The underlying factor structure of L2 close test performance in Francophone, university-level students: causal modelling as an approach to construct validation

This study begins to address the question of cloze test construct validity through causal modelling. It investigates the underlying factor structure of L2 cloze test performance as explained by a theoretical model including the following hypothetical constructs: cloze-taking ability; knowledge of language; content domain; and knowledge of contextual constraints. Eight cloze tests reflecting the posited factors were constructed and administered to 182 Francophone, university-level students. The factors were examined separately and in combination through a model building process which included model fitting and model comparison. A model composed of three orthogonal factors was confirmed and accepted as the best explanation of the data. The results indicate that cloze performance is dependent upon language factors (a second language factor or a first language factor) and nonlinguistic specific knowledge related to cloze-taking ability that crosses over linguistic boundaries. Cloze has been considered as an overall L2 proficiency measure. This study empirically demonstrates that factors other than language are significantly contributing to cloze test performance. It also demonstrates the potential of a causal modelling approach.