paper work : testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
1/26
1
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE, YOUTH AND SPORTS OF
UKRAINE
IVAN FRANKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LVIV
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
TESTING LISTENING COMPREHENSION AT THE INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL
COURSE PAPERPRESENTED BY
Yuzefiv Iryna
Ina -41a fourth year student
of the English department
SUPERVISED BYDatsko Yuliya Myhailivna
an associate professor
of the English department
LVIV 2013
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
2/26
2
Theme: Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
CONTENTS
Introduction.............................3
Chapter 1. Fundamental considerations in testing listening
1.1. Basic developments of testing listening..........................................6
1.2. Pros and cons of testing listening ...............................................8
Chapter 2. Testing listening techniques
2.1. Multiple-choice items..................................................................11
2.2. Open-Ended Questions...............................................................12
2.3. Paraphrase and Summary ...................................................13
2.4. Dictation.................................................................................16
2.5. Cloze test ................................................................18
2.6. True-false items ..............................................................20Conclusion...................................................23
References..........................................25
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
3/26
3
ITRODUCTION
Listening has received increasing attention from professionals in recent years. The
digital revolution has made spoken language much easier to record, edit, and share.
Digital communications and travel raise the chances of needing to communicate in a
second language, making that language much less "foreign." Still, despite being
increasingly important, understanding what someone says in a second language remains
a challenge. What also gives the origin for the topicality in given course paper.
Acquiring good listening and speaking skills in English is the main concern of many
second and foreign language learners, and todays English teacher needs to go along
with current approaches to the teaching of the oral skills. Language listening relatively
ignored for many years within applied linguistics, has today become a kind of an
activity which cannot be neglected. Now listening plays a more central role in language
teaching. University entrance exams, school leaving tests, and other examinations have
included a listening component, an acknowledgment that listening ability is an
important aspect of language proficiency.
It is much easier today to understand the nature of listening comprehension. Earlier
views of listening saw it as the mastery of skills, which formed the focus of teaching
and testing. A skills approach focused on such things as discriminating sounds in words
(especially phonemic contrasts), deducing the meaning of unfamiliar words, predicting
content, differentiating between fact and opinion, and noting contradictions, inadequate
information, and ambiguities. [ 7]
The changed status of listening in recent years was partly prompted by Krashens
emphasis on the role of comprehension and comprehensible input in triggering
language development. In the 1980s and 1990s, applied linguists also began to borrow
new theoretical models of comprehension from the field of cognitive psychology. It
was from this source that the distinction between bottom-up processing and top-down
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
4/26
4
processing was derived a distinction that led to an awareness of the importance of
background knowledge and schema in comprehension. Listeners were viewed as
actively involved in constructing meaning based on expectations, inferences, intentions,
prior knowledge, and selective processing of the input. Listening came to be viewed as
an interpretive process. At the same time, the fields of conversation analysis and
discourse analysis were revealing a great deal about the organization of spoken
discourse, leading to a realization that written texts read aloud could not provide a
suitable basis for developing the abilities needed to process real-time authentic
discourse. Authenticity in materials became a catchword and part of a pedagogy of
teaching listening that is now well established.
The objectof this course paper is testing listening comprehension of intermediate
level learners.
The subjectis the list and complex of exercises for testing listening
comprehension at the intermediate level.
The aim of given course paper is to design methodological exercises for testing
listening comprehension at the intermediate level.
The main tasks of the course paper are to :
Find out pros and cons of testing listening comprehension
Work out exercises for testing listening comprehension
Point out the basic developments of testing listening
The practicalvalueof this paper work is in the designing of exercises for testing
listening comprehension at the intermediate level.
The theoretical value of given paper work is in the following theoretical and critical
works: Arthur Hughes Testing for Language Teachers[10], John Flowerdew Second
Language Listening [7], Irene Thompson Testing Listening Comprehension [18],
G.Brown Teaching the Spoken Language[4], G. Buck The Testing of Listening
Comprehension[5].
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
5/26
5
The structure of the paper work is built according to the research objectives and
tasks set as an aim. The structure comprises: introduction and two chapters designated
for analysis of testing listening at the intermediate level.
