Chapter 6: Listening comprehension tests pptx

Chapter 6:
Listening comprehension tests

I. General

Careful selected practice material
 an effective way of developing listening skill

 used for testing listening comprehension

an awareness of ways in which the spoken
language differs from the written language is
crucially important in testing listening
comprehension skills


some conventional features such as
repetition, hesitation and grammatical
patterns are essential for the understanding
of spoken English

the tape recorder is the only way of ensuring
compete uniformity of presentation and thus
a high degree of reliability

auditory tests are divided into two broad
categories: (i) tests of phoneme
discrimination and of sensitivity to stress
and intonation, and (ii) tests of listening
comprehension

II. Phoneme discrimination tests

Type 1: The test consists of a picture,
accompanied by three or four words spoken by
the examiner in person or tape.

Type 2: The testees hear three sentences and
have to indicate which are the same and which
are different.

Type 3: Testees are required to choose the
written word which corresponds to the spoken
word.

Notes

These items

used for diagnostic testing
purposes, enabling the teacher to concentrate
later on specific pronunciation

They

useful when candidates having the
same L1 background & when a contrastive
analysis of L1 & L2 can be used.

The ability to discriminate between certain

phonemes

very difficult for native speakers.

III. Tests of stress and intonation
Tests of stress and intonation: less
satisfactory than the phoneme discrimination
tests b/c of # reasons:

Most tests are impure as they test other
skills at the same time.

These items are artificial as they test
rarer but more testable features.

IV. Statements and dialogues
These tests designed to measure:

how well students can understand
short samples of speech

how well they deal with a variety of
signals on lexical and grammatical
levels of phonology

TYPE 1

included in a grammar test, reading
test or listening test , depending on
whether the item is written or spoken


testing ability to understand both
the grammatical and lexical features
of a short utterance. (Candidates
hear a statement and choose the
best option from the four ones)

TYPE 2

These items are an attempt to simulate
speech situations (so they are more
satisfactory that those of type 1)

Testees listen to a short question and
have to select the correct response from a
choice of four printed ones. (part II,
TOEIC)

V. Testing comprehension
through visual materials

These item types

more appropriate
for the elementary stages of learning
English.

Pictures, maps and diagrams

used

effectively for testing.

Testees’ performance: less dependent
on other skills like reading & speaking
and vocabulary

TYPE 1

a picture is used in conjunction
with spoken statements.

testees listen & pick out true &
false statements.
(page 71)

TYPE 2

there are five pictures in front of
testees; they listen to 4
statements & they’re required to
choose the appropriate picture
being described
(page 72)

TYPE 3
used in a number of listening tests

testees see a set of three or
four pictures


they hear a statement & choose
the most appropriate picture
being described (page 73)

TYPE 4

Simple diagrams (lines,
squares, rectangles, circles &
triangles) used in a test of
elementary comprehension

Candidates look at each of the
4 diagrams and then hear a
series of statements about
each diagram (page 73)

TYPE 5

used to access testees’ ability to
understand instruction
e.g. Tasks in C4 Interactions I

maps can be used or adapted for
testing (p.74-75)

TYPE 8 & 9

used to test students’ ability to identify
and classify information (see example
on p.81)


simple paper-folding and drawing can
also be used to measure learners’
ability to understand instruction

Useful for ordinary classroom
purposes, but difficult to administer in
public exams

VI. Understanding talks and lectures
Items of this type

very common & used to test
students’ ability to understand
both informal talks and formal
lectures –an important skill

English learners at intermediate
and advanced levels

TYPE 1 & 2

Testees listen to a short talk &
select the correct answer about
the talk

Testees listen to a short talk &
read a summary containing
blanks; then they must complete
the blanks (pages 82-83)

TYPE 3&4

Hearing a short talk or lecture &
answering questions on it
e.g. multiple – choice items, true/false
items & incomplete sentences

the content of the text itself


determine the type of item

Notes
(1) Completion

not recommended
as testees facing with the tasks of
listening, reading and writing
simultaneously- an extremely
difficult task even for native
speakers

Notes
(2) Multiple – choice items may
cause confusion because testees
have to listen while reading all
options carefully to make their
selection

Notes
(3) It’s best to use true/false
items since this reduces the
amount of reading and
selection to be made.