Chapter 12 discusses the construction and assessment of listening tests for language teachers, including challenges in creating effective listening tasks and the importance of clear specifications. It emphasizes techniques for setting tasks, scoring, and ensuring fairness in assessment, while highlighting that listening skills are crucial for communication. The chapter includes references for further reading on assessing listening comprehension.

1. TESTING LISTENING
Testing for Language Teachers
Chapter 12
by Arthur Hughes
Claudia Cavada presents:

2. INDEX
I. Problems in constructing listening tests.
II. Specifications.
III. Setting the tasks.
IV. Scoring the listening test.
V. Making easier listening assessment.
VI. The importance of listening skills.
VII. References.

3. I. PROBLEM IN CONSTRUCTING
LISTENING TESTS
Listeners cannot usually move backwards and forwards over the
listening in the way that they can a written text.
https://www.hahc.net/4-important-sounds-youre-missing-with-hearing-
loss/

4. II. SPECIFICATIONS
We need the specifications in order to inform the listeners about
the test that they will carry out.
The specifications are the description of
what the candidates should be able to
do.
https://www.urbanears.com/ue_gb_en/plattan

5. SPECIFICATIONS
TEXTS
Text type
Text form
Length
Speed of speech
Dialects
Accents
For reasons of content validity and backwash, texts should be specified as fully as possible.

6. III. SETTING THE TASKS
Poor recordings
introduce additional
difficulties. Recordings created for
the test have to be as
natural as possible.
Better to base the
passage on a genuine
recording.
SELECTING SAMPLES OF SPEECH

7. SETTING THE TASKS
WRITING ITEMS
FOR EXTENDED
LISTENING:
Keep items sufficiently
far apart in the passage.
Candidates should be
warned by KEY WORDS
both in the passage and
item.
Sufficient time at the
start to familiarize
themselves with the
items.
https://ru.pngtree.com/freepng/hand-holding-a-pencil_2413892.html

8. SETTING THE TASKS
POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES
Multiple choice
Short answer
The multiple choice
alternatives must
be kept short and
simple.
Candidates have to hold in
their heads four or more
alternatives while listening.
Straightforward and short
question.
Obvious and unique
response.

9. SETTING THE TASKS
POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES
Gap filling
Information transfer
• Labelling of diagrams
or pictures
• Completing forms
• Making diary entries
• Showing routes on a
map
When a short answer question
with a unique answer is not
possible.
Minimal demands on
productive skills.

10. Information transfer

11. SETTING THE TASKS
POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES
Note taking
Partial dictation
PROBLE
M
Candidates take notes during
the talk.
Only after the talk is finished
they see the items to which
they have to respond.
Part of what the candidates
hear is already written down
for them.
Candidates should be
provided with practice
materials.

12. SETTING THE TASKS
POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES
Transcription
Transcribe number or
words which are spelled
letter by letter.
Name or word that the
candidates should not
be already be able to
spell.

13. IV. SCORING THE LISTENING TEST
Do the testers have to deduct points for
grammar or spelling mistakes in listening
tests?
Listening is a receptive skill.
http://teachinglearnerswithmultipleneeds.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-yesno-series-part-
one.html

14. V. MAKING EASIER LISTENING
ASSESSMENT
• Base assessment on learning objectives and listening tasks of
the unit / course.
• Specifications as complete as possible.
• Minimize anxiety
• Ensure all the test takers can hear/see the audio/video and that
there are not distracting noises.
• Decide beforehand how questions will be marked and inform
the test takers about it.
• Ensure the number of possible answers to open-ended
questions is limited so that marking is easy and fair to all test

15. VI. THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING
SKILLS
• Listening is often seen the most
difficult skill to test.
• It is very important since we
cannot have any communication
without understating.
https://recast.ai/blog/understanding-word-understand-language/

16. VII. REFERENCES
• British Council. (n.d.) Assessing Listening. Retrieved from
https://www.britishcouncil.org/exam/aptis/research/projects/assessment
-literacy/listening
• Hughes, A. (2002). Testing listening. In Testing for Language
Teachers (Cambridge Language Teaching Library, pp. 160-171).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
doi:10.1017/CBO9780511732980.013
• Karavas, K. (n.d.) Testing Listening Comprehension [PowerPoint slides].
Retrieved from
https://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/ENL264/testing%20list
ening%20final.ppt