Introduction justifies the topicality of the paper work, defines the object, aim,
number of tasks and the very structure of the work.
First chapter highlights basic theoretical questions - basic developments of testing
listening and pros and cons of testing listening.
Second chapter contains designed exercises for testing listening comprehension at
the intermediate level.
Conclusion represents key finding and the main points of testing listening.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
6/26
6
Chapter 1. Fundamental considerations in testing listening
1.1. Basic developments of testing listening
Listening serves as an essential part of communicative competence. It is a skill that
deserves appropriate treatment with writing, reading etc. With the unrelenting trend
toward globalization, which manifests itself in greater international trade, travel,
education, Internet use, cheap international telephone calls, and mass entertainment,
English has become a world language. The need to be able to understand English is
increasing by the day.
There have been three historical developments in testing listening. These
developments correspond to the theories of language learning and the different methods
used to teach English over the past 60 years. These are most known three approaches
like the discrete-point approach, the integrative approach, the communicative approach.
The discrete-point approach is derived from structuralism and behaviorism. This
type of approach to testing listening is that spoken text is the same as written text and
that individual parts of the language can be isolated and tested.
With the integrated approach, listeners must process spoken text and demonstrate
that they understand the literal meaning of what is said. The main criticism here is that
this type of test does not move much above the sentence level. Language is rarely tested
in a wider context [7, p.201].
The communicative approach to testing attempts to account for listening and
understanding in a wide range of contexts. It takes as its main orientation a
demonstration by the listeners that they are able to do something with the information
they have comprehended. And small problem appearing here it is an enormous number
of communicative events, and it is impossible to test them all.
Understanding the approaches used in testing helps to frame our ideas about what
and how to test.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
7/26
7
Listening tests typically resemble reading comprehension tests except that the
student listens to a passage instead of reading it. The student then answers multiple
choice questions that address various levels of literal and inferential comprehension.
Important elements in all listening tests are the listening stimuli, the questions, and
the test environment.
The listening stimuli should represent typical oral language, and not consist of
simply the oral reading of passages designed to be written material. The material should
model the language that students might typically be expected to hear in the classroom,
in various media, or in conversations. Since listening performance is strongly influenced
by motivation and memory, the passages should be interesting and relatively short. To
ensure fairness, topics should be grounded in experience common to all students,
irrespective of sex and geographic, socioeconomic, or racial/ethnic background. [17,
p.16]
In regard to questions, multiple-choice items should focus on the most important
aspects of the passage (not trivial details) and should measure skills from a particular
domain. Answers designated as correct should be derived from the passage, withoutreliance on the student's prior knowledge or experience. Questions and response choices
should meet accepted psychometric standards for multiple-choice questions.
An alternative to the multiple-choice test is a performance test that requires students
to select a picture or actually perform a task based on oral instruction. For example,
students might hear a description of several geometric figures and choose pictures that
match the description, or they might be given a map and instructed to trace a route
that is described orally.
The testing environment for listening assessment should be free of external
distractions. If stimuli age presented from a tape, the sound quality should be
excellent. If stimuli are presented by a test administrator, the material should be
presented clearly, with appropriate volume and rate of speaking.
As it was mentioned before testing listening contains a number of different types of
listening tests with its own advantages and disadvantages. And for convenience, these
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
8/26
8
different listening tests can be divided into two main approaches. They are the process
approach and theproduct approach.
The first of these, the process approach, attempts to identify the various sub-skills or
processes used in listening and then tries to assess whether the testee has mastered
these or not.
The main problem with testing the process of listening comprehension is badly
researched. An obvious alternative approach is to test the product of listening. Students
are given a passage to listen to and then checked if they understood it. The drawback
with this approach is that the product of the listening comprehension process is not
easily available for inspection.
