Lectures 4 - 6

ASSESSING LANGUAGE SKILLS

 • Receptive Skills• Productive Skills• Criteria for selecting language sub skills• Different Test Types & Test Requirements• Common Test Format

LANGUAGE SKILLS

RECEPTIVE SKILLS

• Listening

• Reading

PRODUCTIVE SKILLS

• Speaking

• Writing

TESTING OF LISTENING

Why Test Listening?

• assess how well a student has mastered what has been taught

• listening skill is one of the language skills to be developed – receptive skill

• to be proficient in the language means to be able to listen effectively

TYPES OF LISTENING TESTS

Auditory Discrimination

• tests the ability of the learners to discover the similarities

and differences

between words

Auditory Comprehension

• tests the ability of learners to analyze

and to comprehend

Types of tasks in ESL listening tests

• listening and answering multiple choice questions

• listening and completing a summary

• listening and completing sentences• listening to complete a

table/form/diagram/flow chart

• listening to answer true / false questions /yes or no questions

•

The types of listening skills you need to learn for English tests include:

• listening to identify the gist of a conversation or monologue extracting specific factual information

• listening to identify speaker roles

• listening to identify relationships between ideas or pieces of information, such as:

- cause and effect

- order of events

- comparison

• following directions and instructions • listening for numbers, dates, time, etc.• making inferences • determining when a speaker is expressing

fact, assumption or opinion. • listening for main points, detail, function,

location, roles and relationships, mood, attitude, intention, feeling or opinion

The types of listening skills you need to learn for English tests include:

Limited Response

Advantages• Suitable for persons

unable to read & write in the target language

• Involves flexible techniques

• Questions are generally easy to prepare

• Rather objective & quick

• Easy to score

Limitations• Limited to classes with

bilingual teachers & students of the same language background

• Neither needed nor preferred by intermediate to advanced students

• Suitable pictures are not always easy to find

Multiple-Choice Appropriate Response

Advantages• Fast & easy to

correct

• Can be scored consistently & reliably

• An integrative, communicative measure of listening

Limitations• More difficult to

prepare• Cheating is fairly

easy unless alternative forms are used

• SS need to be literate to read options

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 1

• Listen to a short talk & identify words mentioned (from 2 options given)

• Discrete test – sound discrimination

• Beginner’s level• Word set in isolation• does not test

understanding of spoken messages

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 2

DICTATION

• Can measure general proficiency, including integrative skills used in writing

• Easy to prepare

• Can be scored with good consistency

• Much harder to cheat (MCQ, completion, cloze)

• Difficult to use for diagnostic purposes – combine L’g & W’g

• Not usually helpful in measuring short term progress

• Not as easy to correct (MCQ, completion, cloze)

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 3

Follow directions on a map – put a

cross on Mandy’s house & write name of each building

• Listen and identify- match word to building – follow instructions

• Low level/beginner

• Integration of listening, reading & writing skills

• Need to understand words pertaining to directions (some language)

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 4

Radio Reports

• Intermediate /advanced level

• Intensive listening-listen for main idea

• requires knowledge of language

• Integrative skills-L,R&W

• Text selection important.

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 5

Talks &

Lectures

• Intermediate / advanced

• Integrative – L,R,W

• (W)Note-taking skills

• (R) Inferencing skills

• Listening for comprehension

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 6

Listen to a passage and answer the questions that follow- MC

• Common test to measure listening skill

• Integrative

• Intermediate /advanced

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 7A

Listen and

underline

word included in

sentence.

• Discrete item

• Sound identification/

discrimination

• Words in context

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 7B

Listen to a sentence and circle the appropriate

meaning of a word

• Intermediate /advanced

• Integration of 4 language skills

• Requires reading & inferencing skills

Samples of listening tests

SAMPLE 7C

Listen to the sentence read & underline the syllable that is stressed

• Discrete item – sound discrimination

• Test pronunciation

• Does not test comprehension