Scribd Logo
Unggah

Selamat datang di Scribd!

  • ACFrOgAz75KLNxv6d02uv8TlIrW9B5xyyOmbp1 ftRACU2oLmG2kSqtOgglQCpskvcLQNARgq93emYC0cK1YTthQUMKsZrv6Ravz9kYSH6Nigjeu-FY9lUJQTLbtEtE

    Diunggah oleh

    PhuongUyen Pham
    6 tayangan8 halaman
    TL

    Judul Asli

    ACFrOgAz75KLNxv6d02uv8TlIrW9B5xyyOmbp1_ftRACU2oLmG2kSqtOgglQCpskvcLQNARgq93emYC0cK1YTthQUMKsZrv6Ravz9kYSH6Nigjeu-FY9lUJQTLbtEtE=

    Hak Cipta

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Format Tersedia

    PDF atau baca online dari Scribd

    Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

    Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

    Laporkan Dokumen Ini
    TL

    Hak Cipta:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Unduh sebagai PDF atau baca online dari Scribd
    Tandai sebagai konten tidak pantas
    6 tayangan8 halaman

    ACFrOgAz75KLNxv6d02uv8TlIrW9B5xyyOmbp1 ftRACU2oLmG2kSqtOgglQCpskvcLQNARgq93emYC0cK1YTthQUMKsZrv6Ravz9kYSH6Nigjeu-FY9lUJQTLbtEtE

