CONTENTS

 TESTING WRITING

 TESTING ORAL ABILITY

 TESTING READING

 TESTING LISTENING

 TESTING GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY

 TESTING YOUNG LEARNERS

TESTING WRITING
REPRESENTATIVE TASKS

 Specify all possible content

 WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR AT THE OUTSET JUST WHAT

THESE TASKS ARE THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO
PERFORM.

 THESE SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED IN THE TEST

SPECIFICATIONS

 OPERATIONS, TYPES OF TEXTS, ADDRESSEES,

LENGTH OF TEXTS, DIALECT AND STYLE ARE
RELEVANT
REPRESENTATIVE TASKS

 Include a representative sample of the

specified content

The ideal test would be one which required candidates

to perform all the relevant potential writing tasks.

The total score obtained on that test would be our best

estimate of a candidate’s ability.
TEST SPECIFICATIONS
 Operations: e.g. expressing, directing, describing,
reporting etc.
 Types of text: Form, letter, message,
 Addressees: The target audience for each piece of writing
is made clear to the candidate
 Length of texts: The number of pages to be written.
 Topics: Any capable of academic treatment
 Dialects and style: Any variety of English (AmE, BrE,
SAE)
Include a representative sample of
the specified content

 “The ideal test would be one which required

candidates to perform all the relevant potential
writing tasks. The total score obtained on that test
would be our best estimate of a candidate’s ability.

 If it were ever possible to do this, we would not

expect all of a candidate’s score to be equal, even
if they were perfectly scored on the same scale”.
(Hughes, 2003)
Elicit a valid sample of writing
ability
 Set as many separate tasks as is feasible

Besides including a representative sample of the

content, offering candidates as many “fresh starts”
as possible is necessary because each task can
represent a fresh start”.

By doing this, achieving reliability and validity is

easier. What is desirable and what is practical
have to be balanced.
Test only writing ability, and
nothing else
 When testing writing, it is not quite interesting
neither that the students be imaginative,
creative or even intelligent nor have good
reasons or opinions about a topic.

 What really matters is just the ability to

develop the target language through the task
they are to complete.
Restrict candidates
 Writing tasks should be well defined

 Candidates should know just what is required of them

 Avoid full sentences because they can be incorporated

into the composition with little or no change.

 Take into account the nature of the candidate (a task

which may be authentic for ones may be inauthentic
for others)
ENSURE VALID AND RELIABLE
SCORING
 SET TASKS WHICH CAN BE RELIABLY SCORED

 SET AS MANY TASKS AS POSSIBLE

 RESTRICT CANDIDATES

 GIVE NO CHOICE OF TASKS

 ENSURE LONG ENOUGH SAMPLES

 CREATE APPROPRIATE SCALES FOR SCORING.

TESTING ORAL ABILITY
OBJECTIVE OF TEACHING SPOKEN
LANGUAGE

 TO DEVELOP OF THE ABILITY TO INTERACT

SUCCESSFULLY IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE

  THAT INVOLVES COMPREHENSION AS

WELL AS PRODUCTION.
THE BASIC PROBLEM:
THE SAME AS FOR WRITING
 Set tasks that form a representative sample of the
population of oral tasks we expect the candidates to
be able to perform.

 Thetasks should elicit behavior which truly

represents the candidates’ ability.

 The samples of behavior can and will be scored

validly and reliably.
REPRESENTATIVE TASKS
 Specify all possible content

 Includea representative sample of the specified

content when setting tasks

 Choose appropriate techniques

 Plan and structure the testing carefully

 
ENSURE VALID AND RELIABLE SCORING
 Create appropriate scales for scoring
(Accuracy, appropriacy, range, flexibility, size)

 Calibrate the scale to be used

 Train scorers (as opposed to interviewers)

 Follow acceptable scoring procedures

TO SUMMARIZE
 Measuring accurately oral ability should
consider time and effort, as well as training.

 The appropriateness of content, rating scales

levels and elicitation techniques used in oral
testing depend on the needs that organizations
have.
TESTING READING
SPECIFY WHAT THE CANDIDATE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO
 - Operations
THE BASIC PROBLEM: The exercise of receptive skills does
not manifest itself directly on behavior.

THE CHALLENGE: To set tasks which will not only cause the
candidate to exercise reading (or listening) skills, but will also
result in behavior that will demonstrate the successful use of
those skills. There are two parts of this problem:

1. Uncertainty about the skills involved in reading

2. Difficulty still exists in order to know if an item was
successfully measured.
Texts
Types: handouts, text books, articles, poems, etc.
Forms: description, exposition, argumentation, instruction,
narration.
Graphic features: tables, charts, diagrams,, cartoons,
illustrations.
Topics: Listed or defined in a general way or in relation to a
set of candidates.
Style: may be specified in terms of formality.
Intended readership: specified or general
Length (in number of words)
Readability: Measure of the difficulty of a text
Range of vocabulary and grammar
 - Speed: reading speed may be expressed in words per
minute… The expected speed of reading will combine
with the number and difficulty of items to determine the
amount of time needed for the test or part of it.

 - Criterial level of performance: There is no need to

specify criterial levels of performance before tests are
constructed, or even before they are administered. In
order to pass, a candidate should be expected, in principle,
TO SCORE 100 PER CENT.
SETTING THE TASKS
 Select texts:
1. Keep specifications constantly in mind and try to select
as representative a sample as possible. Avoid selecting
repeatedly a particular kind of text.
2. Choose texts of appropriate length
3. Include as many passages as possible in a test
4. Look for passages which contain plenty of discrete
pieces of information
5. For scanning, find texts which have the specified
elements that have to be scanned for.
Select texts:
 6. To test the ability to quickly establish the structure of a
text, make sure that the text has a clearly recognizable
structure.
 7. Choose texts that will interest candidates but which will
not overexcite or disturb them. (e.g. a text about cancer is
going to be distressing to some candidates)
 8. Avoid texts made up of information that may be part of
candidates’ general knowledge.
 9. Do not choose texts that are too culturally laden.
 10. Do not use texts that students have already read.
Writing items
 Since the act of reading does not in itself demonstrate its
successful performance, we need to set task that will
involve candidates in providing evidence of successful
reading.