The task most commonly given to students is answering questions, but it could also
be filling in a grid, or marking a place on a map or chart. Picture identification tasks are
also sometimes used. Completing the task is dependent on understanding the text. Care
should be taken that task completion really does require comprehension of the text. It
is surprising how often a good guess can be made at the right answer without even
hearing the actual text [16, p.58]
1.2. Pros and cons of testing listening
Given the complexity of the listening process, it is easy to see that many tests which
are called tests of listening comprehension are not really testing listening comprehen-
sion in the full sense at all. Indeed, Brown and Yule express the problem thus: ... we
find existing approaches to the assessment of listening comprehension based on a very
insecure theoretical notion of what "comprehension" means. It is by no means clear that
a great deal of what is currently tested in listening comprehension tests is necessary, or
relevant, to the process of understanding the communicative event which the student has
listened to. [5, p.100]
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
9/26
9
It is well known true that there is, as yet, no such thing as the ideal listening test.
There are, a number of different types of listening test, each with its own advantages
and disadvantages. The type of test preferred will depend largely on how individual test
makers evaluate these advantages and disadvantages in the light of their own
requirements, which is one reason why test users should try to develop a good
theoretical understanding of listening comprehension.
The effect of testing on teaching and learning is known as backwash, and can be
harmful or beneficial. If a test is regarded as important, if the stakes are high,
preparation for it can come to dominate all teaching and learning activities. And if the
test content and testing techniques are at variance with the objectives of the course,
there is likely to be harmful backwash. An instance of this would be where students are
following an English course that is meant to train them in the language skills (including
writing) necessary for university study in an English-speaking country, but where the
language test that they have to take in order to be admitted to a university does not test
those skills directly. If the skill of writing, for example, is tested only by multiple choice
items, then there is great pressure to practise such items rather than practise the skill ofwriting itself. This is clearly undesirable.
However, backwash can be positively beneficial.Davies once wrote that the good
test is an obedient servant since it follows and apes the teaching (Davies 1968:5). May
be it is difficult to agree, and perhaps today Davies would as well. The proper
relationship between teaching and testing is for sure the sort of partnership. It is true
that there may be occasions when the teaching programme is potentially good and
appropriate but the testing is not; everybody in such condition likely to step into
harmful backwash.
If testing always had a beneficial backwash on teaching, it would have a much
better reputation among teachers [ 9,p.2].
What about backwash, it can be viewed as part of something more generalthe impact
of assessment. The term impact, as it is used in educational measurement, is not
limited to the effects of assessment on learning and teaching but extends to the way in
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
10/26
10
which assessment affects society as a whole, and has been discussed in the context of
the ethics of language testing. [10]
Very often tests fail to measure accurately whatever it is that they are intended to
measure. Teachers actually know this. Students true abilities are not always reflected in
the test scores that they obtain. To a certain extent this is inevitable. Language abilities
are not easy to measure; we cannot expect a level of accuracy comparable to those of
measurements in the physical sciences. But we can expect greater accuracy than is
frequently achieved.
The causes of inaccuracy concern test content and test techniques at first point and
lack of reliability when on a reliable test you can be confident that someone will get
more or less the same score, whether they happen to take it on one particular day or on
the next; Whereas on an unreliable test the score is quite likely to be considerably
different, depending on the day on which it is taken.
One conclusion drawn from this might be that we would be better even without
language tests. If testing comes in conflict with telling you the real level of you
understanding then it is not so necessary. The logic keeps this way, but in fact how
could we step further without it? Sometimes or it would be even better to say always,
information about peoples language ability is very useful and necessary. It is difficult
to imagine universities accepting students without some knowledge of their proficiency
in English.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
11/26
11
Chapter 2. Testing listening techniques at the intermediate level
2.1. Multiple-choice items
In most standardized tests, it is normal to use multiple choice questions to test
comprehension. It is very convenient to score with modern high-speed marking
machines, but making them, however, is not so easy. Written question is provided with
the correct answer, where question contains two or three more distractors, or alternative
answers which look like attractive possibilities to those who did not understand the text,
but which are clearly wrong to those who did.
Test yourself
I ).You will hear Claire describing what happened when she went into hospital for the birth of her second child.
Look at the sentences below. As you listen, choose the best alternative: a, b, c or d.
1.When the Nigeri an lady learned that she had made a mistake, Clair e expected her to be:
aunconcernedbupsetcamuseddembarrassed
2. The lady was:
aunconcernedbupsetcamused
dembarrassed
3. At the time, Clair e felt:
aunconcernedbupsetcamuseddembarrassed
4. Now she feels:
aunconcernedbupset
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
12/26
12
camuseddembarrassed
Type script
You will hear Claire describing what happened when she went into hospital for the birth of her second child.Look at the sentences in Test yourself (pause: fifteen seconds). As you listen, choose the best alternative: a, b,c or d. Play the piece twice (pause: fifteen seconds).
