English Preterit and Perfect English Preterit and Perfect Testing TechniquesTesting Techniques

Boryana T. Ruzhekova RogozherovaBoryana T. Ruzhekova Rogozherova, ,

Todor Kableshkov Higher School of Transport, Chair of Todor Kableshkov Higher School of Transport, Chair of Humanities and Languages, SofiaHumanities and Languages, Sofia

Summary:Summary:

The article treats some general issues The article treats some general issues related to the importance of language related to the importance of language testing, types of tests, criteria testing testing, types of tests, criteria testing materials should correspond to as well as materials should correspond to as well as more specific topics as to particularities and more specific topics as to particularities and implementation of English preterit and implementation of English preterit and perfect new testing techniques. Suggested perfect new testing techniques. Suggested innovative procedures concern the use of innovative procedures concern the use of graphs, pictures, poetry, fiction texts, story-graphs, pictures, poetry, fiction texts, story-telling, text elicitation and editing. telling, text elicitation and editing.

Importance of testingImportance of testing 11

In In Introducing Applied LinguisticsIntroducing Applied Linguistics Corder regards tests as “ Corder regards tests as “ measuring measuring instrumentsinstruments” as they “are designed to ” as they “are designed to measure the learner’s “knowledge”, or measure the learner’s “knowledge”, or “competence in” the language at a “competence in” the language at a particular moment in his course …”. particular moment in his course …”.

Importance of testing Importance of testing 22

However, tests supply much more However, tests supply much more information to specialists assessinformation to specialists assessinging the “the “relationship between the relationship between the teaching materials and their teaching materials and their exploitation, and language learningexploitation, and language learning.” .” (i(ibibid.)d.)

Importance of testing Importance of testing 33

Tests provide information as to Tests provide information as to teachingteaching / / learning learning styles; learning / acquisition styles; learning / acquisition problemsproblems; learners’ ; learners’ personal personal characteristicscharacteristics (background knowledge, (background knowledge, qualifications, age, sex, native as well as qualifications, age, sex, native as well as other previously or simultaneously studied other previously or simultaneously studied language(s),language(s), interference or interlanguage, interference or interlanguage, emotionality, etc.) relation to curricula, emotionality, etc.) relation to curricula, teaching techniquesteaching techniques and lecturers’ and lecturers’ professional knowledge and skillsprofessional knowledge and skills. .

Importance of testing Importance of testing 44

Tests can be also used as a Tests can be also used as a teaching teaching tooltool due to relevant feed back, due to relevant feed back, explanation and remedial work, on explanation and remedial work, on the one hand (they can be the one hand (they can be implemented at implemented at final grammar final grammar teaching stagesteaching stages), and on the other, ), and on the other, test materials can test materials can “teach”“teach” in the very in the very process of sitting the test. process of sitting the test.

Types of testsTypes of tests TestsTests ((Cohen, A. 1979Cohen, A. 1979: : 332,333332,333)) fall into fall into

the following main categories:the following main categories: prognostic prognostic teststests ((aptitude tests aptitude tests andand placement tests placement tests), ), evaluation of attainment testsevaluation of attainment tests, , norm-norm-referencedreferenced,, criterion-referencedcriterion-referenced, , listeninglistening,, readingreading,, speakingspeaking,, writingwriting,, fluencyfluency,, accuracyaccuracy,, different age groupsdifferent age groups,,different different ethnic or language groupsethnic or language groups,, fixed formatfixed format,, structured formatstructured format,, phonologyphonology, , grammargrammar, , vocabularyvocabulary,, pragmaticspragmatics, , mechanicsmechanics, , stylisticsstylistics..

Criteria testing materials should Criteria testing materials should correspond tocorrespond to

Bachman and Palmer (2004: 9) Bachman and Palmer (2004: 9) define tests in terms of their define tests in terms of their usefulness, “consisting of several usefulness, “consisting of several qualities (qualities (reliability, construct reliability, construct validity, authenticity, validity, authenticity, interactiveness, impact and interactiveness, impact and practicalitypracticality)”. )”.

