testing and evaluation in english
Fill in the blanks given in the table below according to the information provided in section 1.7. After you fill in the grid, "look" button will appear. Click on the "look" button to compare your answers with the suggested answers.

Recognition Production
Definition
Example item types
Advantages
Disadvantages

Recognition Production
Definition These are the tests in which students are required to identify the correct answer among the alternatives provided in the test
These are the tests in which students need to produce language

Example item types multiple choice; matching
Completion

Advantages Easy to examine statistically. Easy to score
Easy to construct. Appropriate to test ability to produce and use the correct form in real life like situations

Disadvantages It isn't appropriate to test ability to produce and use the correct form in real life like situations
Possibility for more than one correct answer. Scoring takes time





Decide on whether the following test items aim to test recognition or production.

Choose the correct answer and circle it. recognition | production
I haven't seen him ................... last week.
a. since b. during c. while d. for
recognition



Complete each blank with the correct words. recognition | production
Old Mr. Jones enjoys ................... the children playing.
The car ................... Helen’s mother.
production


Complete the following dialogues. recognition | production
1. A: What shall we do if the exam is not cancelled?
B: ..............................................

2. A: ..............................................
B: I think I will watch the movie on CNBCE.
production


Read each of the following lists of four words. One word doesn't belong in each list. Put a circle round the odd word in each list.
recognition | production
son father boy brother
happy married engaged single
arrive depart go away leave
recognition


Select the best synonym or definition of the given vocabulary item.
recognition | production
Continuously
a. regularly b. heavily c. without stopping d. at odd moments



Complete the blanks in the following paragraph. recognition | production
The mark assigned to a student .............. surrounded by an area of uncertanity .............. is the cumulative effect of a .............. sampling errors. One sample of .............. student's behaviour is exhibited on one .............. occasion in response to one sample .............. set by one sample of examiners .............. possibly marked by one other. Each .............. the sampling errors is almost insignificant .............. itself. However, when each sampling error .............. added to the others, the total .............. of possible sampling errors becomes significant.

What is sampling?
Sampling is including sufficient number of items for each language area and skill covered in a lesson.


What is the relation between sampling and reliability?
Longer tests are more reliable a measuring instrument. However, as we cannot write such long tests, for reliability sampling is very important.

What is sampling?
Sampling is including sufficient number of items for each language area and skill covered in a lesson.


What is the relation between sampling and reliability?
Longer tests are more reliable a measuring instrument. However, as we cannot write such long tests, for reliability sampling is very important.



List some of the traps for students included in tests.
Unfamiliar and / or complicated vocabulary / grammatical forms / unfamiliar and/or complicated topics in a reading or writing tests.


Why should we avoid traps for students?
The aim of classroom test is to find out the progress of the students; however, traps may prevent this as they cause failure.

Before You Begin Testing and Evalution in English


You'll read about different approaches to language testing. What do you want to learn about these approaches? Write either general questions that will cover all of the approaches, or specific questions for each approach.While reading the chapter for the first time, try to answer the questions. Do not focus on the details

THE INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

In this approach language is tested in context, and main focus is on meaning and communicative effect of discourse. Integrative tests do not test language skills seperately. On the contrary, they aim to test more than one skill at the same time. Integrative tests are not concerned with language competence required for specific areas such as engineering and medicine. Although the items used in integrative tests reflect the features of functional language, they do not aim to test test takers' ability in using functional language

The Communicative Approach
to list the characteristics of communicative approach to testing. Include as many favorable aspects as possible.

It tests how language is used in communication
It tests language use
It tests language usage
It tests language skills both integratively and separately
It suggests contextualized testing
It tests cultural understanding


Do you agree with the ideas below? Why? Why not?