The lady who was in the bed diagonally opposite from where I was, who was a Nigerian lady whose command
of English wasnt exceptional, said to me, How old is your son? And I said, He is seven. Your other son,she said. I said, Hes seven. No, your other son. Your big son. And it came in a blinding flash. She was
talking about Mike. And I said, Thats not my son, thats my husband. And instead of retiring into a corner,
licking her wounds, thinking, Oh God, Ive said the most awful thing going, she pursued the subject
by saying, I said to my husband, it was strange, I havent seen a son being so affectionate to his
mother as that son is being to her! But shed really just got me and, and, you know, now I can laugh
and its a joke and its a nice dinner party story, in a way, but at the time I was absolutely devastated
[8]
However, there are a number of disadvantages as well. First, multiple-choice items
invite guessing. Secondly, important parts of a passage sometimes cannot be tested
simply because three plausible distractors cannot be found. Last, but not least, good
multiple-choice questions are extremely difficult to write. Common problems include
clues pointing to the right answer, con fusing or implausible distractors, insufficient
number of distractors--ideally, there should he one correct answer and three distractors,
unclear or lengthy wording, negative wording, and more than one correct option.
2.2. Open-ended questions
The primary use of open-ended questions is to help a subject start talking. They are
questions that cannot be answered with a single word such as yes or no. These
questions encourages the speaker to say more without actually directing the
conversation and to provide more information. The use of open-ended questions
encourages the speaker to expand on the subject in a more comprehensive way, lets the
speaker know that their ideas matter to you and also relaxes the people around you.
Examples of open-ended questions include:
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
13/26
13
- What alternatives have you thought about?
- What do you mean by?
- What could some of the consequences be?
- What other possibilities 13ge there?
- What were the considerations that led up to this?
- Why is this element the most important aspect?
- Where might this rule not necessarily hold true?
- How else could this situation be explained?
[19]
Note that why questions are not asked directly. Why questions tend to steer the
conversation toward blame and shut down communication. Why questions also tend
to pass judgment. They questions give a feeling of interrogation that makes rapport
building difficult. They also cause you to work hard at thinking up new questions. [13]
2.3.Paraphrase and Summary
A summary is a brief restatement, in your own words, of the content of a
passage. You should focus on the central idea of the passage, and, in a condensed form,
relay the passages main points reflecting the order in which they occur. Summarizing
in your own words of what you were told demonstrates listening, creates empathy andestablishes rapport because it is evident that you have heard and understood.
Summarys purpose is to pull together major ideas, facts, and feelings. That is why it
should not include minor details, repeated points, or any of your own opinions and
conclusion.
A summary is very similar to a paraphrase in that you use your own words to
communicate to your reader what the original passage has stated; however, an important
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
14/26
14
difference between the two is that the paraphrase is approximately the same length as
the original rather that one quarter of its length, as a summary is.
Usually, paraphrasing begins with the words, Are you telling me or Are you
saying Paraphrasing also clarifies content, highlights issues and promotes give and
take between you and the subject. It tends to make the subject a better listener. In other
words it is restating a message, but usually with fewer words where possible to try and
get more to the point.
S: I just dont understand, one minute she tells me to do this, and the next minute to do that.
X: She really confuses you.
S: I really think he is a very nice guy. Hes so thoughtful, sensitive, and kind. He calls me a lot. Hes
fun to go out with.
X: You like him very much, then.
[1]
The purpose of such test is to check your understanding of what you heard and to
communicate that you are trying to understand what is being said. If youre successful,
paraphrasing indicates that you are following the speakers verbal explorations and that
youre beginning to understand the basic message.
Marion Geddes highlights the following task for intermediate level learners testing:
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
15/26
15
Type script
You will hear a British actor, Arthur Mu liard, describing the block of flats, the Peabody Buildings,
that he lived in as a child. Read the statements in Test yourself (pause: fifteen seconds). As you listen,mark each statement true or false. Play the interview twice (pause: fifteen seconds).