Taking into account grammatical Taking into account grammatical features of tested categories features of tested categories

– crucial in test design– crucial in test design

Grammar features analysis Grammar features analysis + + error error predictionprediction (see Ruzhekova (see Ruzhekova Rogozherova’s articles on contrastive Rogozherova’s articles on contrastive teaching), teaching), interlanguage analysisinterlanguage analysis determine types of test tasks, determine types of test tasks, number, sequence, resources and number, sequence, resources and scoring of activities. scoring of activities.

English preterit – basic temporal English preterit – basic temporal characteristicscharacteristics

deicticitydeicticity → → lack of current relevancelack of current relevance, , single or a series of non-current single or a series of non-current relevant event(s) = relevant event(s) = narrationnarration; ; sometimes simultaneous, non-sometimes simultaneous, non-chronologically presented events, chronologically presented events, all all entirely pertaining to the pastentirely pertaining to the past

English preterit – basic English preterit – basic aspectual characteristicsaspectual characteristics

inchoativityinchoativity – beginning of a – beginning of a finishedfinished processprocess

durationduration – length of a – length of a finishedfinished process process repetitionrepetition – repeated – repeated finishedfinished process process punctuality punctuality – punctual – punctual finishedfinished process process terminationtermination – end of a – end of a finishedfinished process process

English perfect– basic aspectual English perfect– basic aspectual characteristicscharacteristics

perfect of perfect of resultresult, , of an activity with explicitly marked or of an activity with explicitly marked or

understood beginning continuing up to the understood beginning continuing up to the present = “present = “correlation deicticitycorrelation deicticity” (term of ” (term of ours), ours),

omnitemporalomnitemporal, , not-yet – not-yet – perfect,perfect, of of experienceexperience, , superlativesuperlative,, of a of a recent activityrecent activity

Innovative suggestions for Innovative suggestions for preterit and perfect test items preterit and perfect test items (partially inspired by Celce-Murcia, M. and (partially inspired by Celce-Murcia, M. and Hilles, J. 1988 and Strutt, P. 2000Hilles, J. 1988 and Strutt, P. 2000-the graph-the graph))

1. Story telling1. Story telling Story tellingStory telling – tests – tests preteritpreterit’s ’s

characteristic characteristic narrativenarrative use, use, Story tellingStory telling - sharing - sharing experiencesexperiences + +

expressing expressing opinionsopinions + commenting + commenting resultsresults of activities and of activities and achievementsachievements – tests – tests perfectperfect meanings. meanings.

2. Pictures use2. Pictures use

A sequence of presenting A sequence of presenting consecutive or jumbled activitiesconsecutive or jumbled activities images could represent the basis of a images could represent the basis of a written account, thus testing written account, thus testing preteritpreterit use.use.

Pictures presenting Pictures presenting changes, results changes, results or acquisitionor acquisition naturally test naturally test perfectperfect use. use.

3. Charts, tables and graphs use3. Charts, tables and graphs use

Preparing a CV Preparing a CV - describing - describing consecutive employmentsconsecutive employments and and fulfilled duties during a fixed fulfilled duties during a fixed periodperiod tests the tests the preteritpreterit..

Preparing a CV Preparing a CV - describing - describing acquired knowledge and acquired knowledge and experience so farexperience so far tests the tests the perfectperfect..

