Discrete-Point Test

“Discrete”
“Individually separate and distinct and
indipendent”
-Oxford Dictionary
 What is discrete point?

Language can be broken down into its

component parts and those parts can be
tested successfully.
All those components are the four
language skills of listening, speaking,
reading and writing.
Discrete point tests are made up of test
questions each of which is meant to
measure one content point.
 Examples
• Examples of Discrete point test are:
• 1. Phoneme recognition.
• 2. Yes/No, True/ False answers.
• 3. Spelling.
• 4. Word completion.
• 5. Grammar items.
• 6. Multiple choice tests.
 Advantages
• It is parallel with KSSR.
• They yield data which is easily quantifiable.
• The counting of bits - If language performance is
to be described by means of numerical scores,
discrete-point testing is helpful.
• The tasks are unambiguous, the marking
introduces no element of capriciousness and a
person's final score is clear for all to see. Discrete-
point tests can be accurately and objectively
marked even by mechanical scanning methods.
 Down Sides
• They take language out of context and
usually bear no relationship to the concept or
use of whole language.
• Discrete point test met with some criticism,
particularly in the view of more recent trends
toward viewing the units of language and its
communicative nature and purpose, and
viewing language as the arithmetic sum of
all its parts.
• That is why John Oller (1976) introduced
“INTEGRATIVE TESTING”
Communicative Language Testing
 Introduction
• A systematic testing component is an essential
part of every language program and is used to
measure:
• language proficiency
• placement
• diagnosis
• progress
• and achievement.
• A systematic testing component also provides:
• feedback for the program evaluator(s),
• washback information for teachers and students,
• and motivational implications for all concerned
 Definition
• Communicative language testing is intended to
provide the tester with information about the
testee’s ability to perform in the target language
in certain context-specific tasks.
• It has to be recognised that given the constraints
of time and practicality, only a small sample of
the testee’s language can be collected, and that
however realistic the tasks may be intended to be,
the testee’s performance will inevitably reflect the
fact that s/he was performing under test
conditions.
 Characteristics (Brown, 2005):
meaningful communication
 authentic situation
 unpredictable language input
 creative language output
integrated language skills
 Examples

Listening and Speaking

Reading
 Listening & Speaking
• The activities that involve speakers in using
language for the purpose of achieving a
particular goal or objective in a particular
speaking situation.
 Role Play
• Student
You missed class yesterday. Go to the teacher's office
and apologize for having missed the class. Ask for the
handout from the class. Find out what the homework
was.
• Examiner
You are a teacher. A student who missed your class
yesterday comes to your office. Accept her/his apology,
but emphasize the importance of attending classes.
You do not have any extra handouts from the class, so
suggest that she/he copy one from a friend. Tell
her/him what the homework was.
 Interviews
• The teacher will give a role to the students as Job
interviewer who want to get a job in job interview, and a
teacher acts as someone who wants to interview them.
• For example;
• Interview:
• • Teacher: Tell me about yourself?
• • Students: ……………………………….
• • Teacher: what is your strength?
• • Student : …………………………………..
• • Teacher: can you work in team?
• • Etc.
 Writing Skills
Some tests combine reading and writing in
communicative situations. Testees can be
given a task in which they are presented with
instructions to write a letter, memo, summary,
etc., answering certain questions, based on
information that they are given.
 Bussiness Letter
• Read the letter from the customer and the statement
of the company policy about returns and repairs below
and write a formal business letter to the customer.
• Situation
Your boss has received a letter from a customer
complaining about problems with a coffee maker that
he bought six months ago. Your boss has instructed you
to check the company policy on returns and repairs
and reply to the letter.
•
Communicative Test and Open-
Ended Questions
 Communicative Testing:
Common Questions from Teachers
• If we focus more on speaking and listening,
how can students do a written exam?
• How can we test students´ speaking ability?
• How can a test be communicative if it is
an individual task?
Let´s discover the answers!
Asking the Correct Questions
• First, we must learn how to change the
kind of questions we ask our students.
• We must focus more on WHY and HOW
questions which make students explain
things and give their opinions.
• Finally, we must believe that many
possible answers are correct.
Open-ended v. Close-ended Questions
• An OPEN question has more than one possible
answer
Ex: Why did you like the story?

