Assessing Grammar

How to test Grammar?

Compiled by Terri Yueh

Some Questions

What is a test? What is assessment? And how does it differ from evaluation?

Why do we assess?

What techniques are available for assessment?

Tests vs. Assessment

• All tests are assessment.

Tests

Assessment

Teaching

Tests vs. Assessment

• Tests:

– Formal

procedures

– Strict time

limitations

– Sample the

performance of

an individual in

a specific

domain

• Assessment:

– Includes all occasions

– Both formal and

informal

– Alternative

assessment

• Fairness

• Balance of power

relationships in the

classroom

Assessment vs. Evaluation

Assessment relates to individual student learning. It is “the act of collecting information and making judgments on a language learner’s knowledge of a language and ability to use it” (Chapelle and Brindley, 2002, p267).

Evaluation is a broader term referring to the collection and interpretation of information relating to the value of a entire course or program for decision-making purposes.

Adopted from Pratical English Language

Teaching: Grammar, p25, 2005, David Nunan.

Why do we Assess? Diagnosing students’ strengths and weaknesses

Deciding what to teach and what not to teach

Assessing student progress

Grading students

Adopted from Pratical English Language Teaching: Grammar, p26, 2005,

David Nunan.

Formative

assessment

During the course

Intend to improve

learning outcomes

Summative

assessment

At the end of the

teaching process

Judge students’

achievement

Assessment Techniques

Classroom tests

Observation

Elicitation

Proficiency rating scales

Journals

Portfolios

Conferences, interviews

Performance assessment

Error analysis

Checklists

Questionnaires

Self- and Peer-assessment

Adopted from Pratical English Language

Teaching: Grammar, p26-32, 2005, David Nunan.

High

Low High

Practicality

Reliability

Washback & Authenticity

Large-scale, standardized, multiple-

choice tests; Proficiency rating scales

In-class, short-answer

essay tests

Portfolios, journals

and conferences

More Questions

What do we test?

What are the kinds of assessment? What are the types of tests?

The Criteria of Assessment: How can we assess students in a fair and encouraging way?

Who is the test designed for? Who are the test-takers?

What is students’ previous experience and background? Is the test appropriate for them? How can scores be interpreted for individuals?

What do we test?

• Language Tests to find out what

students have learned:

Grammar Vocabulary Spelling

Pronunciation ….

• Skills Tests to find out what students

can do:

Listening Reading

Speaking Writing

Kinds of Assessment

Placement tests / Diagnostic tests

Progress tests

Achievement tests

measurements

of language

proficiency

competence

vs.

performance

Types of Test

Discrete-item tests • Grammar points

• Word order

• Gap-fills (Selective cloze vs. Cloze test)

• Multiple choices

Competence tests • Grammar

interpretation (structure input) tasks

Performance tests • Information gap

• Problem solving

• Interactive activities

fluency

complexity accuracy

Preparing a Test

Steps

• The purpose of the test

• The grammar items to be tested

• Types of the test (time & form)

• The expected difficulties

• Predict errors

• Questions with distracters

• Tabulate the errors

The Criteria of Assessment

Practicality — ease & economy

Face validity --- appropriacy

criterion, content, construct

Validity--- efficacy

Reliability--- efficacy

Backwash--- efficacy

Spin-off--- efficacy

Performance tests

Competence tests

Backwash effect

Positive Spin-off

Discrete-item tests

Assessing Beginning Learners

Observation checklist (notes of the

grammar items) for recording BL

Assessing Intermediate Learners

Assessment of Receptive skills

Assessment of productive skills

Grammatical accuracy?

Communicative fluency?

Assessing Advanced Learners

Formative self-Assessment as a part

of the learning process

Self checklist

Rating scale

An Effective Assessment

The familiarity of test format & contents

Mastery of linguistic system

Language competence for comprehension

Language performance for accuracy

Self-study capabilities for autonomous

learning module

learner autonomy could be fostered with a

internet-assisted environment

Four Principles to Consider

Standards first, then testing.

Tests measure educational

progress—they don’t create it.

No single test does everything—

the importance of Multiple

measures.

The importance of valid, fair,

reliable assessments.

Quoted from CTB McGram-Hill http://www.ctb.com/ctb.com/control/researchArticleMainAction?articleId=478&p=ctbResearch

References

Chapelle, C. and G. Brindley. 2002.

Assessmenst. In N. Schmidt (ed.) An

Introduction to Applied Linguistics.

London: Longman.

Nunan David. 2005. Pratical English

Language Teaching: Grammar. New York:

McGraw Hill.