Week 10: Testing Receptive Skills 1. Testing Reading Comprehension

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Week 10:

Testing Receptive Skills

1. Testing Reading Comprehension

- The exercising of receptive skills does not necessarily, or usually, manifest itself directly in overt behavior.

￭ Specifying what the candidate should be able to do

Content:

A. Operations:

1) macro-skills, directly related to either the needs or to course objectives:

e.g. - scanning text to locate specific information - skimming text to obtain the gist

- identifying stages of an argument

- identifying examples presented in support of an argument

2) micro-skills, underlying the macro-skills:

e.g. - identifying referents of pronouns

- using context to guess meaning of unfamiliar words - understanding relations between parts of text

3) Exercise of straightforward grammatical and lexical abilities:

B. Types of Text

- Whether or not authentic texts (intended for native speakers) are to be used will depend at least in part on what it is intended to measure.

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- Note that even at lower levels of ability, with appropriate items, it is possible to use authentic texts.

C. Selecting Texts

- Successful choice of texts depends ultimately on experience, judgment, and a certain amount of common sense. Clearly these are not qualities that a handbook can provide; practice is necessary. It is nevertheless possible to offer useful advice.

1) Select as representative a sample as possible.

2) Reading tests should include materials of various types and styles

3) Choose texts of appropriate length. Scanning may need passages of up to 2,000 words or more. Detailed reading can be tested using passages of just a few sentences.

4) In order to obtain acceptable reliability, include as many passages as possible in a test.

5) In order to test scanning, look for passages which contain plenty of discrete pieces of information.

6) Choose a text which will interest candidates but which will not overexcite or disturb them.

7) Avoid texts made up of information which may be part of candidates' general knowledge.

8) Assuming that it is only reading ability which is being tested, do not choose texts which are too culturally laden.

9) Do not use texts which students have already read (or even close approximations to them).

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D. Advice on Item Writing

1) The vocabulary and syntax of the items should be kept as simple as possible so that the real problem is the interpretation of the

passage

, not of the questions that are asked about it.

2) Insofar as possible, the "stem" or "lead" of the item should establish the problem - that is, make clear what kind of information is being asked for.

e.g. (x) John A. obviously liked what he heard

B. became angry upon hearing Mary's words C. didn't understand what he has told

D. ridiculed Mary's ideas

- Stem offers no clues to the reader as to what he is being asked.

3) Selection of the correct answer should involve interpretation of the passage, not merely matching the words in the choices with the same words in the paragraph.

4) All items should require a careful reading of the paragraph. It should not be possible to answer items correctly purely on the basis of outside knowledge or to eliminate some of the choices because they are clearly illogical because they conflict with one another.

E. Types of Reading Comprehension Test

1) Multiple-choice questions

2) Short answer questions

3) Cloze

4) Selective deletion gap filling (=rational cloze)

5) C-Tests

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6) Cloze elide (=Intrusive word technique): Words which do not belong are inserted into a reading passage and candidates have to indicate where these insertions have been made.

7) Information transfer: The information transmitted verbally is transferred to a non-verbal form e.g. labelling a diagram, completing a chart or numbering a sequence of events

2. Testing Listening Comprehension

- It may seem rather odd to test listening separately from speaking, since the two skills are typically exercised together in oral interaction. However, there are occasions, such as listening to the radio, listening to lectures, or listening to railway station announcements, when speaking is not called for.

- Because it is a receptive skill, the testing of listening parallels in most ways the testing of reading.

￭ Specifying what the candidate should be able to do

A. Content

1. Operations

Macro-skills: listening for specific information obtaining gist of what is being said following directions

following instructions

Micro-skills: interpretation of intonation pattern (recognition of sarcasm, etc.) recognition of function of structures (such as interrogative as request, e.g.,

Could you pass the salt

?)

※ At the lowest level are abilities like being able to distinguish between

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phonemes (e.g. /f/ and /v/). These abilities are, however, only of interest for diagnostic purposes, and the relevant information can be readily obtained through information means.

