Tasks and proficiency tests: piloting instruments of a study on strategic planning

Resumo

This paper aims at presenting the results of a pilot study which investigated whether some instruments that will be used in a PhD research study are valid and reliable. Two narrative tasks that may serve to collect speech samples in two different conditions were tested in order to guarantee that they are similar in terms of difficulty level, and two proficiency tests – one focused on the listening skill and the other in the speaking skill – were piloted in order to know whether participants who perform both tests have similar scores. The results show that the oral tasks are similar, but one of them may yield learners to produce more complex language. Regarding the proficiency tests, half the participants had different scores in both tests. Moreover, the results also assisted in reflecting on the use of some instruments and in informing some selecting decisions.