ISSUES IN READING-COMPREHENSION ASSESSMENT - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS AND CLASSROOM TESTS

Second language (L2) reading researchers utilize a variety of comprehe nsion assessment procedures that may not be comparable. Without compar ability of findings, research can neither facilitate theory developmen t nor inform educators as to appropriate testing procedures. Unfortuna tely, L2 reading research has shown that learners' performance on comp rehension tasks varies according to the task used. Such variation can be attributed to two factors: the type of task used to assess comprehe nsion and the language in which the task is presented and carried out. This article examines the effects of some of the testing procedures u sed in current L2 reading research on learners' performance on these t asks and suggests guidelines for developing future research instrument s and classroom reading comprehension tests.