ERIC Number: EJ1467147
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1543-4303
EISSN: EISSN-1543-4311
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Test Takers' Attitudes toward Varieties of Accents in Listening Tasks of the Duolingo English Test (2021 Test Version)
Okim Kang1; Maria Kostromitina1; Xun Yan2; Ron I. Thomson3; Talia Isaacs4
Language Assessment Quarterly, v22 n1 p29-55 2025
There has been much debate in assessment research about the inclusion of Global English accents in high-stakes listening tests. This study explored test-takers' attitudes toward the inclusion of different English accents in the Duolingo English Test (DET) 2021 test version and their associations with listening test scores. One hundred sixty English learners from four language backgrounds (Chinese, Korean, Hindi, and Latin American Spanish) completed yes/no vocabulary and dictation tasks that simulated the listening sections of the DET. The tasks included speech produced by English speakers of the same language background as the listeners, as well as American and British English. Learners completed a survey that elicited their attitudes toward non-standard English accents in proficiency tests. Exploratory factor analysis of survey responses revealed two contrasting trends in learners' attitudes. Constructed responses suggested that while listeners generally preferred prestigious English models (e.g. American English or British English), they also expressed a need for incorporating other accent varieties. The relationships between listeners' attitudes and their performance on the test were minimal (r < 0.26). The findings hint at a deeper understanding of test takers' needs regarding accent varieties in listening tests. The study offers implications for the development of high-stakes English listening tests in global contexts.
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Computer Software, Computer Assisted Instruction, Student Attitudes, Language Variation, Language Tests, Pronunciation, Scores, Listening Comprehension, Correlation, Speech Communication, Factor Analysis, High Stakes Tests, Language Attitudes, Task Analysis, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Latin Americans, Indo European Languages, Native Language, Listening Comprehension Tests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English for International Communication; Test of English as a Foreign Language; International English Language Testing System
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of English, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA; 2Department of Linguistics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA; 3Department of English, Brock University, St Catharines, Canada; 4UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK