Language-Testing-(11)-2009

LanguageTesting(11)2009OutlineWhat’satestRelationshipbetweentesting&teachingFunctionsoftestingTypesoftestsApproachestolanguagetestingHistoricaldevelopmentoflanguagetestingRequirementsofanidealtestIntroductionTesting:theuseoftests,orthestudyofthetheory&practiceoftheiruse,development,evaluation,etc.Test:anyprocedureformeasuringability,knowledge,orperformance.Whatisatest?–It’samethodofmeasuringalearner’scompetence(abilityorknowledge)inagivenarea(Brown,1994).TheessentialcomponentsofatestAtestisamethodwhichiscomposedofasetoftechniques,proceduresandtestitems.Atestisdesignedforthepurposeofmeasuring.Atestisusedtomeasureaperson’sabilityorknowledge(i.e.,thelearner’scompetence)Atestmeasuresagivenarea(e.g.,readingcomprehension,writing,etc)RelationshipBetweentesting&teachingTesting&teachingarecloselyrelated.Testsmaybeconstructed–primarilyasdevicestoreinforcelearning(gearedtoteaching)–Primarilyasameansofassessingthestudent’sperformanceinthelanguage(Teachingisoftengearedlargelytothetest.)Testshavebothpositive&negativeeffectsonlearning&teaching.FunctionsofTestingFunctionsofTestingToplacestudentsinappropriateclassesinacourseorprogramTolocatestudents’strengthsandareasoflearningdifficultiesordiagnoseSs’needs&weaknessesToevaluateclassachievementattheendofatermoracourse(e.g.,graduateprogram)ToselectstudentsforcertaincoursesorprogramsTofindoutproficiency/progressClassificationofTestsTypesofTests(IntermsoftheirFunctionalRoleinClassroomInstruction)(2)PlacementTestsFormativeTestsDiagnosticTestsSummativeTestsTypesoftests（3）accordingtoapproachestotestconstruction–DiscretePointTesting(分立型测试）•oneLelementatatime(e.g.,grammar,vocabulary,reading,writing,etc)•theassumption–Lcanbebrokendownintoitscomponentpartsandadequatelytested.–IntegrativeTesting（综合型测试）•Alanguagetestthatattemptstotest/assessalearner’scapacitytouseL(manybitsallatthesametime(e.g.,Cloze,dictation)•theassumption–Lcompetencecannotbeseparatedrequiresthelearnertouseseverallanguageskillsatthesametime.Typesoftests（4）accordingtopurposeofassessment–Aptitudetests–Achievementtests–Proficiencytests–Diagnostictests–PlacementtestsAptitudeTestsAlanguageaptitudetestisprimarilydesignedtopredictaperson’saptitudeornaturalabilitytolearnanew/secondlanguage,usuallyincluding:–thesoundcodingability–grammaticalcodingability,–inductivelearningability(i.e.,workoutmeanings),&–memorizationAchievementTestsAnachievementtest–degreeofsuccessinsomepastlearningactivity.Itislimitedtoparticularmaterialcoveredinacurriculumwithinaparticulartimeframe(Brown,1994).ProficiencyTeststomeasurethelearner’scompetenceinaLNotbasedonthecontentorobjectivesofaLcoursebutbasedoncertainspecifiedabilitiesthatsuccessfulcandidatesshoulddemonstratee.g.,CambridgeExams,TOEFL,etcDiagnosticTestsAdiagnostictest–tofindoutwhatlanguageskillsorknowledgethelearnerknowsandwhathe/shedosenotknowsoastodiagnosehis/herdifficultiesinlearning.PlacementTestAtest–toputthelearnersatanappropriatelevelinacourseandsortnewstudentsintodifferentlevelsofteachinggroupssothattheycanreceivetrainingpropertotheirlevel.Typesoftestsintermsofscoring（5）ObjectivetestsSubjectivetestsWhatisanObjectivetest?Atestthatcanbemarkedwithouttheuseoftheexaminer’spersonaljudgment.Atestitemthatrequiresthechoiceofasinglecorrectanswer.ObjectiveTestItemsmultiplechoiceitemsthetrue-falseitemmatchingitemshortansweritemcompletionitemSubjectivetest&itsitemsSubjectiveteststhataremarkedaccordingtothepersonaljudgmentofthescorer.Theremaybeseveralpossibleanswersforeachquestion.Essayquestions–Restricted-responseessayQ.–Extended-responseessayQ.E.g.,–Composition–OraltestsTypesoftestsaccordingtothewaysofinterpretingthetestresults（6）Criterion-referencedTests（标准参照性测试）•Criterion-referencedT:astudent’sscoreisinterpretedwithreferencetoanagreedcriterionscoreNorm-referencedTests(常规参照性测试）•Norm-referencedT:astudent’sscoreisinterpretedwithreferencetothescoresofotherstudentsorgroupofstudents.Norm-referencedtest:Atestdesignedtomeasurehowtheperformanceofaparticularstudentorgroupofstudentscompareswiththeperformanceofanotherstudentorgroupofstudentswhosescorearegivenasthenorm.Criterion-referencedtest:Atestdesignedtomeasureastudent'sperformanceaccordingtoaparticularstandardorcriterionwhichhasbeenagreedupon.Thestudentmustreachthislevelofperformancetopassthetest.Typesoftestsclassifiedbylinguisticlevelsandskills（7)Testsclassifiedbylinguisticlevelsincludetestofphonology,testofvocabulary,testofgrammar,etc.Testsclassifiedbyskillsincludelisteningtest,readingtest,oraltestandwritingtest.Whatisanideal/goodtest?TheappropriateWaystoTesttheMasteryofaLanguageTestsshouldbeincludeboth–languageusage&languageuse;–therecognitiontype&productiontypesAspectstoConsiderinConstructingaTestPurpose(why)Content(what)Format/testtasks(how)generalprinciplesforconstructingatestclearlyspecifyingwhatistobeassessed,selectingformatsinrelevancetothetestoftheintendedlearningoutcomesusingavarietyoftechniqueswithanawarenessoftheirlimitations,andregardingtestingasameanstoaend,notanendinitself(Li