Language test results and explanation analysis.

1. LANGUAGE TESTING
Prepared by:
Mrs.Marites S. Tenedor

2. TESTING
⚫Evaluating knowledge
for making judgments

3. LANGUAGE TESTING
⚫Evaluating
LANGUAGE
knowledge for making
judgments

4. LANGUAGE
⚫Before: Collection of isolated
lexical and grammatical
items
⚫Today: use, communicative,
based on connected
discourse

5. LANGUAGE TEST
⚫ A procedure or device for measuring
and evaluating a person’s language
knowledge based on current definitions
of language
⚫ A test is a sample of that knowledge
and needs to be a good representation
of it

6. ⚫ A language test today then,
attempts to tap language use,
communicative ability, connected
discourse (not isolated parts),
performance (not just theoretical
knowledge) of real authentic
language

7. TRAIT/METHOD
⚫ Trait is the language knowledge that
needs to be tapped
⚫ Method is the procedure to tap that
knowledge
⚫ A good test should include minimum
method and maximum trait (because we
are measuring more the ability to do tests
than the language knowledge itself)

8. HISTORICAL TRENDS IN
LANGUAGE TESTING

9. PRE – SCIENTIFIC
(till World War II)
⚫ Testing is viewed as the domain and
responsibility of the language teacher
⚫ Tasks, such as writing compositions,
translating and writing dictations evolved
⚫ The teacher did not receive any special
training in writing and evaluating tests
⚫ Testing was regarded as an art, not a
science

10. PSYCHOMETRIC/STRUCTURALIST
(beginning in the 1950’s)
⚫ Characterized by the application of
psychometric measures and
structural linguistic principles to
testing procedures
⚫ Objective items such as multiple
choice replaced the more subjective
essay writing

11. ⚫ Test validity and reliability were
emphasized
⚫ The term discrete point
originated

12. SOCIO-LINGUISTIC/INTEGRATIVE
(the present period)
⚫ Testing is moving away from
emphasizing separate linguistic skills
toward practical communication which
represents a combination of all skills
⚫ Tests include communicative tasks and
testing of cultural and socio-linguistic
factors

13. ⚫ Testing includes real tasks of
communication
⚫ Testing also includes
appropriateness, register and
communicative abilities

14. CURRENT TRENDS IN
LANGUAGE TESTING

15. DISCRETE TO INTEGRATIVE
⚫ The transition from discrete-point
tests to integrative tasks
⚫ Language tests before were based
on single independent items while
tests today aim at checking
communicative competence

16. INDIRECT TO DIRECT
⚫ The transition form indirect to direct
authentic tests
⚫ Direct authentic type of tests
provide real-life situations which
are more similar to what the test
taker will encounter in real
language use

17. KNOWLEDGE TO PERFORMANCE
⚫ The transition from knowledge to
performance type of tests
⚫ These are tests in which the test
taker has to apply the knowledge
of the language to perform certain
functions like actual speaking or
actual writing

18. PURPOSE OF
LANGUAGE TESTS

19. CLASSROOM TESTS
⚫ Find out whether what was taught was
also successfully acquired
⚫ Evaluate and improve instruction
⚫ Obtain information on students’
progress and language knowledge
⚫ Help organize teaching/learning
materials

20. ⚫ Provide information to students on
their language progress
⚫ Provide information for grades
⚫ Help diagnose students’ strengths
and weaknesses in the language
⚫ Motivate students to learn

21. EXTERNAL TESTS
⚫ Evaluate proficiency
⚫ Decide whether to accept students
to certain programs
⚫ Provide information for
administrative decision-special
treatment to certain groups, assist
in selection and grouping

22. ⚫Help evaluate the curriculum
⚫Serve research purposes
⚫Obtain information for
grading

23. STUDENTS’ VIEWS OF
LANGUAGE TESTS

24. USES AND MISUSES OF
CLASSROOM TESTS

25. ⚫ Test becomes a punishment rather
than a constructive tool
⚫ Tests take place of teaching rather
than serving as an evaluation tool
after the material had been taught
⚫ Test is used to prove rather than
improve

