Testing four language skills

BY

Listening
Speaking
Reading
writing
LISTENING

A
receptive
Diagnosis purposes
skill
◼ .

special problems in constructing, arise out of

the transient nature of the spoken language
OPERATIONS

◼ Obtain the gist

◼ Follow an argument
◼ Recognize the attitude of the speaker
INFORMATIONAL
◼ Obtain factual information;
◼ ·Follow instructions (including directions);
◼ ·Understand requests for information;
◼ ·Understand expressions of need;
◼ Understand requests for help;
◼ Understand requests for permission;
◼ ·Understand apologies;
◼ ·Follow sequence of events (narration)
◼ ·Recognize and understand opinions;
◼ ·
INFORMATIONAL
Follow justification of opinions;
·Understand comparisons
·Recognize and understand suggestions;
·Recognize and understand comments;
·Recognize and understand excuses;
·Recognize and understand expressions of preferences;
·Recognize and understand complaints;
·Recognize and understand speculation.
INTERACTIONAL
◼ ·

◼ Understand greetings and introductions;

◼ · Understand expressions of agreement;
◼ ·Understand expressions of disagreement;
◼ ·Recognize speaker’s purpose;
◼ ·Recognize indications of uncertainty;
◼ ·Understand requests for clarification;
◼ ·Recognize requests for clarification;
◼ ·Recognize requests for opinion;
◼ · Recognize indications of understanding
◼
TEXT FORMS
HOW ABOUT TEXTS?

◼ Text type monologue, dialogue, or multi- participant and further specified:

conversation, announcement; talk or lecture, instructions, directions, etc.
◼ Text forms include: descriptions, exposition(non-fiction/factual), argumentation,
instruction, narration.
◼ Length may be expressed in seconds or minutes.
◼ Speed of speech may be expressed as words per minute (wpm) or syllables for
seconds (sps).
TYPES OF LISTENING TESTS.

◼ Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completion

◼ Plan, map, diagram labeling
◼ Matching
◼ Multiple choices
◼ Sentence completion
◼ Short answer question
 TYPES OF ……EXAMPLES.

Map Tasks. [Link] listen to directions for how to get somewhere and follow along on the map. They respond
by drawing their route or indicating where they would be at the end of the directions.
2. Testees listen to a conversation referring to various locations on the map and identify the
locations.
Listening to a [Link] testees listen to the talk and then fill in the blanks in a written summary of the talk. The
words chosen for blanks should be ones that the testees cannot figure out from the context of the summary,
without listening to the talk, but they should also be ones that are related to the main idea of the talk, so that filling
in the blanks does not require remembering small details of the talk.
[Link] questions like short answer/completion, multiple choice, or true/false. The
difficulty with using short answer or completion questions is that they require the testees to both read and write
while they are listening, something that can be difficult even for native speakers. Multiple choice questions may
require a lot of reading, something that may also be a problem. True/false questions is the best type , since they
require relatively little reading compared to multiple choice questions and relatively little writing compared to short
answer/completion question
Plan Labeling
• completing a plan (e.g. of a factory), a map (e.g. of a city area),
• or a diagram (e.g. a machine or a device).
 1. Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completion

•Form
Summarize the details in the recording such as name, phone number, and date
•Note
Summarize the specific and detail information in the recording
•Table
Summarize information related to some categories (for instance place, cost, time…)
Labeling maps
places like a hospital, factory, park…
❖ aims at testing students ability to listen and imagine the map of a particular place. Therefore, the
ability to obtain the spatial language is absolutely essential here. spatial language helps us to
define where objects are in the space, for example ‘on’, ‘off’, ‘under’, ‘above’, ‘over’, ‘next’, etc
3. Matching
Candidates have to match a list of items from the audio with a set of options.
4. MULTIPLE CHOICES

Short Answer Multiple Choice Sentence Completion – Multiple

Question Choice Question.
WHAT TYPE OF TEXTS DO YOU FIND?
dialogue
lecture Multi-participant

Announcemen Text Instructions

t types

Monologue
Directions

Conversation
HOW ABOUT THE TEXT FORMS?