Libby Punies: Tell me about the beginnings of it all. You, you were born in, er, those great grim
blocks in Islington, werent you, the Peabody Buildings?
Art1tur Mullard: Thats right, yes, yes.
Libby Purves: What was it like there then in 1910?
Arthur Mullard: Well, I mean they were, er, they were, er, more like prisons than anything else, I
mean, er, I would say very, very similar to prisons. They were built on the same
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
16/26
16
style. Very massive, solid places, you know. And, er, there was one, there was one,
two and three rooms. And, er, there was only small rooms, like, you see. And er,
and er, I had five brothers. My mother and my father slept in one room, and all the
boys, it was all boys, we all slept in one, in the other room, and in the middle was,
was the kitchen and living room,you know. (Laughs)
Libby Purves: I read in your, your autobiography published a few years ago that you actually kept
on moving. Er, you moved flats quite often but always inside the Peabody
Buildings.
Arthur Mullard: Oh yes, my mother used to look out the window, you know, she used to get the
wanderlust, she used to say, Oh, I dont know, Im getting fed up with d like a little
house in the country, something like that, shed say that, look out the window, she
was a dreamer, you know, and, er, I cant stand thisplace any longer. And then
youd come home from school and youd find shed moved. (Laughter) She was. . .
she was in D block.
Libby Purves: What? She just got, got a transfer?
Arthur Mullard: Yes, yes, shed gone down to see the porters, Theres a couple, theres a couple of
rooms going over there, cant I have them? And hed say, Yes, and there was no
problem in moving. Wed have, have a couple of beds and a couple of chairs and
that was your hopping pot, you know what I mean? Of course, your old man would
come home from work of a night time, he couldnt find us.
Libby Punies: You didnt leave a message on the main gate?
Arthur Mullard: No, no, hed go and see the porter and find out where we was.
[8]
2.4. Dictation
One test type which is in many ways related to the reduced redundancy tests and
which has been very widely used is the dictation. This was criticized by as being little
more than a test of spelling, but work in the 1970s has indicated that dictation can be a
good measure of general language proficiency [11]. Foreign language users can utilize
the redundancy in the language what is a good measure of their language ability. For
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
17/26
17
those who do not know the technique, dictation usually involves hearing a passage
twice[15]. As an example here is:
Its certainly nice to see lots of presents under the tree on Christmas morning, but it does seem
extremely wasteful. Many presents end up being unwanted.
Here are some interesting ideas for getting rid of those unwanted gifts: Give one away whenever you
need to give a gift to someone, e.g. when the gift doesnt have to be very personal. Remember to make
a note stating who gave the item to you in the first place so that you dont make the mistake of giving it
back to them.
Give unwanted presents to a local charity store, the charity will be happy to have them.
Hold a bad gift swapparty the week after Christmas with all your friendseach person brings the
gift they hated the most and everyone swaps.Visit an old peoples home or childrens home. Bag up the presents and bring a bit of happinesss to
someone else.
If none of the above suggestions appeal to you why not auction any unwanted items on Ebay!
[12]
For the first time the passage is played straight through, and students just listen and try
to understand. The second time they hear it, the passage is broken into a numberofshort sections with a pause between each section:
It's certainly nice // to see lots of presents// under the tree //on Christmas morning,// but //it does
seem //extremely wasteful.// Many presents //end up //being unwanted.//
Here// are some interesting// ideas //for getting rid of // those unwanted //gifts: // Give one away //
whenever //you need //to give a gift // to someone,// e.g. //when the gift //doesn't have //to be very
//personal.// Remember //to make a note// stating //who gave the item //to you// in the first place //so
that //you don't //make the mistake// of giving //it back to them.//
Give unwanted presents// to a local// charity store,// the charity //will be happy //to have them.//
Hold //a 'bad gift swap'// party //the week after //Christmas// with all// your friends//...each person//
brings the gift// they hated //the most// and everyone swaps.//
Visit// an old people's home// or children's home.// Bag up the presents// and bring a bit// of
happiness// to someone else.//
If none //of the above// suggestions //appeal to you //why not// auction //any unwanted //items// on
EBay! // [12]
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
18/26
18
During that pause students have to write down what they have just heard.
