Test Information Guide
Field 32: Portuguese
Linguistics and Language Structures
The following materials contain:
- Sample test directions for the linguistics and language structures assignments
- A description of the linguistics and language structures assignments
- The performance characteristics and scoring scale
Sample Test Directions for the Linguistics and Language Structures Assignments
Part 1: Passage
This portion of the Linguistics and Language Structures section of the test consists of a passage to be completed by providing the grammatically correct word in the target language for each numbered space. Directions are provided before the passage. Your final responses to the passage must be typed in the response box provided for the passage.
You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your responses. However, your final responses must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.
Please note that special characters (such as letters with accents or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the
button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select "Insert." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.
Select the Next button to continue.
Part 2: Short-Answer Questions
This portion of the Linguistics and Language Structures section of the test consists of six short answer questions. Directions are provided before each question. Your final responses to the exercises must be typed in the response box provided for each exercise.
You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your responses. However, your final responses must be typed in the response box provided for each exercise.
Please note that special characters (such as letters with accents or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the
button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select "Insert." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.
Select the Next button to continue.
Description of the Linguistics and Language Structures Open-Response Items
This section of the test consists of exercises that require the candidate to demonstrate command of the grammatical structure of the language. The first part consists of a cloze passage with twelve blanks to be filled in according to specific directions. The words or phrases to be filled in may include verb forms, pronouns, modifiers requiring agreement, inflected noun forms, or other important elements of syntax and usage. The second part consists of six short-answer questions. The first three require transformation of one or more sentences according to specific directions (e.g., from one tense or voice to another, from singular to plural, or from an informal to a formal language style). The second three short-answer questions require candidates to rewrite in correct form one or more sentences containing grammatical errors. In the scoring of this section of the test, all grammatically correct answers consistent with the directions will be accepted.
Sample questions are provided in the Portuguese sample items .
Scoring Rubric
Performance Characteristics
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the linguistics and language structures assignments.
Grammar | 12 tasks that require supplying the grammatically correct term |
---|---|
Transformation | 3 tasks that require making a specified transformation |
Correction | 3 tasks that require correction of errors |
Scoring Scale
Each identified scorable task will be "Correct" if the candidate's response is described by one of the following:
Tasks | Notation | Notation Description |
---|---|---|
Grammar: Tasks 1–12 |
C |
Correct.
The candidate's response is grammatically correct and appropriate within the context of the passage (i.e., the response satisfies all of the target language's rules of grammar demanded by the instructions and intended by the context of the passage). |
Transformation: Tasks 13–15 |
C |
Correct.
The candidate's response correctly transforms the sentence or passage as instructed (i.e., the response follows all applicable grammatical rules of the target language and accurately supplies a transformed word, phrase, or clause construction as directed). |
Correction: Tasks 16–18 |
C |
Correct.
The candidate's response acceptably corrects the syntactic or linguistic errors found in the sentence or passage (i.e., the response has located and corrected the errors of language structure found within the sentence or passage and has retained the original meaning). |
Each identified scorable task will be "Not Correct" if the candidate's response is described by the following:
Tasks | Notation | Notation Description |
---|---|---|
All Tasks | NC |
Not correct.
The candidate's response does not accurately follow the target language's rules of grammar, or the response is incomplete or is blank. |