TESTING FOR LANGUAGE

TEACHERS
By David Huỳnh

Day 3 – Vocabulary testing

 Testing Vocabulary

✓ Why?

• Clear knowledge of vocabulary is

essential to the development and
demonstration of linguistic skill.
 Testing Vocabulary

✓ Writing Specifications
• Including all vocabs taught in class.
❑ Course syllabus (Glossary)
❑ Students’ misuse
❑ Teaching & reference materials

• Grading the relative importance.

• Using of the corpus linguistics. (word lists, difficulty & frequency)

Testing Vocabulary
Testing Vocabulary
 Testing Vocabulary

✓ Sampling
• Words can be grouped according to their
frequency and usefulness. Words can be
taken out of these randomly – with more
being selected from groups containing the
more frequent and more useful words.
 Testing Vocabulary

1. Types of vocabulary tests (test techniques)

A. Limited response
B. Multiple – choice completion
C. Multiple – choice paraphrase
D. Simple completion [Words]
 Testing Vocabulary
A. Limited reponse
Requires: <Directed physical response>
• a simple physical action (e.g. pointing)
• or a simple verbal response

Suitability:
• Children
• Beginer-level adults
 Testing Vocabulary
A. Limited reponse
Sub-types:
➢ Individual testing
➢ Group testing
Testing Vocabulary
A. Limited reponse
 Testing Vocabulary
A. Limited reponse
Advantages
• Causes less stress
• Avoids reading and writing
• Scores easily and objectively
Limitations:
• Requires more time
• Creates problems with abstract words
• Creates problems with sketches
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion

A test in which a sentence with a missing

word is presented; students choose one
of four vocabulary items to complete the
sentence.
A passer-by helps the old lady to ___________ the bus.
A. Get in
B. Get on
C. Turn in
D. Turn on
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Requires:
• Students with reading ability.

Steps:
1. Select the words (lexis)
2. Provide the context (stem)
3. Provide distractors (options)
4. Provide clear and simple instructions
5. Pretest (pilot)
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 1: Select the words
❖ Test difficult words
❖ Test passive vocabulary
❖ Test useful words

Notes:
❑ Sources: classroom materials
❑ Content words ONLY (not Function words)
❑ Bias (job, culture, sex, etc.)
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 2: Provide the context
❖ One sentence
❖ Two-line mini-dialogue
❖ A passage (based on candidate’s level)

✓ One sentence:
Tom is a painter. He uses his _________ to create great paintings.
*A. brush B. pencil C. broom D. spoon
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 2: Provide the context
❖ One sentence
❖ Two-line mini-dialogue
❖ A passage (based on candidate’s level)

✓ Two-line mini-dialog
Tom: “I want to paint, too.”
Jack: “All right, use that _______ over there.”
*A. brush B. pencil C. broom D. spoon
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 2: Provide the context
❖ A passage (based on candidate’s level)
People who study biology are called biologists. Biology looks
at how animals and other living things behave and work, and
what they are like. Biology also studies how organisms react
with each other and the environment. It has existed as a
science for about 200 years, and before that it was called
"natural history".

It is an art gallery that _________only on the internet.

*A. exists B. learns C. reacts D. designs
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion

Step 3: Provide distractors

❖ Create own your own

❖ Use student errors
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
1. Have the same form

E.g:
They want to help the ________ old lady cross the street.
(*) A. weak B. slowly C. try D. wisdom
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
2. Give the answer via grammatical cues

E.g:
It’s raining. We need to get an __________ to get to school.
(*) A. umbrella B. watch C. stick D. bag
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
3. Have the same difficulty

E.g:
We needed lots of training to successfully write a _________ test.
(*) A. sophisticated B. easy C. wise D. difficult
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Step 4: Provide clear and simple instructions
Notes:
BE BRIEF + 1 EXAMPLE

E.g:
✓ Circle the letter of the right answers
✓ Circle the letter of the word that best completes each sentence
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion

Step 5: Pretest
• Native speakers
• Non-native speakers with the same level
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Alternative forms of MC completion
1. Definition
2. Phrase completion
3. Phrasal context
4. MC cloze
 Testing Vocabulary
B. MC completion
Advantages
• Helps sts see the full meaning of the word
• Scores easily and objectively
• Provide sensitive measure of achievement
Limitations:
• Create problems with selecting context
• Create opportunities for cheating
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase

A test in which a sentence with one word

underlined is given; students choose which
of four words is the closed in meaning to the
underlined item
You can trust Dave – our teacher, because he is a
dependable person.
A. careless
B. reliable
C. cheerful
D. strict
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Requires:
• Students with reading ability.

Steps:
1. Select the words (lexis)
2. Provide the context (stem)
3. Provide distractors (options)
4. Provide clear and simple instructions
5. Pretest (pilot)
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
1. Relate to the subject.

E.g:
He just hit his shin.
(*) A. leg B. cousin C. fender D. fruit
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
2. Avoid pairing a word of opposite meaning

E.g:
He plans to purchase some toys for his young son.
(*) A. buy B. sell C. steal D. make
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
3. Avoid having the same meaning

E.g:
His remorse was great indeed.
(*) A. sadness B. wealth C. strength D. power
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
4. Avoid having close spelling or pronunciation

E.g:
They crossed the ocean on a liner.
(*) A. vessel B. Sheep C. Streamer D. bolt
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Step 3: Provide distractors
Notes:
5. Avoid having different lengths

E.g:
That student is very unsual, he is a genius.
(*) A. has unusual mental, inventive B. has much money
C. can see the future D. has bad illness
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Alternative forms of MC paraphrase
1. Idioms and other phrases
2. Phrasal context
3. Reading passage context
4. Related-word identification
5. Unrelated-word identification
 Testing Vocabulary
C. MC paraphrase
Advantages
• Provides context easily
• Scores easily and objectively
• Provides sensitive measure of achievement
Limitations:
• Creates problems with selecting synonyms
• Creates opportunities for cheating
 Testing Vocabulary
D. Simple completion (words)

A test in which students write in the missing

part of words that appear in sentences.

You can never trust Nube – our friend, because he is a

______reli______ person.
 Testing Vocabulary
D. Simple completion (words)
Requires:
• Students with word building ability.

Steps:
1. Select the words (lexis with pre/suf-fixes)
2. Provide the context (stem)
3. Provide distractors (options)
4. Provide clear and simple instructions
5. Pretest (pilot)
 Testing Vocabulary
D. Simple completion (words)
Alternative forms of MC completion
1. Stem-first procedure
2. Phrasal context
3. Compound
4. Inflectional cloze
 Testing Vocabulary
D. Simple completion (words)
Advantages
• Relfects teaching approaches
• Creates items faster

Limitations:
• Creates problems with writing items
• Creates problems with providing context
THE END!
Thank You!