Chapter 1: Introduction to language testing doc

Chapter 1:
Introduction to language testing
Source: Heaton, J.B. (1989).
Writing English Language Tests
.
Longman & New York

1. Testing & teaching

Testing & Teaching: closely related

Tests:
- devices to reinforce learning & motivate Ss
- means of assessing Ss’ lang. performance

Tests focusing on daily communication
useful effects on learning

Good communicative tests+ effects:
learning, teaching & learning habits

2. Why test?

Evaluating Ss’ performance (comp. &
selecting)

Locating the precise area of Ss’ difficulty

Ascertaining difficult problems in curriculum


Measuring Ss’ performance w/o traps
effective motivation

3. What should be tested & to
what standard?

Analyzing the language tested: important

Identifying the purpose of assessment:
including aspects /skills tested

Before constructing tests: to questions
standards

4. Testing the language skills

Listening: short utterances, dialogues, talks
& lectures

Speaking: interview, picture description, role
play, problem-solving tasks (pair/group)

Reading: ability to understand gist, key
information on specific points

Writing: letters, reports, messages……

5. Testing language areas

Grammar & usage: measuring Ss’ ability to

recognize appro. gram forms & to
manipulate structures

Vocabulary: meaning, pattern, collocations

Phonology: stress patterns,
tunes (↑↓voice)

6. Language skills & language
elements

Skills, integrated skills, elements: purpose of
tests & level of learners

All levels: measuring ability to communicate

A good lang. test: Ss’ performance in 4 skills
used in real life

7. Recognition & production

Recognition: words & language form-
multiple-choice forms (easy to examine
statistically)

Production: measuring learners’ ability to
produce or use correct lang. forms in real life

A good language test: either recognition or
production items, or combination of both

8. Problems of sampling

The longer the test the more reliable a
measuring instrument

The language tested= the one used in the
classroom

Items based on contrastive analysis:
effective for Ss from the same L1

Writing test specifications based on learning
tasks included in the syllabus

9. Avoiding traps for the Ss

Never trap Ss in giving incorrect answers

Not including items never taught

Finding out what Ss know, not trapping them

Gaining a deeper insight the language tested
& learning process involved