Accuracy of second language skills self-assessment through a web-based survey tool

Abstract

A web-based tool is employed to conduct a survey and analyse the accuracy of self-assessment when L1 and L2 are genetically and typologically related: a Spanish class attended by Italian students. The survey includes a questionnaire and a test. A correlation analysis based on Goodman-Kruskal’s Gamma index shows that the self-assessment of general reading skills is weakly correlated with the selfassessment of comprehension of a specialised text. The latter is even more weakly correlated with actual test results. Self-assessment in a context of cognate languages is a poor predictor of students’ actual performances.