discrete-point test & comm

8/11/2019 Discrete-Point Test & Comm

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Discrete-Point Test


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Discrete

Individually separate and distinct and

indipendent

-Oxford Dictionary


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What is discrete point?

Language can be broken down into itscomponent parts and those parts can betested successfully.

All those components are the fourlanguage skills of listening, speaking,reading and writing.

Discrete point tests are made up of testquestions each of which is meant tomeasure one content point.


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Examples

Examples of Discrete point test are:

1. Phoneme recognition.

2. Yes/No, True/ False answers. 3. Spelling.

4. Word completion.

5. Grammar items. 6. Multiple choice tests.


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Advantages

It is parallel with KSSR.

They yield data which is easily quantifiable.

The counting of bits - If language performance is

to be described by means of numerical scores,discrete-point testing is helpful.

The tasks are unambiguous, the markingintroduces no element of capriciousness and a

person's final score is clear for all to see. Discrete-point tests can be accurately and objectivelymarked even by mechanical scanning methods.


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Down Sides

They take language out of context andusually bear no relationship to the concept oruse of whole language.

Discrete point test met with some criticism,particularly in the view of more recent trendstoward viewing the units of language and itscommunicative nature and purpose, andviewing language as the arithmetic sum of

all its parts. That is why John Oller (1976) introduced

INTEGRATIVE TESTING


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Communicative Language Testing


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Introduction

A systematic testing component is an essentialpart of every language program and is used tomeasure:

language proficiency

placement

diagnosis

progress

and achievement.

A systematic testing component also provides: feedback for the program evaluator(s),

washback information for teachers and students,

and motivational implications for all concerned


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Definition

Communicative language testing is intended toprovide the tester with information about thetesteesability to perform in the target languagein certain context-specific tasks.

It has to be recognised that given the constraintsof time and practicality, only a small sample ofthe testeeslanguage can be collected, and thathowever realistic the tasks may be intended to be,

the testeesperformance will inevitably reflect thefact that s/he was performing under testconditions.


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Characteristics (Brown, 2005):

meaningful communication

authentic situation

unpredictable language input

creative language output

integrated language skills


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Examples

Listening and Speaking

Reading


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Listening & Speaking

The activities that involve speakers in using

language for the purpose of achieving a

particular goal or objective in a particular

speaking situation.


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Role Play

Student

You missed class yesterday. Go to the teacher's officeand apologize for having missed the class. Ask for thehandout from the class. Find out what the homework

was. Examiner

You are a teacher. A student who missed your classyesterday comes to your office. Accept her/his apology,but emphasize the importance of attending classes.You do not have any extra handouts from the class, sosuggest that she/he copy one from a friend. Tellher/him what the homework was.


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Interviews

The teacher will give a role to the students as Jobinterviewer who want to get a job in job interview, and ateacher acts as someone who wants to interview them.

For example;

Interview: Teacher: Tell me about yourself?

Students: .

Teacher: what is your strength?

Student : ..

Teacher: can you work in team?

Etc.


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Writing Skills

Some tests combine reading and writing in

communicative situations. Testees can be

given a task in which they are presented with

instructions to write a letter, memo, summary,etc., answering certain questions, based on

information that they are given.


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Bussiness Letter

Read the letter from the customer and the statementof the company policy about returns and repairs belowand write a formal business letter to the customer.

Situation

Your boss has received a letter from a customercomplaining about problems with a coffee maker thathe bought six months ago. Your boss has instructed youto check the company policy on returns and repairs

and reply to the letter.


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Communicative Test and Open-

Ended Questions


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Communicative Testing:

Common Questions from Teachers

If we focus more on speaking and listening,how can students do a written exam?

How can we test students speaking ability?

How can a test be communicative if it isan individual task?

Lets discover the answers!


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Asking the Correct Questions

First, we must learn how to change thekind of questions we ask our students.

We must focus more on WHYand HOW

questions which make students explain

things and give their opinions.