26. ⚫ Often, tests do not reflect
accurately the teaching that took
place
⚫ Using tests as a disciplinary tool –
as a punishment
⚫ There is a gap between what is
taught and what is tested

27. ⚫ There is an absence of satisfactory
corrections and explanations of
errors – too little information that
could help students to improve
⚫ There is a feeling of failure that
results from obtaining poor results
on tests

28. ⚫ Teachers themselves do not feel
confident in their tests
⚫ There is little knowledge on the
part of teachers as to the
purpose and uses of language
tests and their role in language
learning

29. ⚫ Using tests exclusively for
grading
⚫ Constructing tests without
proper planning
⚫ No analysis of tests after they
have been administered

30. ⚫There is a delay in returning
test papers, so when
feedback is given, it
becomes irrelevant
⚫Using one testing method to
tap given knowledge

31. CLASSIFICATION
OF
TESTS

32. ACCORDING TO APPROACH
⚫ DISCRETE POINT APPROACH –
makes use of tests that are
designed to measure single
(discrete) elements of language
Example:
Discrete vocabulary, grammar,
spelling items

33. INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
⚫ makes use of integrative items
that is, items that attempt to
assess a learner’s capacity to
use may lists of language skills
at the same time

34. PRAGMATIC APPROACH
⚫ makes use of pragmatic items; procedures or
tasks that cause the learner to process
sequences of elements in a language that
conform to the normal contextual constraints of
the language, and which require the learner to
relate sequences of linguistic elements via
pragmatic mappings to extra linguistic contexts
⚫ Integrative tests are often pragmatic and
pragmatic tests are always integrative

35. COMMUNICATIVE
⚫ Items that test not only what the learner
knows about the second language and
how to use it (competence) but also to
what extent the learner is able to
actually demonstrate his knowledge in
a meaningful communicative situation
(performance) are used

36. FUNCTIONAL
⚫ Intends to follow the functional/notional
teaching approach. It uses items which
focus on assessing the examinee’s ability
to handle the communicative functions of
language rather than their ability to use
linguistic forms only. Socially appropriate
and linguistically accurate responses are
ranked higher than utterances lacking
either social appropriateness or linguistic
accuracy

37. ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
⚫ ACHIEVEMENT TESTS – these are used to
measure the extent to learning in a prescribed
domain, usually presented in a particular course,
textbook, or program of instruction
⚫ PROFICIENCY TESTS – global measures of
ability in a language or other content area. They
are designed to measure control of language or
cultural items, communication skills already
present at the time of testing, irrespective of
formal training

38. ⚫ APTITUDE TESTS – designed to
predict, before beginning language
study
⚫ DIAGNOSTIC TESTS – seek to
identify the specific strengths and
weaknesses of a foreign language
student

39. ACCORDING TO LANGUAGE SKILLS
⚫ LISTENING TESTS – measure
aural discrimination and aural
comprehension abilities of an
individual
⚫ SPEAKING TESTS – measure the
oral production abilities of an
individual

40. ⚫ READING TESTS – measure the decoding,
comprehension, and other reading skills
⚫ WRITING TESTS – measure the ability to
write sentences, manipulate sentences and
use language effectively, use correctly the
conventions peculiar to the written language,
and ability to write in an appropriate manner
for a particular purpose

41. ACCORDING TO THE ELEMENTS OF
LANGUAGE
⚫ PHONOLOGY – the test items
attempt to assess the ability to
recognize and pronounce the
significant sound contrasts, stress
patterns, and international patterns
of language

42. ⚫ VOCABULARY/LEXICON TESTS –
measure the individual’s knowledge of
the meanings of certain words and word
groups
⚫ GRAMMAR – measure the student’s
ability to manipulate structures and to
distinguish appropriate grammatical
forms from inappropriate ones

43. ACCORDING TO CONTENT
⚫ KNOWLEDGE TESTS – show how
well students know facts about the
language
⚫ PERFORMANCE TESTS – show
how well a student can use the
language

