5 Testing
Vocabulary
5.1 Selection of
items
The tasks for the writer of a
vocabulary test:
determine
the degree decide
if the lexical consider
four
to
concentrate on testing -- item should be taken major skills to the
active or passive from spoken or written -- select
vocabulary
vocabulary language to
test
Problems
about testing vocabulary:
-
if the testees have followed different syllabuses.
-
&&
5.2
Multiple-choice items (A)
Recognition
items:
Type 4: Generally speaking, if
the problem area is given in a context, it makes the test easy for the testees
and is so useful, too. This item type is preferred to the others (Type1 with a
picture for meaning, Type 2 with a definition, Type 3 with just a lexical item
for meaning)
·
Guidelines for writing
items:
1. If the problem area
being tested is located in the options, the stem should be kept simple.
2. Each option should
belong to the same word class as the word in the stem, when particularly when
the word appears in the context of a sentence.
3. The correct option and
the distractors should be at approximately the same level of difficulty.
4. &&
5. All the options should
be approximately the same length.
6. It is advisable to avoid
using a pair of synonyms or antonyms.
5.3
Multiple-choice items (B)
- More difficult to construct than
those previous section.
- These item types are insufficient
to establish any meaningful situation, while too much context may provide too
many clues both grammatical and semantic. They provide grammatical clues useful
but belong to more grammar.
- There is an argument about that
some multiple-choice items ignore the ability to create unexpected
collocations.
- Some multiple-choice items take
account of cultural differences. It is even more important than usual to
provide a context for these particular kinds of items.
- The supply of a context limits
the test constructor to testing only the vocabulary associated with a
particular topic.
·
The
choice between the use of single sentences and the use of paragraphs providing
a far fuller context ll be determined by
the purpose of the test and the
test writer’s own approach to he communicative aspects of the language
learning.
5.4 Sets
(associated words)
Many
difficulties arising from the testing of collocations are avoided by the
testing of word sets. In such tests the students’ familiarity with a range of
association is measured. There are two types- recognition and production.
5.5 Matching items
- Type 1 of these item types
suffers from testing lexical items from different word classes, Type 2
tests a mixed bag of tense forms, etc. In the both types of test items
grammatical clues assume great importance to limit the range of choices facing
the testees for each blank. They ll more useful to test words from the same
class or parallel tense forms. Otherwise they will measure grammar but not
vocabulary
- Type 3 gives the student too
little choice for the blanks in a paragraph. The words in this type are in the
same class but it lacks of choices.
- Reading comprehension passage: It is the most useful type of matching
items. The reasons are a detailed context and little additional
material. It measures to find words of similar meaning in the passage.
Its danger is the
copying(duplication) of questions: &&
The reading text contains only vocabulary and does not include
comprehension questions in order that the test constructor can be sure that
the ability to answer the comprehension questions does not depend on a
knowledge of the individual words selected for the vocabulary test.
5.6 More objective
items
Word
formation test items and Items involving synonyms: They are useful for classroom
testing. However, Items involving synonyms types (b) have some disadvantages:
-
phonological element(rhyming) confuse testees instead of helping them.
-
have sheer novelty.
-
The item is of little use.
-
They are not recommended for most purposes.
-
The activity involved is more a game than a test.
-
Words are in isolation.
Questions
1-
Which one of the followings determines the choice of the context in testing
vocabulary?
a-
the student’s ability
b-
the purpose of the test
c-
the options of the item
d-
the difficulties of the words tested
2-
What are the most suitable items to test collocations?
3-
Why is the reading comprehension passage useful and economical?
www.iolpgalerisi.com by Mustafa Baran