Cover -- Table of Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- 1.1 Assessment of second language (L2) proficiency in SLA research -- 1.2 Review of proficiency assessment in SLA research -- 1.3 The challenge of L2 proficiency assessment in SLA research -- 1.4 Responding to the challenge: The current volume -- 1.5 Outline of the book -- Chapter 2: Second Language Proficiency -- 2.1 Models of language proficiency and competence: Conceptualizations from educational assessment -- 2.2. Development of L2 proficiency -- 2.2.1 L2 Proficiency levels -- 2.2.2 Complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) measures -- 2.3 Language proficiency: Psycholinguistic conceptualizations -- 2.3.1 Levelt's (1989) model of language production -- 2.3.2 Hulstijn's (2007, 2011, 2015) model of L2 proficiency -- 2.4 L 2 Proficiency: Bridging the gap between disciplines -- 2.5 Summary: L2 proficiency construct in the publication -- Chapter 3: Elicited Imitation -- 3.1 How does the Elicited Imitation Test (EIT) work? -- 3.2 Concerns about the Elicited Imitation format -- 3.3 Types of Elicited Imitation Tests -- 3.4 Scoring procedures -- 3.5 Sources of difficulty -- 3.6 Overview of EIT validation studies -- 3.6.1 EIT as a measure of communicative competence -- 3.6.2 EIT as a measure of implicit knowledge of particular structures -- 3.6.3 EIT as a measure of global oral language proficiency -- 3.6.3.1 EIT as a measure of global language proficiency -- 3.6.3.2 EIT as a measure of L2 oral proficiency -- 3.7 Summary -- Chapter 4: Validity Evaluation -- 4.1 Earlier conceptualizations of validity (Trinity model) -- 4.1.1 Criterion model -- 4.1.2 Content model -- 4.1.3 Construct model -- 4.2 Validity in new Standards (1999) -- 4.2.1 Evidence based on test content -- 4.2.2 Evidence based on response processes -- 4.2.3 Evidence based on internal structure.

4.2.4 Evidence based on relations to other variables -- 4.2.5 Evidence based on the consequences of testing -- 4.3 Argument-based approach to validity -- 4.3.1 Interpretive argument -- 4.3.1.1 Scoring -- 4.3.1.2 Generalization -- 4.3.1.3 Extrapolation -- 4.3.1.4 Decision/utilization -- 4.3.2 Validity Argument -- 4.3.2.1 Scoring -- 4.3.2.2 Generalization -- 4.3.2.3 Extrapolation -- 4.3.2.4 Decision/Utilization -- 4.3.3 The missing chain in the argument-based approach -- 4.4 Validity evaluation in the SLA field -- 4.5 Summary -- Chapter 5: Validation Study -- 5.1 Test use and context -- 5.2. The developmental stage: Creating the test and the interpretive argument -- 5.2.1 Test development -- 5.2.1.1 Instructions -- 5.2.1.2 Timing parameters -- 5.2.1.3 Scoring -- 5.2.2 Interpretive argument -- 5.2.3 Evaluation of inferences and assumptions during test development -- 5.3 Appraisal stage: Challenging the interpretive argument -- 5.3.1 Evaluation questions -- 5.3.2 Method -- 5.3.2.1 Participants -- 5.3.2.2 Instruments -- 5.3.2.2.1 Background Questionnaire -- 5.3.2.2.2 Elicited Imitation Test -- 5.3.2.3 Procedures -- 5.3.2.4 Analyses -- 5.3.3 Results -- 5.3.3.1 Compiling the final combination of EIT items (EQ 1) -- 5.3.3.2 Functioning of the scoring rubric (EQ 2) -- 5.3.3.3 Generalizability of the EIT scores (EQ 3) -- 5.3.3.4 Correlations between the EIT and Russian learning history (EQ 4) -- 5.3.3.5 Correlations between the EIT and learners' self-assessment (EQ 5) -- 5.4 Discussion -- Chapter 6: Validation Study 2 -- 6.1 Test use and context -- 6.2 The developmental stage: Creating the test and the interpretive argument -- 6.2.1 Test development -- 6.2.2 Interpretive argument -- 6.3 Appraisal stage: Challenging the interpretive argument -- 6.3.1 Evaluation questions -- 6.3.2 Method -- 6.3.2.1 Participants -- 6.3.2.2 Instruments.

6.3.2.2.1 Background Questionnaire -- 6.3.2.2.2 Elicited Imitation Test -- 6.3.2.2.3 Russian Speaking Test -- 6.3.2.2.4 Listening Comprehension Test -- 6.3.2.2.5 C-test -- 6.3.2.3 Procedures -- 6.3.2.4 Scoring and analyses -- 6.3.2.4.1 Scoring -- 6.3.2.4.2 Analyses -- 6.3.3 Results -- 6.3.3.1 Reliability of the EIT (EQ 1) -- 6.3.3.2 Correlations between the EIT and the RST (EQ 2) -- 6.3.3.3 EIT predictive ability of speaking skills (EQ 3) -- 6.3.3.4 Accuracy of the EIT cut scores (EQ 4) -- 6.3.3.5 CAF measures across the EIT ability levels (EQ 5) -- 6.3.3.6 Correlations between the EIT and CAF measures (EQ 6) -- 6.3.3.7 Correlations between the EIT and the LCT (EQ 7) -- 6.3.3.8 EIT predictive ability of listening skills (EQ 8) -- 6.3.3.9 Correlations between the EIT and the Russian C-test (EQ 9) -- 6.4 Discussion -- Chapter 7: Conclusions, Limitations and Future Research -- 7.1 Limitations -- 7.2. Implications -- 7.2.1 Implications for using the argument-based approach for validating SLA assessments -- 7.2.2 Implications for the use of the Russian EIT -- 7.2.3 Implications for future research on EITs -- 7.3 Conclusions -- Appendix A: Russian Elicited Imitation Test (k = 56) -- Appendix B: Scoring Guidelines for the Russian EIT -- Appendix C: Items Measurement Report (US and Germany, k = 56) -- Appendix D: Items Measurement Report (US and Germany, k = 31) -- Appendix E: DIF analysis -- Appendix F: Russian Elicited Imitation Test (k = 31) -- Appendix G: Improved Scoring Guidelines for the Russian EIT -- Appendix H: Items Measurement Report (EIT, Study 2) -- References.