This study investigated the impact of different lengths of pre-task planning time on performance in a test of second language speaking ability for university admission. In the study, 47 Turkish-speaking learners of English took a test of English language speaking ability. The participants were divided into two groups according to their language proficiency, which was estimated through a paper-based English placement test. They each completed four monologue tasks: two picture-based narrative tasks and two description tasks. In a balanced design, each test taker was allowed a different length of planning time before responding to each of the four tasks. The four planning conditions were 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. Trained raters awarded scores to the test takers using an analytic rating scale and a context-specific, binary-choice rating scale, designed specifically for the study. The results of the rater scores were analysed by using a multifaceted Rasch measurement. The impact of pre-task planning on test scores was found to be influenced by four variables: the rating scale; the task type that test takers completed; the length of planning time provided; and the test takers’ levels of proficiency in the second language. Increases in scores were larger on the picture-based narrative tasks than on the two description tasks. The results also revealed a relationship between proficiency and pre-task planning, whereby statistical significance was only reached for the increases in the scores of the lowest-level test takers. Regarding the amount of planning time, the 5-minute planning condition led to the largest overall increases in scores. The research findings offer contributions to the study of pre-task planning and will be of particular interest to institutions seeking to assess the speaking ability of prospective students in English-medium educational environments.

中文翻译：

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前任务计划对英语中等大学入学口语考试成绩的影响

本研究调查了不同长度的任务前计划时间对大学入学第二语言口语能力测试表现的影响。在这项研究中，47 名讲土耳其语的英语学习者参加了英语口语能力测试。参与者根据他们的语言能力分为两组，这是通过纸上英语分班测试估计的。他们每个人都完成了四项独白任务：两项基于图片的叙事任务和两项描述任务。在平衡设计中，每个考生在回答四项任务中的每一项之前都被允许有不同长度的计划时间。四种规划条件为30秒、1分钟、5分钟和10分钟。受过训练的评分员使用分析评分量表和特定于上下文的评分表向应试者颁发分数，专为研究设计的二元选择评分量表。通过使用多方面的 Rasch 测量来分析评分者分数的结果。研究发现，任务前计划对考试成绩的影响受四个变量的影响：评分量表；应试者完成的任务类型；提供的规划时间长度；以及考生的第二语言熟练程度。与两个描述任务相比，基于图片的叙述任务的分数增加更大。结果还揭示了熟练程度和任务前计划之间的关系，即只有最低水平考生的分数增加才达到统计显着性。关于计划时间量，5 分钟计划条件导致得分的整体增长最大。