The size of each section of text between pauses can vary, but probably the best way
is to make them of differing lengths, varying from about four or five words up to about
12 words or so. The ideal length will depend on the ability of the students and the nature
of the text used.
There is also a variation on the dictation test which has been used quite extensively
in research on second language, acquisition and in testing non-literate second language
users. This is what is called a sentence elicitation task. It is basically the same as a
dictation, except that students do not write down what they hear, but repeat it into a tape
recorder during the pause after each section. According to Gallimore this has shown
itself to be a reasonably reliable method of testing general language ability [ 9 ].
2.5. Cloze test
Listening cloze tests, is the test in which the students usually get a written passage
from which certain words have been replaced by blanks, as in the standard written cloze
test, and then they listen to a recording of the passage and try to fill in the blanks from
what they have heard. There are a number of problems with this technique. One is that
students can often treat the passage as a normal cloze test, and fill in the blanks even if
they did not hear the passage very well, in which case it is no longer a listening test at
all.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
19/26
19
The testing procedure is quite simple. Students are given a summary of the passage
they are going to hear, in which some of the important content words have been
replaced by blanks. Like in the example below:
Addiction May Be In Our Genes
Scientists have discovered that addictions may be (1) ____________. A team from Britains
University of Cambridge found that (2) ____________ of drug addicts share the same brain
abnormalities as their drug-(3) ____________ brothers and sisters. The research team said
these abnormal brain structures are linked to (4) ____________ self-control and drug
dependence. The researchers suggest that addiction is in some ways a (5) ____________ of
the brain. This may provide important new ways into helping people with problems of selfcontrol
when it (6) ____________ to addictions. The study sought to find out if drugs changed
the (7) ____________ of the brain or whether the brains of drug addicts were wire differently from
(8) ____________.
Lead researcher Dr Karen Ersche told the BBC: It has (9) ____________ been known that not
everyone who (10) ____________ drugs becomes addicted. She continued: It shows that
drug addiction is not a (11) ____________ of lifestyle, it is a disorder of the brain and weneed to recognise this. These brothers and sisters who don't have addiction problems, what
they can tell us is how they (12) ____________ these problems, how they manage selfcontrol
in their (13) ____________ life. Dr Ersche and her colleagues studied 50 (14)
____________ of siblingsone with a history of drug addiction and one with no (15)
____________ of taking drugs. She compared these with 50 healthy people. She concluded:
We need to find out how these non-addicted siblings were able to (16) ____________ using
Typescript
Scientists have discovered that addictions may be hereditary. A team from Britains University of
Cambridge found that siblings of drug addicts share the same brain abnormalities as their drug-using
brothers and sisters. The research team said these abnormal brain structures are linked to poor self-
control and drug dependence. The researchers suggest that addiction is in some ways a disorder of the
brain. This may provide important new ways into helping people with problems of self-control when
it comes to addictions. The study sought to find out if drugs changed the wiring of the brain or
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
20/26
20
whether the brains of drug addicts were wired differently from birth. Lead researcher Dr Karen Ersche
told the BBC: It has long been known that not everyone who takesdrugs becomes addicted. She
continued: It shows that drug addiction is not a choice of lifestyle, it is a disorder of t he brain and we
need to recognize this. These brothers and sisters who don't have addiction problems, what they can
tell us is how they overcome these problems, how they manage self-control in their daily life. Dr
Ersche and her colleagues studied 50 pairs of siblingsone with a history of drug addiction and one
with no experience of taking drugs. She compared these with 50 healthy people. She concluded: We
need to find out how these non-addicted siblings were able to resist using drugs.
[2]
After looking at the passage for a while, they have some idea what they are listening
for, they listen to the passage. They should be discouraged from writing while listening.
Their task is to use their understanding of the passage to fill in the blanks. One mark is
awarded for each blank completed with an acceptable word.
The use of clozed summaries of listening passages as a testing method seems to have
much to recommend it. They apparently have a reasonably firm theoretical base,
practical trials have produced encouraging results, and they look sufficiently serious and
academic for inclusion on college entrance examinations [5, p.29].