If a test directly follows the characteristics of a single approach to testing, it is considered to be a 'good' test.
No. A good test must include the characteristics of all approaches based on the aim of testing. It must be a combination of all approaches.
Contextualized testing is more advantageous than decontextualized tests.
Yes. Contextualized tests allow for a more meaningful testing.
The communicative approach to testing rejects the use of multiple-choice tests in language testing.
No. A well-prepared multiple-choice test might be a good way of testing, especially the language usage

Way of judgment Components of tests Skills aimed to be tested Aim of testing

Essay-translation approach Subjective Essay-writing, Translation, Grammatical analysis Writing, reading, grammar & usage, Oral & aural skills in later stages Literary understanding of language

Structuralist approach Objective Multiple-choice Phonology, Vocabulary, Grammar and skills separately Testing language skills separately in an objective manner

Integrative approach Objective & Subjective Cloze test, Translation, Oral interviews, Composition writing All skills integratively Testing the language skills in context including all language skills>

Communicative approach Objective (quantitative) & subjective (qualitative) Real life tasks All skills and areas both integratively and separately Communicative skills in context

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE TESTING
The aim of this chapter is to inform language testers about objective testing issues with special reference to multiple-choice technique. First, subjective and objective testing types are introduced by comparing and contrasting the two types. Second, objective testing and objective tests are presented. Third, multiple-choice items, as a test type, are introduced in a general sense. Next, the stem, the correct option and the distractors, as the components of a multiple-choice test item, are defined and exemplified. Finally, special points for writing multiple-choice items are given.

By the end of this unit students will

Learn the differences between subjective and objective testing

Learn the arguments against objective tests

Learn the strengths and weaknesses of objective tests

Learn the strengths and weaknesses of multiple choice tests

Learn the general principles of constructing multiple-choice tests

Learn the parts (stem, key, distractor) of a multiple-choice item and the function of each of these parts and principles for writing each of these parts

THE STEM

1. it should present the problem.
2. it should be short sufficient to be clear but long sufficient to give sufficient information
3. it may be a complete or an incomplete statement or a question
4. it should include necessary words / phrases in order not to be repeated in each option
5. it should allow for the sufficient number of choices



Explain the problems related to the distractors below. Note that these items are designed for elementary level students.


1. My teacher wasn’t impressed with the quality of the work that was .........................
a. handed in b. allocated c. quoted d. deterred



2. He was fined ......................... parking his car in the wrong place.
a. by b. at c. for d. that




3. The chemistry book ......................... was a little expensive.
a. that I bought it b. that is standing c. that all of them d. I bought




1. the distractors are more difficult than the correct option.
2. choice d is not a prepositon, therefore, can be eliminated immediately.
3. choice b and c are completely absurd items.

five ways of writing the multiple-choice items that show students the way to mark the correct option.

1. writing the correct option in the blank
2. writing only the letter of the correct option in the blank
3. putting a tick / cross at the side of the correct option / in a separate box
4. underlining the correct option
5. circling the correct option
Before You Begin Testing and Evalution in English


Reflect on how you have been tested on your knowledge of grammar and usage. What were the characteristics of those grammar tests? Was there sufficient variety of item types? Were they appropriate for the assessment of your grammatical knowledge?

Try to list other possible ways of testing grammar.

Scan quickly through the chapter to check if any item of your list matches with the grammar test items the writer discusses. Examples provided for each item type may help you to recognize the items.



Although tests of grammar and usage test the ability to recognizeor produce correct forms of language not the ability use it. They are necessary / vital / important / essential in language programs because students should master theof the language they are learning. Some examples of item types to test the grammar of the language are multiple-choice items, error-recognition items, rearrangement items, completion items, transformation items, items involving the changing of words, broken sentence items, pairing and matching items, combination items, and addition items.

MULTIPLE CHOICE GRAMMAR ITEMS :ITEM TYPES

In the following questions the same structure is tested through multiple-choice questions written in three different formats. Analyze the questions and discuss which one is more preferable and why.


1. Jane should ......................... much for her exams but she didn’t. She has to repeat the same course again.

a) study
b) having studied
c) be studying
d) have studied

2. Jane should ......................... (A- study B- having studied C- be studying D- have studied) much for her exams but she didn’t. She has to repeat the same course again.


3. a) Jane should study much for her exams but she didn’t.
b) Jane should having studied much for her exams but she didn’t.
c) Jane should be studying much for her exams but she didn’t.
d) Jane should have studied much for her exams but she didn’t.

Item one is preferable to 2 and 3 because in number two the options interrupt the flow of meaning and it confuses the readers because of the long parenthesis. On the other hand, item 3 requires unnecessary reading and it doesn’t present the problem either.


Contextual items

disadvantages

Limited variety of structures can be tested
ADVANTAGES
authentic

interesting

avoids different interpretations

avoids ambiguity

provides background knowledge

students experience the use of language in real life