This article describes the development and validation of a test of vocabulary size
and strength. The rst part of the article sets out the theoretical rationale for the
test, and describes how the size and strength constructs have been conceptualized
and operationalized. The second part of the article focusses on the process of test
validation, which involved the testing of the hypotheses implicit in the test
design, using both unidimensional and multifaceted Rasch analyses. Possible
applications for the test include determining the status of a learner’s
vocabulary development as well as screening and placement. A model for administering
the test in computer adaptive mode is also proposed. The study has implications both
for the design and delivery of this test as well as for theories of vocabulary acquisition.
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