2. Why should we test literature?
• to elicit a specific response
• to develop literary competence
• to bring a literary piece of art to students
intellectual and emotional baggage
• to develop decision-making and meaningmaking
3. Tips on Literature Testing
1. Aim for balanced test. The test can include
knowledge and skills items; guided,
controlled and free response items; and
productive and receptive response type
items.
2. Use actual, authentic texts. The items require
contact with actual texts. This will eliminate
dependence on prepared or memorized
notes.
4. 3. Provide linguistic support when necessary.
Vocabulary and/or structure (grammar) helps
eliminate can help eliminate linguistics
difficulties that hinder the application of
literary skills.
4. Test items should require the application of
skills and principles.
5. Test items should encourage the transfer of
skills from familiar texts to unfamiliar ones.
6. Write the test items to meet student level,
not tutor expectations.
5. 7. The test items should give abstract concepts a
practical and concrete focus.
8. Devise questions that would encourage the
test-takers to identify with and personalize the
texts they meet.
9. Translate into test situations those activities
found to be motivating in the classroom.
6. What are the common forms in
testing literature?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Multiple choice
True or False
Gap-Filling
Essay test
Knowledge Question
Oral test
7. Multiple Choice
Example:
Dappled things in line 1 refer to all things that God
a. ignored
b. created
c. forgot
Difficult to design but easy to mark
Exclusively examines knowledge
Knowledge is limited to options provided
Encourages guessing (25% chance)
More than one option may be possible
8. True or False
Example
Noam Chomsky is known as the father of
generative grammar.
Does not demonstrate broader knowledge
Difficult to construct in higher levels
Encourages guessing due to 50/50 chance
Difficult to test attitudes toward learning
9. Gap Filling
Example
William Shakespeare was an English ____________.
They must have a broader context
More than one option may be possible (unless
tester provides limited options or first letter)
Tests can focus on content words
Production is tested unless options are provided
Focus should be on the aspect assessed
10. Essay Test
Example
Check out the language meaning of the song and
explain its denotation and connotation in
semantics.
frequently essay questions in literature course are
based on subject matter discussed in class.
requires the students to organize their thoughts
and substantiate their interpretations.
a highly valid test form
11. Knowledge Question: Reading
Example
Identify the following characters and briefly
describe their roles.
encourages reading of the texts
they are authentic and communicative
a highly valid test form
12. Oral Test
Positive Points
favor the students who express themselves
fluently in the target language
permit a broader sampling of the subject matter
confront with more direct questions
Negative Points
difficult too score with complete reliability
Teacher and student rapport may tend to
influence the best grade
