The Types and Nature of Questions Vis-à-Vis Students' Test-Taking Skills as Significant Indicators of Second Language Examinees' Performance on the TOEFL-ITP Reading Comprehension Sub-Test

Abstract

This study examines the reading performance of selected students at the Pre-College program of the Mahidol University International College (PC-MUIC) as they are required to attain a score of 520 in the TOEFL-ITP (or equivalent performance in IELTS) to enter MUIC. Specifically, this research aims to evaluate whether the reading skills that examinees possess correlate with successful performance on the Reading Comprehension sub-test of the TOEFL-ITP. Only TOEFL-ITP Reading Comprehension Sub-test performance has been considered in this study as IELTS is not taught or administered in the Pre-College program. This study makes use of descriptive qualitative-quantitative design relying heavily on the following instruments for data collection: Commercial-based test-prep texts (Reading Comprehension Sub-section), Schraw and Roedel's Levels of Difficulty (1994), the researcher's modification of said band, the respondents' scores per question type, tabulations of the respondents' scores based on the levels of difficulty of the items and the question types used in the test, focused interviews with the respondents, and retrospective journal entries of the researcher. This study aims to shed light on issues surrounding how second language learners' reading skills affect performance on standardized tests such as TOEFL. This study specifically seeks to provide MUIC PC instructors empirical data that would help them understand their own students' reading difficulties which, consequentially, will aid them address teaching-learning issues.

Keywords: TOEFL, reading skills, test-taking

JEL Classification: I20