2. Types of text

- These might be first specified as monologue, dialogue, or multiparticipant; and further specified: announcement, talk or lecture, instructions, directions, etc.

3. Addressees

- Texts may be intended for the general public, students, young children, etc.

4. Topics

- These will often be indicated in quite general terms.

B. Setting criterial levels of performance

- If the test is set at an appropriate level, then, as with reading, a near perfect set of responses may be required for a 'pass'.

￭ Setting the tasks

A. Selecting samples of speech

- if we are interested in how candidates can cope with language intended for native speakers, then ideally we should use samples of authentic speech.--- ----If, on the other hand, we want to know whether candidates can understand language which may be addressed to them as non-native speakers, these too can be obtained from teaching materials and recordings of native speakers which we can make ourselves.

B. Possible Techniques

1. Multiple choice questions

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2. Short answer questions

3. Information transfer techniques

4. Note taking

5. Partial Dictation

6. Listening recall

<Appendix A>

수행 과제 및 평가의 예

(출처: Kim, S.-A. (2013). Performance Evaluation in Task-based Language Teaching.

English Language Teaching, 25

(4), 21-45.)

1) 수행 과제

- 간략하게 학습 목표와 학생들이 수행할 과제를 소개하면 다음과 같다. 우선 학습 목 표는 학생들이 의미 있는 언어 사용을 통해 목표언어로서 의사소통하는 능력을 기르는 데 있다. 이를 위해 구체적으로 정한 수행 과제는 학생들이 모둠을 정하여 방학을 이용 하여 외국으로 여행을 가기 위해 방문 도시를 정하고 여행 계획을 짜는 것이다.

- 학생들은 모둠으로 활동을 하게 되며, 각 모둠은 5～6명으로 구성되어 있다. 모둠 활 동을 위하여 학생들은 미리 주어진 숙제를 해 와야 하는데 그 숙제는 자신이 방문하고 싶은 외국의 도시에 대해 조사해 오는 것이다.

- 일단 숙제를 해 온 학생들이 모둠 활동에서 구성원들에게 자신이 선택한 도시에 대해 소개하고 모둠 구성원들과 서로 협의하여 자신들이 함께 방문할 가장 좋은 도시를 선택 하는 것이다. 도시가 선정되면 각 모둠은 전체 학생들에게 자기 모둠의 선정 도시에 대 해 소개해야 한다.

- 이 프리젠테이션에서는 그 도시가 어느 나라의 어디에 위치하고 있는지, 인구는 얼마

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인지, 도시의 장소는 어딘지, 모둠이 왜 그 도시를 선정하였는지 등에 대해 말해야 한다.

프리젠테이션이 끝나고 나면 각 학생들은 과제 후 활동으로 쓰기를 해야 하는데, 그 내 용은 모둠 활동에 대한 요약이다. 쓰기는 시간이 걸리기 때문에 집에서 숙제로 해오게 해도 무방하다. 이 과제 후 활동은 두 가지 목적이 있다. 첫째는 학생들이 모둠 활동에 집중하게 만들기 위함이고 둘째는 배운 내용을 내재화하는 데 도움이 되도록 하기 위함 이다.

2) 평가

- 모둠 활동 후 과제 수행에 대한 평가는 두 가지에 초점을 맞춘다. 하나는 개인의 노력 이고 다른 하나는 모둠의 협력이다. 개인의 노력과 모둠 구성원들 간의 협력이 없이는 모둠 활동이 제대로 될 수가 없기 때문이다. 따라서 개인으로서 충분히 노력을 했고 모 둠 구성원으로서도 협력적이었다면 누구나 현재의 목표언어 능력에 상관없이 만점을 받 을 수 있다고 평가 지침을 미리 학생들에게 알린다. 이는 현재 자신의 목표언어능력이 낮은 학생에게도 충분한 동기 유발이 된다.

