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.
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