75% 66,80% 27/08/2006 184 71,07% 76,03% 23,97% 63,64% 27/08/2006(P2) 307 72,40% 81,77% 18,23% 66,15% 10/09/2006 211 76,70% 85,72% 14,29% 68,42% 10/12/2006 232 80,00% 87,20% 12,80% 84,80% 25/03/2007 259 73,43% 79,02% 20,98% 67,83%% 13/05/2007 199 64,51% 70,07% 29,84% 54,84%% 12/08/2007 298 61,33% 69,62% 30,39% 59,12% 23/12/2007 208 70,50% 79,52% 20,49% 69,93% The number of words in different wordlists 181 ... CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINAL I certificate my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: ? ?AN INVESTIGATION ON THE WRITTEN TEST OF THE NATIONAL ENGLISH CERTICATE – LEVEL B AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY CENTER. .. Center of Foreign Languages at Angiang University and regards their readability The population of my study will be the written paper tests designed for The National English Certificate of level B. .. Materials The materials chosen for the study consisted of twenty - four reading passages in the English Written Test of the National English Certificate of level B test held at AGU CFL for the