44. ACCORDING TO SCORING
PROCEDURE
⚫ OBJECTIVE TESTS – these are tests
where scores are generally invariable,
regardless of who scores the test. Each
item has specific correct responses
⚫ SUBJECTIVE TESTS – these are tests
where scores may vary lightly or widely
according to the individual judgment of
the scores

45. ACCORDING TO INTERPRETATION OF
RESULTS
⚫ NORM REFERENCED – the test results
are interpreted in terms of each student’s
relative standing among the other
students
⚫ CRITERION REFERENCED – the test
results are expressed in terms of the
specific knowledge and skills each
student can demonstrate

46. ACCORDING TO COVERAGE/TIME OF
TEST ADMINISTRATION
⚫ FORMATIVE TESTS – given during the
course of instruction; to find out which
aspects of the course materials or
lessons the students have mastered
⚫ SUMMATIVE TESTS – these tests are
given at the end of the marking period
and these measure the sum total of the
material covered

47. ACCORDING TO TIME ALLOTMENT
⚫ SPEED TESTS – these are tests
wherein students work against
time; the time limit is specified
⚫ POWER TESTS – students are
given sufficient time to finish the
test

48. ACCORDING TO RESPONSE TYPE
⚫ PRODUCTIVE TESTS – require
active or creative answers
Example: speaking tests
⚫ SELECTIVE TESTS – require the
examinees to choose from among
several options given

49. TEST ANXIETY

50. ⚫ Clearly characterize the test prior
to its administration
⚫ On the test day, plan for a minute
or two immediately before
beginning the test to allow for last-
minute questions or comments

51. ⚫ Review the content of the test in an
organized way prior to test day
⚫ Clearly communicate your grading and
test make up policy in advance to
students
⚫ Identify “test anxious” students and talk
with them individually and in private

52. ⚫ Provide feedback as rapidly as
possible; include positive comments
⚫ Feedback in terms of the range of
class scores, mean; emotional
responses to any given numerical
grade may be quite different when it is
placed in the context of the scores of
the entire class

53. ⚫ Treat each test score as private
information between you and the
student
⚫ Try to emphasize learning instead of
grades
⚫ Use a color other than red for
marking papers

54. ⚫ Include a mixture of types of items on
the test
⚫ Construct the test so that the simplest,
“easiest” items occur first
⚫ Consider offering the opportunity for
students to make up their own test
question and answer it for extra credit
⚫ Enroll in a content course as a student
yourself

55. TESTING LISTENING

56. READING AND LISTENING
⚫ THE TIME FACTOR – in
reading, we can usually go
back to the text while in
listening, we usually hear it
once and cannot go back to the
message

57. ⚫Oral language tends to
be less formal, less
planned and often
redundant

58. AUTHENTIC SITUATIONS
⚫Invite English speakers to
give lectures to the class
⚫Tape discussions among
a group of English
speakers

59. ⚫ Video tape interactions – when
video-taped, the student can
rely on more contextual clues
to help him comprehend such
as facial expressions, body
language, lip reading

60. ⚫ LC tests should be presented at a
normal space, with natural intonation
and stress patterns rather than slow
and artificial which may reduce the
number of clues available to the hearer.
⚫ The listening stimuli should always be
oral and not written texts read aloud

61. ⚫ Consider how we listen in real life
situations ; questions should be presented
before they listen
⚫ Students should be given contextual clues
and information about what they are about
to listen to before the test to help them
focus on certain information and to sort
out what is most relevant during the initial
listening

62. DIRECT MEANING
COMPREHENSION
⚫ Listening for gist
⚫ Listening for main idea or important
information; distinguishing main idea
from supporting details
⚫ Listening for specifics
⚫ Determining speaker’s attitude/intention
towards listener/topic

63. ⚫ Making inferences and deductions;
evaluating content in terms of
information clearly available from
the text
⚫ Relating utterances to the social
and situational context in which
they are made
INFERRED MEANING
COMPREHENSION

64. ⚫Recognizing the
communicative functions of
utterances
⚫Deducing meaning of
unfamiliar lexical items from
context

65. CONTRIBUTORY MEANING
COMPREHENSION
⚫ Understanding phonological
features (stress, intonation)
⚫ Understanding concepts such as
comparison, cause, result, degree,
purpose
⚫ Understanding discourse markers

