TESTING LANGUAGE

SUBSKILLS
• Assessing grammar and vocabulary
• Vocabulary tests
• Grammar tests

UTAMI PUTRI INGERTI

RRA1B215003
ASSESSING GRAMMAR
- Defining Grammatical Knowladge
Grammatical knowladge consisted of 3 interconnected
elements :
a. Grammatical forms or the structure of language. (such as
morphology and syntax)
b. The grammatical meanings of those forms. (Literal and
intended meaning that is conveyed by the form)
c. Their pragmatic meaning or use in a given context.
(Appropriate language choices a learner makes in a
communication)
Designing Assessment Tasks : Selected Response

Advantages Easy to admister & score

Mutiple-Choice
Tasks
disadvantages Difficult to create & sometimes
viewed as not being authentic
language use.

The test-taker to respond It used to measure the

Discrimination difference between 2
in the form of a choice.
tasks similar of grammatical
Such as true/false.
knowladge.such as
pronoun,subject & object.

Noticing tasks or Test-takers are asked to indicate

consciousness- (underlying or circle) that they have
raising tasks identified a specific feature in the
language sample
Desiging Assessment Tasks : Limited Production

 Gap-filling tasks
 The language is presented in the form of sentence, dialogue,
or passage in which a number of words are deleted. And the
test-taker must choose the appropriate response for the
deletion or gap based on the context in which language is
presented.
Example : Grammatical Form

I _________ a book right before I go to sleep. Recently, I

have been reading biographies. I _______ the biographies
of Charlie Chaplin and Mahatma Gandhi, and for the past
few nights, I _______ about Oprah Winfrey.
 Short-answer tasks
 The form of a question following reading passage or oral/visual
stimulus. And test-taker response can vary from single word to
a sentence or two.

 Dialogue-completion tasks
 The input is presented in the form of a short conversation in
which part of the exchange is left blank and the expected
response meant to be grammatically correct.
Desiging Assessment Tasks : Extended Production

• Five point scale for assessing syntactic knowladge

(Bachman & Palmer, 1996)
• 0 none, 1 limited, 2 moderate, 3 extensive, 4 complete.

 Information Gap Tasks

Presents the input in terms of incomplete information. That is, one
test-taker is given half or some of information and another test
takers is given complementary information. Both test-takers then
have question each other to get all the information.
 Role-play or Simulation Tasks.
The input presents test-takers with a language or non-language
prompt that asks them to take on a role or stimulate a situation to
solve a problem and make a decision.
ASSESSING VOCABULARY
The nature of vocabulary

token All the words in the paragraph

type We do not count words that are
repeated. Only different words.

Function Prepositions, articles,

words conjuctions
Content Nouns, verbs, adjectives and
words adverbs.

Phrasal verbs Put up with, run into

Compound Personal computer,
verbs black board

idioms A pretty penny

Four types of lexical phrases :

• Poly words  e.g : for the most part, wait a minute

• Institutionalized expression  e.g : nice to meet you, how’s it going
• Phrasal constraints  e.g : yours truly/sincerely, as far as I
know/can tell
• Sentence builders  e.g : on the other hand, not only.... But also.
 Some Consideration in
Designing Assessment
Tasks
 Some steps to design a
vocabulary test :
• Clarify your purpose
• Define your construct
• Select your target words
• Determine mode of
performance
Defining lexical knowladge
 Three components make up
Chapelle’s definition of
vocabulary
• The content of vocabulary use
• Vocabulary knowladge and
fundamental processess
• Metacognitive strategies for
vocabulary use
 VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR TESTS

Vocabulary tests Grammar tests

The purpose of vocabulary test

is to measure the
comprehension and production
of words used in speaking or Grammar test are designed to
writing. measure student profiency in
matters ranging from inflections
• This part will ilustrate a (bottle-bottles, bake-baked) to
variety of ways to use syntax.
context cues and word-
building skills in testing
vocabulary.
 LIMITED RESPONSE
Individual testing
Vocabulary tests Grammar tests
Also can test students
Directed physical responses
individually by using oral
can easily be used when you
request. With familiar
test one student at a time. With
vocabulary that have been
basic commands have been
taught. E.g : “how many books
learned. Such as : go to the.....
are on the table?”
And hand me the....
“They are six”
Group testing
Both of vocabulary and grammar test, the teacher can
use “drawing” activity in their classroom.
The teacher give the instruction for students to draw
something. But first, explain and ilustrate any new
vocabulary words.
E.g : “draw an airplane in the middle of the paper”.
MUTIPLE-CHOICE COMPLETION
Vocabulary tests Grammar tests

1. Select the words to be tested

1. Choose the grammar points that
2. Get the right kind of sentence to
you need to test
put each word in (this sentence
2. Prepare the right kind of
context is called the stem).
sentence context (or stem) for
3. Choose several wrong words to
the grammar structure
put the right word with (these
3. Select the logic distractor
wrong words are called
4. Prepare clear and simple
distractors).
instructions
4. Prepare clear and simple
instructions.
 Grammar test

• Grammar choice  determine what structures you have

taught since the last test.
• Context preparation  what points to test, what mutiple-
choice type to use, and how many
questions to prapare.
• Distractor preparation  we put the correct word or phrase
to complete the sentence.
• Alternate forms of mutiple-choice completion 
1. space saver.
2. dialog context.
3. error identification.
Cont.

Advantages of Mutiple-choice completion

1. It is impossible for students to avoid the grammar point being
evaluated.
2. Scoring is easy and reliable.

Limitations of Mutiple-choice completion

1. Preparing good items is not easy
2. It is easy for students to cheat.
3. It doesn’t appear to measure students’ ability to reproduce language
structure.
 Vocabulary test

• Vocabulary choice  words can be chosen from other

sources like newspapers, magazines, and textbooks. Such as
nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, articles,
preposition, conjuctions, pronouns.
• Context preparation  choose a two-line mini-dialog.
e.g  “I want to paint, too”
“All right. Use that _____ over there.
A. Brush B. Pencil C. Broom D. Spoon
• Distractor preparation :
1. make sure the distractors are the same form of word as the
correct answer.
2. Also be sure not to include more than one correct answer.
Cont.
• Instruction preparation  it should be clear, and instructions
can be very short :
“ circle the letter of the right answer”
• Alternate forms of mutiple choice completion
1. Definition : To ____ someone means to save him or her from
danger. (A. Praise B. Injure C. Rescue D. announce
2. Phrase completion
Idiom : To committee____choosing you as a president.
A. Wound up B. Buttoned down C. Wiped out D. Sat in
3. Mutiple choice cloze (cloze tests are made from stories or essays
by deleting words at regular intervals).
 SIMPLE COMPLETION
Simple completion (words)
1. List the prefixes and suffixes
that you have taught to your
students. Then match these
with content words that they
have studied.
2. Prepare sentences that clarify
the meaning of these words
3. Then write your instructions and
examples.
Simple completion
(sentences)
1. Select the grammar points that
need to be tested
2. Provide an appropriate context
3. Write good instruction
This section will deal with the three
basic kinds of simple completion
grammar tests :
(a) The option form, (b) The
inflection form, (c) The free-
response form.