Universidad Pedagógica Experimental LibertadorInstituto Pedagógico de Caracas

Departamento de IdiomasEvaluación de los procesos

Testing Listening & vocabulary

Luis FontiverosAngélica Rodríguez

Caracas, 25 de mayo de 2012

When we learn a language, there are four skills that we need in order to

complete communication. When we learn our native language, we usually learn

to listen first, then to speak, then to read, and finally to write. These are called

the four "language skills“

Skill # 1: LISTENING

Testing listening:

• Testing listening separately from speaking

Specifying what the candidate should be able to do

Macro- Skills:

• Listening for specific information

• Obtaining gist of what is being said

• Following directions

• Following instructions

Micro skills:

• Interpretation of intonation patterns (Recognition of sarcasm, etc)

•Recognition of function of structures (such as interrogative as request, for example, Could you pass the salt?)

Types of text

These might be first specified as monologue, dialogue or multiparticipant; and

further specified: announcement, talk or lecture, instructions, directions, etc.

Addressees

Texts might be intended for general public, students (either specialists or

generalists), young children and so on.

Setting the tasks

Selecting samples of speech

• Passages must be chosen with the test specification in mind

• Quality of the recording

• Recordings made specifically for the test.

Writing items

• Note-making

• Items sufficiently far apart

• Key words.The second point that the speaker makes“My second point is…”

Possible techniques

• Multiple choice: Alternatives must be short and simple.

The following alternatives, which appear in a sample listening test of a well- known examination , are probably too complex.

When stopped by the police, how is the motorist advised to behave? A. He should say nothing until he has seen his lawyer. B. He should give only what additional information the law requires. C. He should say only what the law requires. D. He should in no circumstances say anything

• Short answer

•Note taking

• Recording or live presentations

Scoring the listening test.

Testing

A good knowledge of English vocabulary is important for anyone who wants to use the language.

knowledge of vocabulary is often tested.

It is important that the test maker be aware of what he/she is doing when testing vocabulary.

*Speaking vocabulary

*Listening vocabulary

*Reading vocabulary

*Writing vocabulary

A test may test one or all of these types of vocabulary, but the test maker should be aware of the differences among these types and which is being tested.

Synonym- definition items

Picture items

Sentence items

Context items

Set items

Matching items

Completion items

Word formation items.

Synonym- definition items

1) What does “Loathe” mean?

a) To dislike someone or something. b) Profoundly tender, passionate 

affection for another person. c)

The quality or state of being happy. d) To regard with wonder, pleasure, 

or approval.

2) Susan is a very _________ student. She gets nothing but straight A`s.

a) Intelligent b) Thoughtful c) Preoccupied d) Considerate

Picture items

Match the animals below with their name.

_______

duckdogCowCat

HorsePig

_______

_______

Sentence items

You're blocking the TV.

to block the TV = to obscure it from view.

The astronauts are preparing for touchdown tomorrow morning.

touchdown= the landing of a spacecraft.

It was not possible for the rescue workers to find the survivors.

rescue workers = workers helping people who suffered an accident.

Context items Example 1.

Would you please _____ the proposal?

a. consider b. think c. make d. give

“In this case, "think" (about) is similar to the correct answer, but it does not fit grammatically. While a few of these types of items might be acceptable, too many of them will put too much emphasis on grammar rather than vocabulary.”

Example 2. Sometimes vocabulary items test collocations.

I _____ my watch to see what time it was.

a. looked at b. saw c. watched d. gazed at

“In this case, what is being tested is the knowledge of the collocation "look at my watch." Again, knowing collocations is part of knowing vocabulary, but the test should not be dominated by such items.”

Set items

Example 1. Circle the word that does not fit.dollaryenpoundmoney

Example 2. Write down the subject that each group of words is related to.

bedroomliving roomkitchendining room

Matching items Match the karate techniques with its

description by placing the letter of the definition in the space.

1. _____ Kick A. Yako zuki

2. _____ Punch B. Geri

3. _____ Block C. Zuki

4. _____ Straight punch D. Barai E. Migi F. Yoko geri

Completion items

Choose the word or set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Biological clocks are of such ____ adaptive value to living organisms, that we would expect most organisms to ____ them.

A. clear - avoid 

B. meager - evolve 

C. significant - eschew 

D. obvious - possess 

E. ambivalent - develop

Word formation items

Read the text and then type the correct form of the word in CAPITALS to complete the gaps.

It is not (1) ______ to make a hobby pay for itself even if initially you had no (2) ______ of turning itinto a business.Depending upon the hobby, the necessary (3)______ can be expensive and the idea of (4)______ offering itemsup for sale can at the very least help pay for thehobby.

USUAL-INTEND-EQUIP-OCCASION

S. Kathleen Kitao : Doshisha Women's College : Kyoto, Japan 

http://www.cis.doshisha.ac.jp/kkitao/library/article/test/vocab.htm

http://dictionary.reference.com

Baxter, A. Evaluating your students. Chapter 6,7.

Harris, M. & McCann, P. Assessment; Chapter 1.

Hughes Testing for lanuage teachers. Chapter 10,11.