Possible techniques
The techniques used should interfere as little as possible
with the reading itself. Some of them are:
 Multiple choice
 Short answer
Which language for items and
responses?
 Procedures for writing items

1. Careful reading of the text

2. Decide a reasonable task to expect candidates to be able
to perform
3. Then write drafts
4. Add paragraph numbers and line numbers (If needed)
5. Present to colleagues for moderation
6. Modify if necessary
7. A moderation checklist follows:
TESTING LISTENING
SPECIFYING WHAT THE CANDIDATE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO
CONTENT

 GLOBAL OPERATIONS: Depend on an overall grasp of

what is listened to:
 - Obtain the gist
 - Follow an argument
 - Recognize the attitude of the speaker
INFORMATIONAL
 Obtain factual information,
 Follow instructions (including directions)

Requests for information

Understand Expressions of need
Requests for help
Requests for permissions
Apologies
Recognize and understand
- suggestions, comments, greetings and introductions,
agreements, excuses, preferences, complaints, speculation
INTERACTIONAL
 Understand greetings and introductions,
expressions of agreements, disagreements,
requests for clarification

 Recognize: speaker’s purpose, indications of

uncertainty, request for clarification, opinion,
indications of understanding, failure to
understand,
TEXTS
 SPECIFY THE TYPE: Monologue, dialogue, multi participant,
conversation, announcement, talk or lecture, instructions,
directions, etc.

 FORMS: Include descriptions, exposition, argumentation,

narration, etc.

 LENGTH: Expressed in seconds or minutes

 SPEED OF SPEECH: Words per minute or syllables per second

 DIALECTS AND ACCENTS.

SETTING CRITERIAL LEVELS OF
PERFORMANCE
 The same as testing reading

 If
the test is set at an appropriate
level, then as with reading, a near
perfect set of responses may be
required for a “pass”.
SAMPLES OF SPEECH
 Passages must be chosen with the test
specifications in mind.

Possible sources are the radio, television, spoken-

word cassettes, internet, teaching materials, our own
recordings of native speakers.

If the recordings are made specially for the test,

then they have to be made as natural as possible.
POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES

 Multiple choice
 Short answer
 Information transfer
 Gap filling
 Partial dictation
 Transcription
 Moderating the items
TESTING GRAMMAR AND
VOCABULARY
TESTING GRAMMAR AND
VOCABULARY
Why test grammar?
Times have changed, grammar is an important
part of most proficiency tests.

 Large numbers of items can be administered

and scored within a short period of time.

In order to test writing ability directly, a

grammar test is advantageous.
Why test grammar?
 Includinggrammar in achievement, placement
and diagnostic tests of teaching institutions
seems to be far from communicative approach;
however, grammar helps to limit what has been
achieved related to performance.

 To have diagnostic tests of grammar is very

useful because they inform both teachers and
learners about the responsibility of filling gaps
when producing the language.
WRITING SPECIFICATIONS
 ACHIEVEMENT TESTS: The content should be as
straightforward as possible because it is based upon a
grammatical structures list that is related to the
syllabus or specific activities.

 PLACEMENT TESTS: As much grammar structures

as possible in order to identify the ones the learner
knows and which ones the learner does not.

 PROFICIENCY & DIAGNOSTIC: use a notional –

functional approach.
Why test vocabulary?
 It complements testing grammar.

 Attentionhas not been paid to teach regular,

conscious teaching of vocabulary because it has been
more important to teach grammar.

 There are not many achievement tests of vocabulary.

 Learning lexical items should be expected as part of a

prerequisite for a particular learning course.
WRITING SPECIFICATIONS
 WORDS SHOULD BE GROUPED ACCORDING TO
RECOGNITION AND PRODUCTION.

 PUT HIERARCHIALLY THE ITEMS ACCORDING TO

THEIR IMPORTANCE.

 A VOCABULARY PLACEMENT TEST CAN WORK

AS A PROFICIENCY TEST IN THERMS OF
SPECIFYING LEXICAL ITEMS.
TESTING YOUNG LEARNERS
GENERAL APPROACH
PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS TO CARRY OUT
SUCCESSFUL TESTING OF YOUNG
LEARNERS

 A YOUNG LEARNER IS THE ONE

WHO IS AGED FROM ABOUT FIVE TO
TWELVE

 - IN NORWAY: CHILDREN UP TO THE

AGE OF THIRTEEN ARE NOT
FORMALLY TESTED IN THE SUBJECT
OF ENGLISH
WHY IS TESTING RATHER THAN
ASSESSMENT BY OTHER MEANS
NECESSARY?
 IT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE MEANINGFUL COMPARISONS
THROUGH A COMMON “YARDSTICK” (STANDARD)

 IT IS DIFFICULT TO THINK ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO

CHILDREN’S LEARNING AND THEIR ATTITUDE TO LEARNING.

 THAT DIFFICULTY IS NOT LESSENED BY THE KNOWLEDGE

THAT THE AIMS OF EARLY LANGUAGE TEACHING TYPICALLY
INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSITIVE ATTITUES TO
LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TO LANGUAGE ITSELF.