66. ⚫ Understanding syntactic features of
the sentence or clause
⚫ Understanding grammatical
cohesion, particularly reference
⚫ Understanding lexical cohesion
⚫ Understanding words

67. LISTENING AND
WRITING
⚫ Ability to extract salient point to
summarize the whole text, reducing
what is heard to an outline of the main
point and important details
⚫ Ability to extract selectively relevant key
points from a text on a specific idea or
topic, especially involving the
coordination of related information

68. FACTORS IN THE PREPARATION OF
LISTENING TESTS
⚫ Purpose of task for listener
⚫ Number of speakers
⚫ Speaker related variables
⚫ Organizational
⚫ Nature of the text
⚫ Setting

69. ⚫Channel of
presentation
⚫Size of input/length

70. TYPES OF LISTENING ACTIVITIES

71. NO OVERT RESPONSE
⚫Stories
⚫Songs
⚫Entertainment

72. SHORT RESPONSES
⚫ Obeying instructions
⚫ Ticking off items
⚫ True/false
⚫ Detecting mistakes
⚫ Cloze
⚫ Guessing definitions
⚫ Skimming and scanning

73. LONGER RESPONSES
⚫Answering questions
⚫Paraphrasing and
translating
⚫Summarizing
⚫Long-gap filling

74. EXTENDED RESPONSES
⚫Problem solving
⚫Interpretation

75. TESTING SPEAKING

76. SPOKEN INTERACTION SKILLS
⚫ ROUTINE SKILLS
INFORMATIONAL – frequently recurring
patterns of information structure;
conventional ways of organizing speech
expository – narration, description,
instruction, comparison, storytelling,
giving directions, explanations,
presentations

77. evaluative – drawing of conclusions,
justifications, preferences
INTERACTIONAL – typical ordered
sequences of turns as in: telephone
conversations, service encounters,
meetings, discussions, interviews,
conversations, decision-making

78. ⚫ IMPROVISATION SKILLS
NEGOTIATION OF MEANING –
use of discourse processing
strategies to evaluate
communicative effectiveness and
make any necessary adjustments
in the course of an event

79. ⚫ Speaker may: check understanding,
ask opinion, respond to clarification
request, check common ground
⚫ Listener may: indicate understanding
through gesture or summarizing,
indicate uncertainty, use elicitation
devices to get topic clarified, express
agreement/disagreement

80. ⚫ MANAGEMENT OF INTERACTION
Agenda Management – choice of
topic, introduce topic, develop topic,
bring it to a close, change topic
Turn Taking – who speaks, when
and how long

81. TESTING READING

82. ⚫ Reading comprehension is a selective
process taking place between the
reader and the text, in which
background knowledge and various
types of language knowledge interact
with information in the text to contribute
to the understanding of the text

83. How do testing
methods contaminate
the measurement?

84. CLOZE
⚫Most natural, no
questions added but
there is a question
regarding the
authenticity of the task

85. MULTIPLE CHOICE
⚫ Questions and distractors are an
additional requirement to
comprehension. Comprehending
the text and content of the question
and the distractor. Also, the
question may not be a reflection of
text comprehension

86. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
⚫ The language and the content of the
questions may be unfamiliar to test-taker
⚫ Thee questions may be difficult to
understand
⚫ It may be measuring writing and not only
comprehension
⚫ The questions selected may not be
necessarily a reflection of the comprehension
of the text

87. SUMMARY
⚫ The method may impose an
extra requirement, that of the
ability to write and produce full
texts; or for an oral report,
ability to express oneself in
speaking

88. STRATEGIES
⚫ Ability to guess from context
⚫ Ability to differentiate between relevant
and irrelevant information
⚫ Ability to form hypothesis about the text
based on contextual information
⚫ Ability to predict what the text or the
message is about from previous
background

89. ⚫ Ability to predict information based
on the title of the text
⚫ Ability to understand words from
given contexts
⚫ Ability to transfer the previous
language knowledge to the given
text or message

