ERIC Number: ED324976
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1990-Nov-30
Pages: 220
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Spanish-English Verbatim Translation Exam. Final Report.
Stansfield, Charles W.; And Others
The development and validation of the Spanish-English Verbatim Translation Exam (SEVTE) is described. The test is for use by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the selection of applicants for the positions of Language Specialist or Contract Linguist. The report is divided into eight sections. Section 1 describes the need for the test, reviews the literature on the testing of translation ability, and discusses the development of translation skill level descriptions. Section 2 describes the multiple-choice and production sections of the SEVTE, scoring procedures and time limits. Sections 3 and 4 describe the development, trialing, and pilot testing. Section 5 describes the design and validation study, which included members of the FBI, Houston Police Department, and professional translators. Section 6 presents statistics on the scores of the subjects, and analyzes the reliability of each SEVTE section. Section 7 discusses content validity. Section 8 describes the equating of the two parallel forms, and the establishment of a cut score on the SEVTE multiple-choice section. Appended materials include sample test items, administration instructions, scoring guidelines, the FBI/Center for Applied Linguistics Translation Skill Level Descriptions, questionnaires, and other data collection instruments. (Author/VWL)
Descriptors: Content Validity, English, Language Proficiency, Language Tests, Spanish, Test Construction, Test Items, Test Validity, Translation
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico, VA.
Authoring Institution: Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A