A Meaning-Based Multiple-Choice Test of Pragmatic Knowledge: Does It Work?

Abstract

One of the most recent developments in language assessment, the assessment of pragmatic ability, continues to face a number of challenges. Among these, a key issue is that pragmatic ability remains as one of the least understood constructs in the field. While pragmatic ability has been the focus of much research in the last few decades, there is still a lack of consensus as to what components constitute this construct (Timpe-Laughlin, Wain, & Schmidgall, 2015). In addition, researchers differ in their perceptions of how it can be effectively and reliably elicited and assessed, particularly where practicality considerations may be of paramount concern. As such, along with the issue of construct definition, there is the paradox regarding which elicitation methods are to be used in this type of assessment.