2.6. True-false items
True-false items are easier to write than multiple-choice questions, but the students
has a fifty-percent chance of being correct by guessing. Because both multiple-
choiceand true-false responses encourage guessing, it is common practice for test
instructions to state whether or not there is a penalty for guessing, and what that penalty
is.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
21/26
21
Answer true or false statement
1 Henry is getting ready to go for a run. True False
2 The weather is nice today. True False
3 Joy currently follows a very strict running schedule. True False
4 Joy no longer runs for 45 minutes every day. True False
5 Joy used to run about five miles a day. True False
6 Joy usually runs with other people. True False
7 Joy said her earlier running program was easy to
follow because she did it every day.
True False
8 Joy runs three days a week now. True False
9 Joy doesn't run as often now because she hurt her
knee.
True False
10 Henry thinks that running is good for the mind buthard on the body.
True False
Type script
Henry: Hey Joy, where are you going?
Joy: Oh, I'm just getting ready to go for a run. This is the weather that I love to run in. It's beautiful
outside today!
Henry: Yeah, it is beautiful. Great day to work in the yard, too! I didn't know that you were a runner.
Joy: Well, not as much anymore. I used tofollow a running program that was pretty strict. I ran every
morning for 45 minutes.
Henry: Wow! How far did you run?
Joy: Well, I ran on a forest trail that was about three miles long, and then I would run for a couple of
miles on the streets in our neighborhood, too. I ran with a group that met a couple times a week.
Henry: Right. I know there are different running clubs around here that meet on a regular basis.
Joy: Yep. It was a routine that was really easy to follow because I did it every day and I ran with other
people, but it was a program that just took too much time.
Henry: I bet. So do you run very often now?
Joy: Well, I try to run three times a week, but it's hard because I have a lot of other responsibilities. I
don't know anyone who likes to run with me, either.
Henry: Well, three times a week is better than none! It's hard, but running is exercise that is good for
your body and your mind.
Joy: True. That's why I'm trying to do it even though it's not always easy.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
22/26
22
Henry: Well, good for you! Have a good run!
Joy: Thanks. And enjoy working in your yard. It looks great!
Henry: Thanks. Bye.
[2]
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
23/26
23
Conclusion
Listening comprehension has been neglected in research and practice until quite
recently. Even now, we cannot say that listening comprehension research abounds in the
literature when compared to that of reading comprehension. And true thing is that
listening is vital in language learning in that it provides input for the learner. Without
understanding the inputs, students cannot learn anything.
Scientists follow the language development step by step trying to research it and to
find new approaches for its teaching. And the result are three historical developments in
testing listening. These developments correspond to the theories of language learning
and the different methods used to teach English - discrete-point approach, the
integrative approach, the communicative approach.
Understanding the approaches used in testing helps to frame our ideas about what
and how to test.
The conclusion to note is that testing listening comprehension is far more complex
and undertaking than it would seem to be at first sight. However, this applies not only to
testing listening comprehension, but to testing any aspect of foreign language ability
and to remember that our processing space is limited.
In practical terms, the choice of test type will depend to some extent on the needs of
the situation and the opinions of individual teachers. Of the various test types, cloze
passages or summaries of texts seem very suitable for testing and are obviously highly
recommended, especially with narrative texts. And what about washback effect it is
likely to be more positive than negative.
Short-answer questions on realistic public announcements are another obvious
choice and should be seriously considered. For expository tests, more complex open-
ended questions or grid-filling activities where suitable can be used. Open ended
question are easy to make but usually require a rating scale to mark them. They have
quite positive washback effect if are used in realistic text.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
24/26
24
What about dictation, it is a possibility, or rather a temptation, because, although it is
obviously a good testing technique, the likely washback effect argues against it.
The most important thing to bear in mind when making testing listening
comprehension is the washback effect on the classroom. If test makers continually ask
themselves what sort of washback their test will lead to, there is every possibility of
improving English language education.
