Comparing face-to-face and distance modalities in conducting Arabic and Russian speaking proficiency tests.

摘要

Ratings made through distance modalities were compared to ratings obtained through face-to-face evaluations. Participants were basic acquisition students of Arabic and Russian, intermediate and advanced Russian students, professional linguists (Russian), and the faculties of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, California.;Results showed high reliability between face-to-face and telephonic interviews. There was less similarity between face-to-face, desktop computer-based video conferencing, and one-way tape-mediated evaluation.;Preference for the telephone increased with language ability.;Desktop computer-based video conferencing was regarded as a potentially useful way to conduct interviews and provide instruction. Technology artifacts tempered participant reactions.;Participants did not favor the tape-mediated evaluation approach.;Behaviors predicted through cognitive science were observed.;Effort to improve construct definition relation to the proficiency descriptors and the study of the impact of practice on ease of use and acceptance of distance modalities were recommended as areas of future research.