TESTING OVERALL ABILITY

Paola Enríquez D.4.14.14

Obtain separate

information on each of the language abilities

Estimate candidate’s overall ability

Previous chapters

PROFICIENCY TESTS

Number of components

Specificiations for the individual componentsIndication of the weight that e/component has

Add scores = overall ability

Individual scores may be ignored

OVERALL ABILITYCommonsense idea that someone can be good (quite good, poor) at a language

Performance in one skill is usually a reasonable predictor of performance in another

Skills share some features (vocabulary, grammar)?

TECHNIQUES FOR TESTING OVERALL ABILITY

Reduced redunda

ncy

More information available

than what is needed

NS can cope well when

redundancy is reduced

Deliberate reduction of redundancy

for estimating

NNS language

ability

CLOZE PROCEDURE

Remove words from a passage

Attempt to replace the original words

Blanks usually about every 7th word

CLOZE PROCEDUREConsidered as a language testing panacea

To replace the word -> go beyond the immediate context

Make use of the abilities that underlay language performance

Easy to construct, administer and score

The chosen passage did not matter neither the deleted words

CLOZE PROCEDUREConsidered as a language testing panacea

To replace the word -> go beyond the immediate context

Make use of the abilities that underlay language performance

Easy to construct, administer and score

The chosen passage did not matter neither the deleted words

Do you agree or not?

CLOZE PROCEDURE

Different passages gave different results

Deletion of different words gave different results

Close examination of the context

Intelligent & educated NS varied quite considerably in predicting the words

Unfortunately…

SELECTED DELETION CLOZECareful selection of

texts

Careful selection of

words to delete

Avoid problematica

l items – impossible to predict

the missing word

CONVERSATIONAL CLOZE

To reflect oral as well as written

ability

Passages representing

spoken language

Kind of language

that is relevant for the overall

ability

CONVERSATIONAL CLOZE

ADVICE ON CREATING CLOZE TYPE PASSAGES

Appropriate level of

difficulty

Appropriate style

Present a couple of uninterrupted

sentences

Deletions should be made at

every 8th to 10th word

Try the passage with NS

Determine the range of

acceptable responses

Devise clear instructions

Test takers should be

familiar with the technique

Scores are not directly

interpretable

ADVICE ON CREATING CLOZE TYPE PASSAGES

MINI-CLOZE ITEMS

Cover the structures and vocabulary we want to

Limited as to what features of language can

be tested

Once a passage is chosen

Include a number of passages

THE C-TESTThe 2nd half of every 2nd word is deleted

Exact scoring

Shorter (and so more) passages are possible

THE C-TESTThe 2nd half of every 2nd word is deleted

Exact scoring

Shorter (and so more) passages are possible

Disadvantages?

THE C-TESTThe 2nd half of every 2nd word is deleted

Exact scoring

Shorter (and so more) passages are possible

Puzzle-like nature

Harder to read

Correct answers can often be found in the surrounding text

Disadvantages

DICTATION

The order of word is given

Words are given

It is possible to identify words from context

Word order

Vocabulary

Aural perception

Does not test

1960Misguided

DICTATION

The order of word is given

Words are given

It is possible to identify words from context

Spelling

Punctuation

Tests

1960Misguided

DICTATIONWord order is not given

Words are not given

Only a stream of sound is heard – decoded, stored, and recreated

Identify words from context = desired ability

End of the decade

DICTATIONResults similar to the ones from cloze tests

Includes listening ability

Easy to create

Easy to administer

End of the decade

Advantages

DisadvantageNot easy

to score

DICTATION

Scoring

# of words appearing in their original

sequence

Misspelled words taken as correct as

long as no phonological rule is

broken

Time-consuming

Tedious with poorer

students

PARTIAL DICTATIONPart of what is dictated is already printed

Fill in the gaps

Scoring is likely to be more reliable

CONSIDERATIONS FOR DICTATION

Break passages into stretches that

will be spoken without a break

Read the entire passage

straight through

Read out stretches, not

too slowly

Give enough time to write

down

Spell silently the stretch twice

TESTS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

5 TO 12 YEARS OLD

WHY TEST YOUNG LANGUAGE LEARNERS

?• Check if the teaching programme is effective

• Develop positive attitudes towards assessment

SOME CONSIDERATIONS

Relative short attention span

Enjoy stories and play

Respond well to pictures, attractive typography, colour

Not longBriefVaried

SOME CONSIDERATIONS

L1 & cognitive abilities are still developing

Learn through social interaction

Teaching & learning involve “integrated” tasks

SOME CONSIDERATIONSSympathetic

teachers

Familiar surroundings

Understandable instructions

Easy tasks at the beginning -> confidence

TECHNIQUES TO TEST LISTENING

Placing objects or identifying people

Multiple choice pictures

Colour and draw on existing line

drawing

Information transfer

TECHNIQUES TO TEST READING

Multiple choice Pictures

TECHNIQUES TO TEST WRITING

Anagram with picture

Cartoon story

Gap filling with pictures

TECHNIQUES FOR TESTING ORAL ABILITYStraightforward questions about

the child and their family

Direct questions from a scene in

a card

Ask for differences

among cards with pictures

Tell a story from a set of

pictures