Finally, we must believe that many

possible answers are correct.


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Open-ended v. Close-ended Questions

An OPENquestion has more than one possibleanswer

Ex: Why did you like the story?

A CLOSEDquestion has only one correct answer

Ex: What was the name of the man in the story?

Which one is more communicative? Why?


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Lets Compare Closed (BAD)

Question:What was the nameof the man in thestory?

Answer:

David.

Result:

All studentsanswers are the

same. There is onlyone correct answer.

Open (GOOD)

Question:Why did you like thestory?

Answer:

I liked the storybecause

Result:

All students answersshould be different.

There are manycorrect answers.


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Lets practice: Make this closed question into an

open question

1. The vocabulary term "side effect" of amedication:a)refers to any action of a medication in the

body other than the one the doctor wantedit to have.b)is the chain effect of a medication.c)additionally benefits the medication.


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This is an OPEN question:

1. Briefly describe a time when you or someoneyou know experienced a side effect of amedication.

This question is better than the originalbecause each students answer will be

different.


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open question

2. The singular simple past tense of the verb tobe = was True or False?


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2. Write a sentence using the singular simplepast tense of to be.

This question is better than the originalbecause all students will create uniquesentences, proving they understand the

grammar rule.


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open question

3. Add correct punctuation to the end of these

sentences or phrases:

Congratulations __

I was born in 1980 __

What is your name __


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3. Give an example of an exclamatory,

declaratory and interrogatory sentence.

This question is better than the original

because it forces students to think of their

own examples, or create language.


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Open, Communicative Questions

These questions produce verydifferent, original answers from eachstudent and make it more difficult for

students to copy each other.

The answers will let a teacher see if astudent truly understands the topic

and if he or she has learnedsomething.


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Lets Make Test Questions!

Now we will practice making OPEN questions for an

exam.

We will use the same text for all exam questions.

Our exam includes questions for: Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking


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Reading Tests Students can read the same text

Students can read different texts

Students can read something real

(advertisement, newspaper,magazine, menu, map, bus

schedule)

Students can prepare their reading

test at home


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Open Questions for Reading

Read the text.

In groups, discuss what you want to ask

students about the text.

Write ONE open, communicative exam

question about the text for students to

answer.


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Sample Reading Question and Answer

How did you feel when you read the story?

Why?

I felt sad because they lost their house. I was

scared because fires are dangerous.


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Writing Tests Students can answer text-based

questions

Students can answer free-responsequestions

Students can write a composition,letter, diary, story

A writing test can be done at home


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Open Questions for Writing

Read the same text again.

In groups, discuss what you want the students

to write about.

Make ONE open, communicative test question

for students to answer in writing.


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Listening Tests

Students can listen to a tape, CD,music, radio, Internet, or a movie

Students can listen to the voice of

the teacher

Students can listen to each other


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Open Questions for Listening

Read the text again. In groups, decide how you want to

present this text (for example, on a

CD, teacher reads it, students readit to each other)

Make ONE open, communicative

test question for listening to thistext


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Sample Listening Question and Answer

Listen to your partner read the story aloud. Write 3

things you remember from listening to the story.

1.Two families had fires in their houses.

2. There were two children, a boy and a girl.

3. Mr. Eastwood is a taxi driver.


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Speaking Tests

Students can speak to the teacher

Students can speak to each other

Students can record their voices


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Open Questions for Speaking

Read the text once more.

In groups, discuss how the students will speak

(to the teacher, with each other, record their

voices)

Make ONE open, communicative test question

for students to answer orally.


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Sample Speaking Question and Answer

Please tell the class 1 important thing we can

do to prevent a fire in our homes.

To prevent a fire, we can always remember to

turn off the gas when we finish cooking.


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Final Comments

Communicative exams featureOPEN, not closed questions.

Open questions usually ask WHY orHOW and require original, uniqueanswers from students.

Open answers are more difficult to

copy, but they are also moredifficult to correct!


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