• A CLOSED question has only one correct answer

Ex: What was the name of the man in the story?

Which one is more communicative? Why?

 Let´s Compare
• Closed (BAD) • Open (GOOD)
Question: Question:
What was the name Why did you like the
of the man in the story?
story? Answer:
Answer: I liked the story
David. because…
Result: Result:
All students´ All students answers
answers are the should be different.
same. There is only There are many
one correct answer. correct answers.
Let´s practice: Make this closed question into an
open question
1. The vocabulary term "side effect" of a
medication:
a) refers to any action of a medication in the
body other than the one the doctor wanted
it to have.
b) is the chain effect of a medication.
c) additionally benefits the medication.
 This is an OPEN question:
1. Briefly describe a time when you or someone
you know experienced a “side effect” of a
medication.

This question is better than the original

because each students´ answer will be
different.
Let´s practice: Make this closed question into an
open question

2. The singular simple past tense of the verb “to

be” = “was” True or False?
 This is an OPEN question:
2. Write a sentence using the singular simple
past tense of “to be”.

This question is better than the original

because all students will create unique
sentences, proving they understand the
grammar rule.
Let´s practice: Make this closed question into an
open question

3. Add correct punctuation to the end of these

sentences or phrases:
Congratulations __
I was born in 1980 __
What is your name __
 This is an OPEN question:
3. Give an example of an exclamatory,
declaratory and interrogatory sentence.

This question is better than the original

because it forces students to think of their
own examples, or create language.
Open, Communicative Questions
 These questions produce very
different, original answers from each
student and make it more difficult for
students to copy each other.

 The answers will let a teacher see if a

student truly understands the topic
and if he or she has learned
something.
 Let´s Make Test Questions!
• Now we will practice making OPEN questions for an
exam.
• We will use the same text for all exam questions.
• Our exam includes questions for:
– Reading
– Writing
– Listening
– Speaking
 Reading Tests
• Students can read the same text
• Students can read different texts
• Students can read something ¨real¨
(advertisement, newspaper,
magazine, menu, map, bus
schedule…)
• Students can prepare their reading
test at home
 Open Questions for Reading
• Read the text.
• In groups, discuss what you want to ask
students about the text.
• Write ONE open, communicative exam
question about the text for students to
answer.
Sample Reading Question and Answer
• How did you feel when you read the story?
Why?

• I felt sad because they lost their house. I was

scared because fires are dangerous.
 Writing Tests
• Students can answer text-based
questions
• Students can answer free-response
questions
• Students can write a composition,
letter, diary, story…
• A writing test can be done at home
 Open Questions for Writing
• Read the same text again.
• In groups, discuss what you want the students
to write about.
• Make ONE open, communicative test question
for students to answer in writing.
 Listening Tests
• Students can listen to a tape, CD,
music, radio, Internet, or a movie
• Students can listen to the voice of
the teacher
• Students can listen to each other
Open Questions for Listening
• Read the text again.
• In groups, decide how you want to
present this text (for example, on a
CD, teacher reads it, students read
it to each other…)
• Make ONE open, communicative
test question for listening to this
text
Sample Listening Question and Answer
• Listen to your partner read the story aloud. Write 3
things you remember from listening to the story.

• 1. Two families had fires in their houses.

2. There were two children, a boy and a girl.
3. Mr. Eastwood is a taxi driver.
 Speaking Tests
• Students can speak to the teacher
• Students can speak to each other
• Students can record their voices
 Open Questions for Speaking
• Read the text once more.
• In groups, discuss how the students will speak
(to the teacher, with each other, record their
voices…)
• Make ONE open, communicative test question
for students to answer orally.
Sample Speaking Question and Answer
• Please tell the class 1 important thing we can
do to prevent a fire in our homes.

• To prevent a fire, we can always remember to

turn off the gas when we finish cooking.
Final Comments

• Communicative exams feature

OPEN, not closed questions.
• Open questions usually ask WHY or
HOW and require original, unique
answers from students.
• Open answers are more difficult to
copy, but they are also more
difficult to correct!