The effect of the notetaking format on the quality of second language test takers' notes and their performance on an academic listening test

This dissertation investigated the effect of different notetaking formats, i.e., an outline format and a blank format, on the quality of L2 test takers' notes and their performance on listening items tapping into different subskills. Employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this study attempted to answer the following research questions: (1) To what extent is the quality of second language test takers' notes affected by the notetaking format? (2) To what extent is second language test takers' performance on an academic listening test affected by the notetaking format? (3) To what extent are second language test takers' notetaking processes and strategies affected by the notetaking format? (4) To what extent is the quality of second language test takers' notes affected by their second language academic listening proficiency, and related to their performance on listening subskills? To what extent does this relationship vary depending on the notetaking format?;Based on the results of the analyses, the relationship between test takers' notes and their performance on listening subskills depending on the notetaking format seems to involve other factors, such as test takers' second language listening proficiency and task type. First, the outline format may facilitate test takers' notetaking of topical ideas, while the notetaking format may have different effects on test takers' notetaking of details depending on their listening proficiency. Second, although test takers are likely to more benefit from their notes for detail items than other subskill items, low ability test takers are not necessarily able to relate their notes to the associated test items. Third, the outline format seems to constrain test takers', especially low level test takers' notetaking within the given framework in many aspects, although test takers' preferences for notetaking format and notetaking strategies are closely related to their individual notetaking styles in real life lectures. Finally, based on the SEM analysis, note quality indices may be as good as or better indicators of test takers' second language listening proficiency. These findings were discussed in terms of implications for language testing theory and practice.