- 각 개인 학생들에 대한 평가는 크게 세 단계로 이루어진다. 즉, 과제 전 활동 (pre-task activity), 과제 활동(task activity), 그리고 과제 후 활동(post-task activity)이 그것들이다. 과제 전 활동에 대한 평가는 모둠 활동을 위한 준비 작업으로 숙제를 충실히 해왔는지 여부이다. 과제 활동은 교실에서의 모둠활동 참가와 협조에 초 점을 맞춘다. 과제 후 활동은 교실에서의 모둠활동과 프리젠테이션을 통해 얻은 지식 및 심화활동으로 제공된 여행 관련 액션시리즈 익히기에 대한 평가이다. 각 단계 별 평가 항목에는 다음 사항들이 포함된다.

(1) 과제 전 활동에 대한 평가

① 모둠 활동에 대한 준비 노력에 대한 평가

② 교사가 모둠 활동을 위해 제공한 어휘와 표현에 대해 미리 공부했는지 여부를 쉽고 간단한 퀴즈로 평가

(2) 과제 활동에 대한 평가 ① 모둠 활동에 대한 참가

② 목표 언어를 사용하고자 하는 노력 ③ 완성된 과제에 대한 구두 프리젠테이션

(3) 과제 후 활동에 대한 평가

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① 모둠 활동에 대한 쓰기 요약 ② 여행 관련 액션시리즈에 대한 퀴즈

[학생 개인의 수행에 대한 평가표 예시]

Activity Focus of Evaluation Type Performer Score

Pre- task

Preparation Effort Homework Individual /4 Knowledge of Vocab. &

Expressions

Quiz

Individual /4 Comprehension of Reading

Materials Individual /4

Task

Participation in the Group

Task Observation Individual /4

Efforts to Communicate in

the TL Observation Individual /4

Group /4

Oral Presentation Observation Group /4

Post- task

Summary of the Task Homework

Quiz Individual /4

Action Series /4

NAME: TOTAL SCORE /36

Pre- task

Expressions

Quiz

Task

the TL Observation

Individual /4

Group /4

Post- task

Summary of the Task

Homework

Quiz Individual

/4

Action Series /4

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Pre- task

Expressions

Quiz

Task

the TL Observation

Individual /4

Group /4

Post- task

Summary of the Task

Homework

Quiz Individual

/4

Action Series /4

<Appendix B> 수준별 형성평가

Dialogue 학습 후 실시한 수준별 형성평가의 예

Doctor

: You look pale. What's wrong with you?

Sumi

: I've been so sick since yesterday.

I have a stomachache and a fever.

Doctor

: When did it start?

Sumi

: Right after I ate a hamburger for lunch.

Doctor

: It sounds like 'food poisoning'

Sumi

: Uhh . . . What should I do?

Doctor

: Don't worry.

Take the medicine on this prescription. You'll be all right soon

Sumi

: I really hope so.

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Doctor

: You look pale. ① ?

Sumi

② .

Doctor

Sumi

Doctor

: ③ .

Sumi

Doctor

: Don't worry.

④ . You'll be all right soon.

Sumi

: ⑤ .

Doctor

: You look pale.

What's ① with you?

Sumi

I have a stomachache and ② a .

Doctor

Sumi

Doctor

: It sounds like ③' '.

Sumi

Doctor

: Don't worry.

④ on this prescription.

You'll be all right soon.

Sumi

: I really ⑤ .

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Doctor

: You look pale. What's wrong with you?

① (해석: )

Sumi

I have a stomachache and a fever.

② 배가 아프고 ( )이 난다.

Doctor

Sumi

Doctor

: It sounds like 'food poisoning' ③ ( )인 것 같다.

Sumi

Doctor

: Don't worry.

Take the medicine on this prescription.

④ 이 처방전대로 ( ).

You'll be all right soon.

Sumi

: I really hope so.

⑤ ( )