Assessing the content typicality and construct of Persian language proficiency test (PLPT) for non-Persian speakers: a corpus-informed study

Abstract Drawing on a growing body of research the interface between corpus linguistics and second/foreign language testing assessment, we adopted Peykare , large-scale, annotated, Persian written resource to evaluate content (i.e., coverage typicality) construct validity proficiency test developed for certification in as foreign (PFL) non-native speakers. Designed at Research Center Intelligent Signal Processing (RCISP), contains 35,058 text files over five linguistic varieties 24 different registers contemporary Persian. This study addresses how corpora, rich database resources, can practically be applied validation purposes insightfully inform life cycle. The results phase revealed evidence supporting representativeness, relevance, typicality test. linkage corpus-extracted criterial features or parameters those covered by was not, however, strongly evidenced items measuring ezafeh constructions, homographs/homophones, PRO (proposition), POST (postposition). analysis indicated chunks that did not closely conform typical output. phase, assessing hypothesized factor structure hierarchical, unitary, correlated, uncorrelated models) two randomly split samples PFL learners from Asian European countries ( N =121), showed correlated model fit data best both samples. supported presence distinctive factors receptive skills, providing empirical score interpretations corpus-based