Instructio
ns Description

Argumentation
Exposition
Text
forms

Instruction
DIALECTS & ACCENTS

◼ standard or non-standard varieties .

◼ Dialects Standard Sri Lankan English
◼ regional or non- regional
Accents
◼ Received pronunciation
ATTENTION ON

◼ Intended audience
◼ Style topics range of grammar
vocabulary
SETTING CRITERIA LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE

◼ If the test is set at an appropriate level, then, as with reading, a near

perfect set of responses may be required for a ‘pass’.
◼ A standard scale may be used to validate the criterial levels that are set .
SETTING THE TASKS

◼ Selecting samples of speech (texts)

· Passages must be chosen with the test specifications in mind.
· Possible sources are the radio, television, spoken- word cassettes, teaching
materials, the Internet and our own recordings.
· Poor recording introduces difficulties additional to the ones that we want
to create, and so reduces the validity of the test.
· It may also introduce unreliability, since the performance of individuals
may be affected by the recording faults.
· It may simply be used as the basis for a ‘live’ presentation.
·
SETTING
·
THE TASKS
To remove redundancy in spoken language is to make the listening task
unnatural.
· Avoid passages originally intended for reading.
It is better to base the passage on a genuine recording, or a transcript of
one.
· If a recording is made, care should be taken to ensure that it fits
within the specifications in terms of speed of delivery, style etc.
◼ · Suitable passages may be of various lengths, depending on what is
being tested. 10 minutes: Academic lecture
◼ 20 seconds: Set of directions
WRITING ITEMS

For extended listening, such as a lecture, a useful first step is to listen to

the passage and note down what it is that candidates should be able to get
from the passage.

· Students should be warned by key words that appear both in the item
and in the passage that the information called for is about to be heard.
WRITING ITEMS

◼ Example:

◼ Item question: ‘the second point that the speaker makes’

◼ Candidates will hear: ‘my second point is…’
◼ · Less obvious examples should be revealed through trialing.
◼ · Students should be given sufficient time at the outset to familiarize themselves
with the items.
POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES

◼ Multiple Choice

◼ There is the problem of the candidates having to hold in their heads four
or more alternatives while listening to the passage and after, responding
to one item, of taking in and retaining the alternatives for the next item.
◼ the alternatives must be kept short and simple.
EXAMPLES:

◼ Too complex:

◼ When stopped by the police, how is the motorist advised to behave?

◼

◼ a. He should say nothing until he has seen his lawyer.

◼ b. He should give only what additional information the law requires.
◼ c. He should say only what the law requires.
◼ d. He should in no circumstances say anything.
◼ examples would be:
◼ (Understanding request for help)
◼
◼ I don’t suppose you could show me where this goes, could you?
◼
◼ a. No, I don’t suppose so.
◼ b. Of course I can.
◼ c. I suppose it won’t go.
◼ d. Not at all.
MULTIPLE CHOICES

◼ Multiple choices can work well for testing lower level skills, such as
phoneme discrimination.
◼ Example:

◼ The candidate hears bat

◼ and chooses between pat mat fat bat
 SHORT ANSWER
◼ This technique can work well, when a question is short
and straightforward, and the correct, preferably
unique, response is obvious.
. GAP FILLING

◼ This technique can work well where a short answer question with unique
answer is not possible without listening.
◼ Example:
◼ Woman: Do you think you can give me a hand with this?
◼ Man: I’d love to help but I’ve got to go round to my mother’s in a minute.

◼ The woman asks the man if he can _______________ her but he has to visit
his __________.
TESTING SPEAKING (ORAL ABILITY)

Objective of teaching spoken language

◼ the development of the ability to interact successfully in that
language
comprehension
Productive
Production skill
REPRESENTATIVE TASKS
SKILLS
◼ Informational Skills:
◼ Candidates should be able to
◼ provide personal information
◼ · provide non-personal information
◼ · describe sequence of events (narrate)
◼ · give instructions
◼ · make comparisons
◼ · give explanations
◼ · present an argument
◼ · provide required information
▪ express need
▪ express requirements
▪ elicit help
▪ seek permission
▪ ·apologize
▪ elaborate an idea
▪ express opinion
▪ justify opinions
▪ complain
▪ ·speculate
▪ ·analyze
◼ make excuses
◼ · paraphrase
◼ · summarize (what they have said)
◼ · make suggestions
◼ · express preferences
◼ · draw conclusion
◼ · make comments
◼ · indicate attitude
INTERACTIONAL SKILLS:

◼ Candidates should be able to:

◼ Express purpose
◼ · recognize other speaker’s purpose
◼ · express agreement
◼ · express disagreement
◼ · elicit opinion
◼ · elicit information
◼ · question assertions(strong belief) made by other speakers
◼ · modify statements or comments
◼ justify or support statements or opinions of other speakers
◼ · attempt to persuade others
◼ · repair breakdowns in interactions
◼ · check that they understand or have been understood correctly
◼ · establish common ground
◼ · elicit clarification
◼ · respond to requests for clarifications
◼ · correct themselves or others
◼ · indicate understanding (or failure to understand)
◼ · indicate uncertainty
SKILLS IN MANAGING INTERACTIONS

◼ Candidates should be able to,

◼ initiate interactions
◼ · change the topic of an interaction
◼ · share the responsibility for the development of an interaction
◼ · give turns to other speakers
◼ · come to a decision
◼ · end an interaction
TYPES OF TEXT:

◼ · Presentation (monologue)
◼· Discussion
◼· Conversation
◼· Service encounter
◼· Interview
CONSIDER ON,
Topics Topics which are familiar and interesting to the
candidates

Dialects Standard Sri Lankan English,Standard British English

or Standard American English
Accent Standard Sri Lankan English,RP,Stadard American
English

Style Formal and Informal

Vocabulary range Non-technical except as the

result or preparation for a presentation

Rate of Speech Will vary according to task

EXAMPLES
Do you think it’s better to have one or
two really close friends, or a wider circle
of less close friends?

What are the qualities in yourself that you

think your friends value?
There is an English saying, “Blood is
thicker than water”, meaning that family
relationships are more important than
relationships with friend. Do you agree
with this?
EXAMPLES
TASK 1
Whether you have a mobile phone or not, many
people have opinions about them.
Look at the statement below. Tick the ones
you agree with.

“I hate it when phone rings at the theater or

cinema.”

“If you have a mobile phone you never feel alone.”

“It’s really dangerous to drive and phone at the
same time.”
“I feel safer with a mobile phone.”
“I hate them- people look stupid walking around
talking on the phone.”
EXAMPLES
◼ Exchange your ideas about mobile phone s with your partner. Talk about the reasons
why people have them. What advantages do they have over conventional phones? Are
there any disadvantages?
◼
◼ When the teacher returns, tell him/her about your discussion. S/he will then ask you
what limits (if any) should be put on when mobile phones can be used.
◼
◼ In what ways, for better or worse, it technology changing how we communicate with
each other? What about future development?
◼
ELICIT A VALID SAMPLE OF ORAL ABILITY

Choose appropriate techniques

◼ Choose appropriate techniques

◼ ü Interview
◼ ü Interaction with fellow candidates
◼ ü Responses to audio or video-recorded stimuli.
FORMAT 1: INTERVIEW
◼ · The most common format for the testing or oral interaction.
◼ · Traditional form
◼ · The relationship between the tester and the candidate is usually such that candidate speaks
as to a superior and is unwilling to take the initiative.
◼ Useful techniques are:
◼ A. Questions and requests for information
◼ ü Yes/No questions should be AVOIDED, except perhaps at the very beginning of the interview,
while the candidate is still warming up.
◼ ü Performance of various operations (of kind listed in the two sets of specifications above) can be
elicited through requests of the kind:
◼ Can you explain to me how/why..? and
◼ “Can you tell me what you think of….?
. REQUEST FOR ELABORATION

◼ Such as What exactly do you mean? Can you explain that in a little
more detail?, What would be a good example of that? Tell me more.
◼ C. Appearing not to understand
◼ ü This is most appropriate where the interviewer really isn’t sure of
what the candidate means but can also be used simply in order to see if
the candidate can cope with being misunderstood.
◼ ü The interviewer may say, I’m sorry, but I don’t quite follow you.
D. INVITATION TO ASK QUESTION

◼ Is there anything you’d like to ask me?