Using a CVUsing a CV

Education, Education, years, start years, start from the from the most recent most recent

Employment, Employment, years, start years, start from the from the most recent most recent

Duties Duties Acquired Acquired knowledge knowledge and and experience experience so farso far

1995-19991995-1999--PhD in PhD in accountancy accountancy and tradingand trading

Advertising Advertising and sales and sales manager, manager, Bosh, Bosh, 2002-2002-20072007

Marketing Marketing research, research, plans, plans, promotions, promotions, advertising advertising

General General and and specialized specialized knowledge knowledge in… in… Foreign Foreign languages languages at levels…at levels…

Business Business School, School, 1989-19941989-1994

1999-20021999-2002- - sales sales manager,…manager,…

Research, Research, sales sales planningplanning

Price changes of zincPrice changes of zinc

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121300

1350

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750P

rice

by

tonn

e [$

]

Month now

4. Poetry or fiction texts use4. Poetry or fiction texts use

A poem or a fiction text could be typed A poem or a fiction text could be typed leaving leaving blank spacesblank spaces at at some verb forms’ some verb forms’ positionspositions. However, we should not . However, we should not “deprive” test takers of all preterit and “deprive” test takers of all preterit and perfect forms; we should pick up some to perfect forms; we should pick up some to remain in the purpose of making context remain in the purpose of making context more evidentmore evident. .

Test takers are asked to Test takers are asked to fill infill in the blanks; the blanks; suggestions are suggestions are discussed and motivateddiscussed and motivated. .

The Road Not Taken 1 The Road Not Taken 1 ((Text Text selected by Celce-Murcia and Hilles 1988 )selected by Celce-Murcia and Hilles 1988 )

Two roads ……………….. in a yellow Two roads ……………….. in a yellow wood,wood,

And sorry I …………….not travel bothAnd sorry I …………….not travel both And be one traveler, long I ………………And be one traveler, long I ……………… And looked down one as far as I couldAnd looked down one as far as I could To where it ………………in the To where it ………………in the

undergrowth;undergrowth;

The Road Not Taken 2The Road Not Taken 2 Then ………….. the other, as just as Then ………….. the other, as just as

fair,fair, And having perhaps the better claim,And having perhaps the better claim, Because it ……….. grassy and Because it ……….. grassy and

wanted wear;wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,Had worn them really about the same,

The Road Not Taken 3The Road Not Taken 3 And both that morning equally And both that morning equally

…………..………….. In leaves no step had trodden black.In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I ………… the first for another Oh, I ………… the first for another

day!day! Yet, knowing how way leads on to Yet, knowing how way leads on to

way,way, I ……………. if I should ever come I ……………. if I should ever come

back.back.

The Road Not Taken 4The Road Not Taken 4

I shall be telling this with a sighI shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two diverged in a wood, and I – Two diverged in a wood, and I – I ………… the one less traveled by,I ………… the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.And that has made all the difference.

Robert FrostRobert Frost

5. Text manipulation5. Text manipulation Test takers will have to transform a Test takers will have to transform a

written in the written in the present simplepresent simple text into text into the the preteritpreterit and introduce slight and introduce slight contextual changes if grammar contextual changes if grammar contextcontext requires it. requires it.

Slager (1973 in: Celce-Murcia and Slager (1973 in: Celce-Murcia and Hilles 1988) suggest Hilles 1988) suggest ordering random ordering random presented sentencespresented sentences belonging to a belonging to a paragraph in the purpose of forming a paragraph in the purpose of forming a sensible sequencesensible sequence. .

6. Text elicitation6. Text elicitation

This task consists in creating some This task consists in creating some imaginative contextimaginative context appropriate for appropriate for the use of the use of studied categoriesstudied categories..

Test takers should develop a short Test takers should develop a short paragraph providing required paragraph providing required information as proposed, information as proposed, correctly correctly using the preterit or / and perfectusing the preterit or / and perfect. .

7. Text editing7. Text editing

This test task focuses on This test task focuses on

correcting correcting deliberatelydeliberately wrong wrong

grammar itemsgrammar items..

ConclusionConclusion Quality testing is bound to have not Quality testing is bound to have not

only its personal, related to language only its personal, related to language competence enhancementcompetence enhancement effect, but effect, but also, it can influence the also, it can influence the teaching / teaching / learning processlearning process as a whole, as a whole, curriculacurricula as well as overall as well as overall FL studying FL studying motivationmotivation in its capacity of in its capacity of measuring and teaching tool . measuring and teaching tool .

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