Longman Handbooks for Language Teachers Writing English Language Tests New Edition Consultant editors: Jeremy Harmer and Roy Kingsburycongman Group UK Limited Songun House, Bure Mil Harlow, er CM202IE. England ‘Associated Companies throughout the word blishedin the United tates of America Longman ine..New York Longman Group UK Limited 198 light rezered; no port of ths publication maybe reproduced, sored ina rereual ster, ‘iranamited in any form or by any means, electron, mechanical, photocopying, recording. | athernise, without the prior writen permision of th Publishers. ‘es published 1975, hid impression 1980 ‘RITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA ston, B. ‘Wetting English language tests. - New ed, ~ (Longman handbooks for language teacher) 1 English anguage~ Study and teaching ~ Foreign speakers 2. English language ~ Ability testing i Tite S2g.24005 PELIDB.AD SBN 0-582-00237-0 IBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA featon, J.B. Got Brisn) ‘Wiring English language tests (Longin handbooks fr language teachers) Bibliography p. Includes index 1 English language ~ Study and teaching Foreign speakers. 2. English language ~ Laminations Authorship. 3. Englsh language ~ ABilEy testing. Lie. Ul Seve. SIDR AIH 1988 428076) 873273 in Times Roman ‘oduced by Longman Group (FE) Lid “Inted in Hong Kong Iusrated by David Parkins (CKNOWLEDGEMENTS «are grateful tothe following or permission 1 reproduce copyright materi “ye author, John Bright and the University of Cambridge Loca! Examinations Syndicate for mn extract fiom hs eique on specimen examination questions; Harper & Row Publishers ‘clots able ftom p. 140 ESL Composition Profle” from Teaching ESL Composition by ne B. Hughey, Desnaa R. Wormuth, V. Faye Harteld and Holly L. Jacobs (Newbury “ouse) Copyright © 1983 by Newbury House Publishers tne; che author, Rosalind Hawkins, hie! Examines for UCLES Preliminary English Test andthe University of Cambridge Local Taminations Syndicate for extracts from sample tes materials: Hong Kong Education ‘epurtment for extracts from the Hong Kong Eaglsh School Certieate Examination 1968 othe Hong Kong Secondary Schools Earance Examination 1958; Longman Group UK Lid Seentrats ftom Compostion Through Pltures by. B. Heaton, Studying in English by J. B. {catonané Writing Through Pictures by J.B. Heaton; The author, Anthony Tucker for an {iret from his article in he Guardian Sth September 1969; and Se ollowing examination ‘Sas for permission 1o reproduce questions from past examination papers Joie, {hrculation Board: North West Raponal Examinations Board; The Royal Society of Arts Caminatons Board. University of Cambridge Local Examinations Sypdicate: Unversity of ‘Selord Delegay of Local Examinations andthe Ares Examinations Tus.Contents 4 Introduction to janguage testing 1.1 Testing and teaching 1.2 Why test? 1.3 What should be tested and 10 what standard? 1.4 Testing the language skills LS Testing language areas 1.6 Language skills and language elements, 1.7 Recognition and production L.8 Problems of sampling 1.9 Avoiding traps for the students 2. Approaches to language testing 2:1 Background 2.2 The essay-translation approach 3 The structuralist approach 4 The integrative approach ‘The communicative approach 3. Objective testing 3.1 Subjective and objective testing 3.2 Objective tests 3.3 Multiple-choice items: general 3.4 Multiple-choice items: the stem’ the correct optionjthe distractor 4.5. Writing the test 4 Tests of grammar and usage 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Muhtiple-choice grammar items item types 4.3 Constructing multiple-choice items 4.4 Constructing error-recognition multiple-choice items 10 n 2 4 is 15 15 15 16 9 25 25 26 30 3 M4 o a 37 ) 4.5 Constructing rearrangement items 4.6 Constructing completion items 4.7 Constructing transformation items 4.8 Constructing items involving the changing of words 4.9 Constructing ‘broken senténce’ items 4.10 Constructing pairing and matching items 4.11 Constructing combination and. addition items 5 Testing vocabulary 5.1 Selection of items 5.2. Multiple-choice items (A) 5.3 Multiple-choice items (B) : 54 Sets (associated words) 5.5 Matching items 5.6 More objective items 5.7 Completion items 6 Listening comprehension tests 6.1 General 6.2. Phoneme discrimination tests 6.3 Tests of stress and intonation 6.4 Statements and dialogues 6.5 Testing comprehension through visual matei 6.6 Understanding talks and lectures 7. Oral production tests 7.1 Some difficulties in testing the speaking skills 7.2 Reading aloud 7.3 Conversational exchanges 4l 2 46 49 49 50 31 51 a 58 58 a £2 68 oy n 90