-
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
25/26
25
References
1. Active Listening Skills. Retrieved from:http://www.taft.cc.ca.us/lrc/class/assignments/actlisten.html
2. Breaking News English/ Breaking News English/Addiction May Be In Our
Genes. Retrieved from:http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1202/120204-
addiction.html
3. Broukal, Milada. Grammar Form and Functions. Student book two. Glendale
Community College. Retrieved from:
http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0070082278/student_view0/unit13/activity_
2__listening_exercise.html
4. Brown, G., & Yule, G. Teaching the Spoken Language. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1983.
5. Buck, G. The Testing of Listening Comprehension: An introspective study.
Language Testing, 1991.
6.
Davies, A. Language Testing Symposium: A Psycholinguistic Approach.London: Oxford University Press, 1968.
7. Flowerdew, John. Second Language Listening: Theory and Practice / John
Flowerdew, Lindsay Miller. Cambridge: Cambridge language education, 1951.
8. Geddes, Marion. How To Listen? Making Intelligent Guess, 1988.
9. Gallimore, R., & Tharp, R. G. The Interpretation of Elicited Sentence Iimitation
In a Standardized Context. Language Learning , 1981.
10.Hughes, Arthur. Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2002.
11.Lado, R. Language testing. London: Longman, 1961.
12.Learn English Dictation. Retrieved from:
http://www.learnenglish.de/Dictation/DictationXmasI.htm
http://www.taft.cc.ca.us/lrc/class/assignments/actlisten.htmlhttp://www.taft.cc.ca.us/lrc/class/assignments/actlisten.htmlhttp://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1202/120204-addiction.htmlhttp://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1202/120204-addiction.htmlhttp://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0070082278/student_view0/unit13/activity_2__listening_exercise.htmlhttp://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0070082278/student_view0/unit13/activity_2__listening_exercise.htmlhttp://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0070082278/student_view0/unit13/activity_2__listening_exercise.htmlhttp://www.learnenglish.de/Dictation/DictationXmasI.htmhttp://www.learnenglish.de/Dictation/DictationXmasI.htmhttp://www.learnenglish.de/Dictation/DictationXmasI.htmhttp://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0070082278/student_view0/unit13/activity_2__listening_exercise.htmlhttp://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0070082278/student_view0/unit13/activity_2__listening_exercise.htmlhttp://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1202/120204-addiction.htmlhttp://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1202/120204-addiction.htmlhttp://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/http://www.taft.cc.ca.us/lrc/class/assignments/actlisten.html -
8/13/2019 paper work : Testing listening comprehension at the intermediate level
26/26
26
13.Lepinski, Cokie. Seven Active Listening Techniques Used by Hostage
Negotiators. Retrieved from:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/
training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srci
d=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr
_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-
ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEe
M3satcZBgcCnsw
14.Nunan, D. Listening in Language Learning.The Language Teacher.
15.Oller, W. J. Language Tests at School. London: Longman, 1979.
16.Preston, R. C. Ability of Students to Identify Correct Responses Before
Reading. The Journal of Educational Research, 1964.
17.Rubin, Donald L. Assessing Listening and Speaking Skills. Retrieved from
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-923/speaking.htm
18.Thompson, Irene. Testing Listening Comprehension. Retrieved from
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/155695921?versionId=16972458319.Writing Center Learning Guide. Active Listening. Retrieved from:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_active
Listening.pdf
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttp://www.ericdigests.org/pre-923/speaking.htmhttp://trove.nla.gov.au/work/155695921?versionId=169724583http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/155695921?versionId=169724583http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_activeListening.pdfhttp://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_activeListening.pdfhttp://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_activeListening.pdfhttp://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_activeListening.pdfhttp://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_activeListening.pdfhttp://trove.nla.gov.au/work/155695921?versionId=169724583http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-923/speaking.htmhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnswhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:RsTjEwAYk7oJ:www.scr911.org/training/downloads/Scenarios/Active%2520Listening.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShhKs_GLKO0DhsUc65af8k0dABbUZG4dySb0UlYadJGwhDgOzPr_2zjrZOIwyLLKaVxYEqUs4w17QtlXFWrBrhPN0mgDev_Zw7-ssH1ShG06JRaj385fPDhIvZnTKGGDQhQKbsz&sig=AHIEtbRQjvr0Yx1e0OEeM3satcZBgcCnsw