Creating an empirically derived checklist to diagnose second language learners’ integrated writing ability

Abstract

Considering the importance of graphical literacy in academic contexts together with the crucial role of diagnostic feedback in guiding and facilitating teaching and learning practices, this study was aimed at developing a descriptor-based checklist to diagnose test takers’ performance on IELTS graph-based integrated writing tasks. Think-aloud verbal protocols of six IELTS instructors during rating and six instructors during writing IELTS task 1 reports informed the checklist’s development. The checklist descriptors were validated by different groups of experts and cross-checked against the literature and existing checklists. The checklist’s capability to provide reliable and diagnostic information was examined by analyzing score consistency across raters, and the correlation between the binary and multilevel scores awarded using the developed checklist and the IELTS rubric. The findings highlight both task-specific writing skills unique to graph-based integrated tasks and more general writing skills common across different integrated writing tasks. Implications for teachers, learners, and professional development programs are discussed.