Chapter 1-Introduction to language testing

Chapter 1: Introduction to language testing Source: Heaton, J.B. (1989). Writing English Language Tests. Longman & New York 1. Testing & teaching Testing & Teaching: closely related Tests: - devices to reinforce learning & motivate Ss - means of assessing Ss’ lang. performance Tests focusing on daily communication useful effects on learning Good communicative tests+ effects: learning, teaching & learning habits 2. Why test? Evaluating Ss’ performance (comp. & selecting) Locating the precise area of Ss’ difficulty Ascertaining difficult problems in curriculum Measuring Ss’ performance w/o traps effective motivation 3. What should be tested & to what standard? Analyzing the language tested: important Identifying the purpose of assessment: including aspects /skills tested Before constructing tests: to questions standards 4. Testing the language skills Listening: short utterances, dialogues, talks & lectures Speaking: interview, picture description, role play, problem-solving tasks (pair/group) Reading: ability to understand gist, key information on specific points Writing: letters, reports, messages…… 5. Testing language areas Grammar & usage: measuring Ss’ ability to recognize appro. gram forms & to manipulate structures Vocabulary: meaning, pattern, collocations Phonology: stress patterns, tunes (↑↓voice) 6. Language skills & language elements Skills, integrated skills, elements: purpose of tests & level of learners All levels: measuring ability to communicate A good lang. test: Ss’ performance in 4 skills used in real life 7. Recognition & production Recognition: words & language form- multiple-choice forms (easy to examine statistically) Production: measuring learners’ ability to produce or use correct lang. forms in real life A good language test: either recognition or production items, or combination of both 8. Problems of sampling The longer the test the more reliable a measuring instrument The language tested= the one used in the classroom Items based on contrastive analysis: effective for Ss from the same L1 Writing test specifications based on learning tasks included in the syllabus 9. Avoiding traps for the Ss Never trap Ss in giving incorrect answers Not including items never taught Finding out what Ss know, not trapping them Gaining a deeper insight the language tested & learning process involved