    Diunggah oleh

    PhuongUyen Pham
    TL

    Hak Cipta:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Unduh sebagai PDF atau baca online dari Scribd
    Tandai sebagai konten tidak pantas
    dari 8
    Testing for language teachers matters and for successful problem solving. In the chapters on validity and reliability, simple statistical norions are presented in terms that it is Iiuped everyone should be able to grasp. Appendix 1 deals in some detail with the statistical analysis of test results. Even here, however, the temphasis is on interpretation rather than on calculation. In fac, given the computing power and statistics software that is readily available these days, there is no real need for any calculation on the part of language testers. They simply need to understand the ouput of the computer programs which they (or others) use. Appendix 1 attempts to develop this understanding and, just as important, show how valuable statistical information can be in developing better tests. Further reading The collection of critical reviews of nearly $0 English language tests (mostly British and American), edited by Alderson, Keahnke and Stansfield (1987), reveals how well professional test writers are thought to have solved their problems. A full understanding af the reviews wil depend to some degree on an assimilation of the content of Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of this book. Alderson and Buck (1993) and Alderson et ai (1995) investigate the test development procedures of certain British testing insticutions. 1. ‘Abilities is not being used here in any technical sense, Ie refers simply to ‘what people can do in, or with, 2 language. I could, for example, include the ability to converse fluently ina language, as well asthe ably to recite ‘grammatical rules if chat is something which we are interested in measur ig) Te does nor, howeves, refer co language aptitude, ee talent whieh people have in differing degres, for leaening languages. The measurement ‘ofthis talent in order to predict how well or how quickly individuals will Tear a foreign language, is beyond the scope of this book. The interested scader is referred 0 Pimsleur (1968), Carroll (1981), and Skehan (1986), Stemberg (1995), MacWhinney (1995), Spolsky (1995), Mislevy (1995), Matalin (1995), is of tests and testing “This chapter bogins by considering the purposes for which language testing is carried out, It goes on to make a number of distinctions: beeen diet ad indie testing, between dacrte point and integra tive testing, between norm-ffereaced and criteion-eferenced testing, tnd between objective and subjective testing, Finally there are notes on Compu ade esing ad commons agg ting fasts can be categorised according tothe fypes of information they provide, This saagetenton il prove uefa both in desing wheter In existng testis suitable fora particular purpose and in writing appro- priate new tests where thse are necessary. The four types of et which tve will discuss inthe following sections are: proficiency tests achiewe- tent tests, dagnostc vests and placement texts Proficiency tests Profieny tes are designed o measure people’ bility ina ngage, regardless of any training they may have had in that language. The. content of a proficiency test, Heelers is aot based on the comient oF Objectives of language cow ‘People taking the test may have followed. Rather, cs based on a specification of what candidates have to be able to do in the language in order to be considered proficient. This raises the question of what we mean by the word ‘proficient. In the case of some proficiency tests, proficient” means having suffi ient command of the language fora particular purpose. An example of {iis would be ates designed to discover wether someone can funcion successfully asa United Nations translator, Another example would be atest used f0 determine whether a student's English is good enough to follow a course of study at a British university. Such a test may even attempt to take into account the level and kind of English needed to follow courses in particular subject areas. Ie might, for example, have ‘one form of the test for arts subjects, another for sciences, and so on. ‘Testing for language teachers ‘Whatever the particular purpose to which the language isto be put, this Ml be reflected inthe specfeation fest conent a a eal stage O 2 test’ development. “There are ther proficiency tex which, by contrast, do not have any cccupation or cours of study in mind. For them the concept of proficiency is more general, British examples of these would be the Cambridge Fist Certificate in English examination (FCE) and the Cambridge Certifeate of Proficiency in English examination (CPE). The function of soch tests 4s ta show whether candidates have reached a certain standard with respect to a set of specified abilities. The examining bodies responsible for such tests are independent of teaching institutions and so ean be relied on by potential employers, etc to make fair comparisons between Candidates from different insttitions and different countries. Though there ig no parscular purpose in mind for the language, these general proficiency tests should have detailed specifications saying just what it is that successful candidates Rave demonstrated that they can do. Each test should be seen to be based directly on these specifications. All users fof atest (teachers, students, employers etc.) can then judge whether the test is suitable for them, and can interpret tes results. Iris nor enough to have some vague notion of proficiency, however prestigious the testing body concerned. The Cambridge examinations referred to above are linked to levels in the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) framework, which draws heavily on the work of the Council of Europe (see Further Reading) Despite differences between them of content and level of difficulty, all proficiency tests have in common the fact that they are not based on ‘courses that eandidases may have previously taken. On the other hand, as we saw in Chapter 1, such tests may themselves exercise considerable influence over the method and content of language courses. Their back swash effece - for thie ip what i ir - may be heneficial or harmful. In my’ view, the effect of some widely used proficiency tests is more harmful than beneficial. However, the teachers of students who take such tests, and whose work suffers from a harmful backwash effect, may be able to exercise more influence over the testing organisations concerned than they realise, The supplementing of TOEFL with a writing test, referred ton Chapter 1, is a ease in point. ‘Achievement tests ‘Most teachers are unlikely to be responsible for proficiency tests. It is ‘much more probable that they will be involved in the preparation and tuse of achievement tests, In contrast to proficiency tests, achievement Kinds of tests and testing ses are directly related to language courses, their purpose bing_t0 ‘SSMEsh how suseesfl individeal students, groups of students, or the “SERS Ulemsclves have Been in achieving objectives. They ae of two sevement tests and progress achievement Ts. "rial agbievernent tests are those administered atthe end ofa course of study They may be written and administered by ministries of educa- Ton, oficial examining boards, or by members of teaching institutions cit i content of there teste must be related to the courses with ‘chic they are concerned, but the nature ofthis relationship is a matter Df dlsagreement amongst language testers. In the view of some testers, the content ofa final achievement test, shouldbe based diecly on a detailed course sllabus or on the books nd other materials used, This has been referred to as the. syllabus- aie et Sppraach, It hasan obvious appert since the vest only contains att sthougt har he students actual encoun nd hon “in be considered, in this respect atleast fittest. The disadvant ‘hate plaka bay designed, ofthe books and other ma Mare badlychosen, the results of a est can be very misleading, Sassou performance on the test may noe truly indicate soccessul SURSESie af couse objectives, For example, a course may have as an ‘Shyectve the develooment of conversational ability, but the cours elf Sind the test may require student only to ter carefully prepared state- iment about their home town, the weather, or whatever. Another Course may aim to develop a reading ability in German, but the test seat inn fll to the vocabulary the sulenre are knowen to have met. Ya another course is intended to prepare stadens for university study iMEnplsi, bur the slabs (and 50 the course and the test);may not include listening (with note taking) to English delivered in eerre style aie opace ofthe Lind tha the students wil have to deal with at univer- Sis In each ofthese examples ~all of them based on actual cases ~ cst results will faul to show what students have achieved in terms of course onthe lt h “The altemative approach is 0. et objectives of the course, This has a number of advantages. First, it compels course designers to be explicit about objectives. Secondly, it

    Anda mungkin juga menyukai