90. TASKS TO TEST READING PROCESS
⚫ The teacher provides the students with
the title of the text only and requires
them to predict the content of the article
⚫ A teacher may ask the students to guess
the meaning of unfamiliar words by
utilizing contextual clues available in the
passage and reporting about the clues
used

91. ⚫ The teacher provides the test taker
with background information before
approaching a text on a subject
which is unfamiliar to the students.
The teacher then can see if the
students have utilized the
information to arrive at better
hypothesis about the text

92. CONSIDERATIONS FOR TESTING
READING COMPREHENSION
⚫ It is important to test both
process and product
⚫ Select text of different types
(notes, letters, reports)
⚫ Use authentic texts to manipulate
the difficulty level of the question

93. ⚫ In selecting test items, think of authentic
tasks, the kind of tasks which the test taker
will have to do with such a text in real life
⚫ If the test taker lacks background
knowledge about the text, give it to him/her
⚫ When focusing on discrete language
elements, present them only in context

94. ⚫ Do not attempt to look for many
questions about a text
⚫ Try to use many short texts with a few
questions after each, rather than one
long text with irrelevant questions
⚫ Make sure the language of the items or
questions is not too difficult to
comprehend

95. ⚫Try to use many methods for
testing comprehension
⚫Do not focus on questions
which focus on irrelevant
information

96. CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH READING
OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED
⚫ Purpose/s for reading
⚫ Nature of the texts
⚫ Organizational
⚫ Propositional
⚫ Channel of presentation
⚫ Size of input
⚫ Speed at which processing must take place
⚫ Assistance
⚫ Method of factor/response mode

97. TESTING WRITING

98. ⚫ Writing receives the least
attention in teaching, yet the
most attention in testing,
because it is relatively easy to
construct writing tasks.
⚫ Writing is the most difficult skill to
master

99. ⚫ Authentic and communicative
writing with emphasis on
transmitting authentic/integrative
information in writing
⚫ There is emphasis on the purpose
and function of writing as well as on
the addressee

100. ⚫ The process should get
attention in testing writing as
well as the final product in
writing
⚫ Evaluate writing samples with
the aid of rating scales

101. FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN
DEVELOPING WRITING TASKS
⚫Type of writing
⚫Function
⚫Addressee
⚫Process
⚫Product

102. TYPES OF WRITING
⚫ PERSUASIVE/
ARGUMENTATIVE
Position paper
critique
⚫ EXPOSITORY/
EXPLANATORY
Review article
Research report
Scientific report
ACADEMIC WRITING

103. EXPRESSIVE WRITING
⚫CREATIVE
Poem
Play
Story
⚫PERSONA
Personal
letter
Diary

104. PRACTICAL WRITING
⚫ PRESCRIBED
Formal letter
Questionnaire
Receipt
⚫ NON –
PRESCRIBED
Official report
Advertisement
Letter to the editor
Pamphlet

105. ⚫ Filling in forms
⚫ Writing diary entries
⚫ Writing telegrams/greeting cards
⚫ Writing poems/literary type texts
⚫ Written descriptions

106. GIVING FEEDBACK ON WRITING
⚫ What should feedback be mainly on:
language? Content? Organization?
⚫ Note corrections within the body of the text,
and devote comments at the end to matters of
content and organization, followed by the
evaluation
⚫ Correct mistakes, and make suggestions as to
content and organization but not evaluate;
give the evaluation only on the basis of the
rewritten or polished version

107. Should all mistakes be corrected?
⚫ Mistakes should be ignored if there is
a danger that to correct them would
hinder learning more than help it.
⚫ Correct only mistakes that actually
affect meaning and/those which are
very basic; according to individual
need

108. Should learners rewrite, incorporating
corrections?
⚫ See the first version as provisional and
to regard the rewritten, final version as
the “assignment”, the one that is
submitted for formal assessment
⚫ This helps motivate learners to rewrite
and to appreciate the value of doing so

109. Should we let students correct or give
feedback on each other’s written work?
⚫ Peer correction can be a time-
saving and useful technique,
also critical reading for style,
content and language accuracy
is a valuable exercise in itself