◼ Interruption
PICTURES ROLE-PLAY
Candidates can be asked to assume a role in
◼ · Single pictures are a particular situation. This allows the ready
elicitation of other language functions. There
particularly useful for
can be a series of brief items , such as:
eliciting descriptions. A friend invites you to a party on an evening
◼ · Series of pictures or when you want to stay at home and watch
video sequences form a the last episode of a television serial. Thank
the friend (played by the tester) and refuse
natural basis for narration. politely.
INTERPRETING

◼ · It is intended that candidates should be able to act as interpreters

(unless that is specified). However, simple interpreting tasks can test both
production and comprehension in a controlled way.
◼ · If there are two testers, one of the testers’ acts as a monolingual
speaker of the candidate’s native language, the other as a monolingual
speaker of the language of the language being tested.
◼ The native language speaker wants to invite a foreign visitor to his or her
home for a meal. The candidate has to convey the invitation and act as an
interpreter for the subsequent exchange.
PREPARED MONOLOGUE

◼ This technique was frequently misused.

◼ · It should only be used where the ability to make
prepared presentations is something that the candidates will
need.
◼ · Thus, it could be appropriate in a proficiency test for
teaching assistants, or in an achievement test where the ability
to make presentations is an objective of the course.
FORMAT 2: INTERACTION WITH FELLOW CANDIDATES
∙ An advantage of having
candidates interacting with each Possible Techniques
a. Discussion
other is that it should elicit
language that is appropriate to · An obvious technique is to set a task
exchanges between equals, which which demands discussion between the two
may well be called for in the test candidates. Tasks may require the candidates
◼
specifications. to go beyond discussion and, for example, take
∙ It may also elicit better a decision.
performance, in as much as the b. Role play
candidates may feel more confident · Role can be carried out by two
than when dealing with a dominant, candidates with the tester as an observer. For
seemingly omniscient interviewer. some rules this may be more natural than if
the tester were involved.
FORMAT 2: RESPONSES TO AUDIO OR
VIDEO-RECORDINGS
◼ Described situations
◼ example: You
are walking through town one day and you meet two friends
who you were sure had gone to live in the USA. What do you say?
◼ Remarks in isolation to respond to
◼ example: The candidate hears, “I’m afraid I haven’t managed to fix that
cassette player of yours yet. Sorry.”
◼ Or “There’s a good film on TV tonight.”

◼ .
Simulated conversation

example: The candidate is given information about a play which they are supposed see, with a friend.

The candidate has to talk to a friend, Ann, on the telephone, and ask her to come with him/her

and watch it. The candidate hears:

◼ Ann: Hello. What can I do for you?

◼ Ann: Hold on. What’s the name of the play, and who’s it by?
◼ Ann: Never heard of it. When’s it on exactly?
◼ Ann: Sorry to mention it, but I hope it isn’t too expensive.
◼ Ann: Well which night do you want to go, and how much would you like to pay?
◼ Ann: OK. That’s all right. It’ll make a nice evening out. ‘Bye.
◼ The Test of Spoken English (TSE), developed by Educational Testing Services, uses the same elicitation
techniques that are found in interviews.
◼ Both the ARELS test and the TSE provide useful models for anyone interested in developing tape
mediated speaking tests.
PLAN AND STRUCTURE THE TESTING CAREFULLY

◼ Feasibility
◼ Simplicity
◼ Give “fresh starts’(number of things.)
◼ Use a second tester for interviews.
◼ Set only tasks and topics that would be expected to cause candidates no difficulty in
their own language.
◼ Carry out interview in a quiet room with good acoustics.
◼ Put candidates at their ease so that they can show what they are capable of.
◼ Do not talk too much. Avoid the temptation to make lengthy or repeated explanations
of something that the candidate has misunderstood.
◼ Select interviewers carefully and train them. Successful interviewing is by no means easy
and not everyone has great aptitude for it. Interviewers need to be sympathetic and
flexible characters, with a good command of the language themselves
◼ Use a second tester for interviews.
FOUR STAGES TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR
INTERVIEWERS

Stage 1 Background and Overview

Stage 2 Assigning Candidates to Levels
Stage 3 Conducting Interviews
Stage 4 Assessment
STAGE 4 ASSESSMENT

◼ Create appropriate scales for Scoring

◼ ACCURACY-
◼ APPROPRIACY
◼ RANGE
◼ FLEXIBILITY
◼ SIZE-
PROFICIENCY DESCRIPTIONS
◼ Accent
◼ 1. Pronunciation frequently unintelligible.
◼ 2. Frequent gross errors and a very heavy accent make understanding difficult,
require frequent repetition.
◼ 3. “Foreign accent” requires concentrated listening and mispronunciations lead to
occasional misunderstanding and apparent errors in grammar or vocabulary.
◼ 4. Marked “foreign accent” and occasional mispronunciations which do not
interfere with understanding.
◼ 5. No conspicuous mispronunciations, but would not be taken for a native speaker.
◼ 6. Native pronunciation, with no trace of “foreign accent”.
 GRAMMAR
[Link] almost entirely inaccurate except in stock phrases.
2. Constant errors showing control of very few major patterns
and frequently preventing communication.
3. Frequent errors showing some major patterns uncontrolled
and causing occasional irritation and misunderstanding.
4. Occasional errors showing imperfect control of some patterns
but no weakness that causes misunderstanding.
5. Few errors with no patterns of failure.
6. No more than two errors during the interview.
VOCABULARY
◼ 1. Vocabulary inadequate for even the simplest conversation.
◼ 2. Vocabulary limited to basic personal and survival areas (time, food, transportation,
family, etc.)
◼ 3. Choice of words sometimes inaccurate, limitations of vocabulary prevent discussion
od some common professional and social topic.
◼ 4. Professional vocabulary adequate to discuss special interest, general
vocabulary permits discussion of any non-technical subject with some
circumlocutions.
◼ 5. Professional vocabulary broad and precise, general vocabulary adequate to cope
with complex practical problems, and varied social situations.
◼ 6. Vocabulary apparently as accurate and extensive as that of an educated native
speaker.
FLUENCY

◼ 1. Speech is so halting and fragmentary that conversation is virtually

impossible.
◼ 2. Speech is very slow and uneven except for short or routine sentences.
◼ 3. Speech is frequently hesitant and jerky; sentences may be left
uncompleted.
◼ 4. Speech is occasionally hesitant, with some unevenness caused by
rephrasing and grouping for work.
◼ 5. Speech is effortless and smooth, but perceptively non-native in speed
and evenness.
◼ 6. Speech on all professional and general topics as effortless and smooth
as a native speaker’s
COMPREHENSION

◼ 1. Understands too little for the simplest type of conversation.

◼ 2. Understands only slow, very simple speech on common social and touristic topics; requires constant
repetition and rephrasing.
◼ 3. Understands careful, somewhat simplified speech when engaged in a dialogue, but may require
considerable repetition and rephrasing.
◼ 4. Understands quite well normal educated speech when engaged in a dialogue, but requires occasional
repetition on rephrasing.
◼ 5. Understands everything in normal educated conversation except for very colloquial or low-frequency
items, or exceptionally rapid or slurred speech.
◼ 6. Understands everything in both formal and colloquial speech to be expected of an educated native
speaker.
WEIGHING TABLE
TESTING READING
TEST TYPES
◼ 1) Multiple choice questions. ...
◼ 2) Information identification questions. ...
◼ 3) Information matching. ...
◼ 4) Head Matching. ...
◼ 5) Sentence completion. ...
◼ 6) Summary completion. ...
◼ 7) Features matching. ...
◼ 8) Matching sentence endings.
◼ 9)Short answer
10)Matching information
CLOZE TESTS
TESTING WRITING
TESTING WRITING

◼ Free writing

◼ Guided writing

◼ Controlled writing
◼ Thank you

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