Εξώφυλλο

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Contexts

Contexts...................................................................................................................................2
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Reading Comprehension....................................................................................................4
Writing Comprehension.....................................................................................................6
Listening Comprehension..................................................................................................9
Speaking Comprehension.................................................................................................10
References.............................................................................................................................18
Appendix...............................................................................................................................19
Appendix 1........................................................................................................................19
Appendix 2........................................................................................................................19

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Introduction
Assessment is an important part of learning a foreign language, so teachers need to be
trained and familiar with the design and implementation of an English language test.
This work aims to design a test to assess the English language, in terms of the four
skills to master a language, Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing.

The progress assessment test was designed for 6 students aged 14-15 who attend
Greek school and have Greek as their mother tongue. The students have been learning
English for the last 8 years and this year they will try to get the C2 level in the end of
school year exams to check their improvement. According to Hughes (2003), the
course objectives, which were created in accordance with the Michigan examination,
served as the basis for this test's design.

By taking and completing the test, students must:

• Understand the meaning of the texts and be able to answer the questions.

• To be able to understand the meaning of what they hear and answer the questions, in
order to develop the listening ability and the recognition of the meaning of English
words.

• Enrich their vocabulary with new English words and use them in their written and
spoken speech.

• To describe various events and to explain each of their choices, to the questions
asked in the oral speech.

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 Assessment Test
Student: Date:

Class: Grade: /100

Reading Comprehension

Section 1
Time: 30 minutes
Grade: 25

Read the following article about laughter in a newspaper carefully and mark the
number of each blank in the text next to the appropriate phrase in the table below, as
in the example. Of the 10 phrases, 5 will not be used.

Laughter, from a smile to a shaky laugh, is part of our emotional world -----------------
0-------------- -- : Surprisingly, the ones who ignored it, -----------------
1----------------- , were the scientists, who only in the last twenty years agreed to deal
with him.

So what new do scientists have to tell us? In recent years, with the help of advanced
brain imaging methods, ----------------- 2----------------- , scientists have learned a lot
about the physiology of laughter and can explain the "why" of our observations. So
let's take things from the beginning: When and why do we laugh? We laugh, scientists
say, when a stimulus reaches certain areas of the brain. In practice, the stimulus can
be sensory (the tickle), chemical (nitrous oxide has not been called "laughing gas" by
chance), or spiritual (the humor).

Evolutionarily, tickling must have been the first cause of laughter -----------------
3----------------. What causes tickling laughter is the body's reaction to an unusual
sensory stimulus (tickle). But why should laughter be caused by an unusual external
stimulus? Wouldn't it make more sense to cause fear? Scientists argue that
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evolutionarily the laughter ----------------- 4----------------- of the organism in a danger,
was one from expressions of fear created by surprise from an unexpected or
frightening or generally shocking event. The elicitation of the feeling of relief, a
consequence of laughter, remains, even today, one of the reasons why we laugh
----------------- 5------- ---------- . As for the ability of laughter to connect people and
break the ice between them, this is indisputable. There is a person who did not feel
like communicating and knowing him until a few moments ago -----------------
6---------------- or passerby with whom he shared the same laugh?

In addition to the sensory and intellectual, laughter is also caused by chemical

stimulation and, in particular, by the inhalation of nitrous oxide. Although
-----------------7-----------------discovered two centuries ago, only recently have
scientists been able to detect the point of the brain where its action ends: this is the
"limbic system", ----------------- 8------------- ---- of the brain where emotions are
based. By paralyzing the nervous circuit of the "limbic system" the nitric oxide that is
"released" in our brain lowers our inhibitions and makes us laugh at everything. Have
fun, it's good!

Studying people under the influence of nitrous oxide, as well as people who
-----------------9---------------- had lost the ability to perceive jokes or even the ability
to laugh, scientists learned a lot about the physiology of laughter. So we know today
that the "limbic system" is a key point for the "production" of laughter. Regardless of
the type of stimulation, all neural circuits at some point reach the "limbic system"
which "decides" the identity of our laughter (loud, subtle, hilarious). And when
----------------- 10----------------- , laughter takes over the whole body: it is
accompanied by a contraction of the cheekbones muscles (such as we can hardly
imitate, when we pretend to laugh...), the heart rate increases, breathing increases, the
diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract, the skeletal muscles relax and the
sphincters likewise relax.

and characterizes us 0
one of the most primitive regions
we fondly remember a smile-in person
unknown synonym or syntax second

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 or simple muscle contraction
of primitive man
the analgesic and therapeutic ones
properties of laughter
after strokes injuries
his jester action
was born as a reaction
as well as with classical experimentation
the brain processes as a whole
we grow old because we don't laugh
completely and for a long time
the findings of scientists

Writing Comprehension

Section 2
Time: 45 minutes
Grade: 25
Part 1

The lifestyle you follow is based on physical exercise and a careful diet. Your best
friend has also started working out, but doesn't know much about proper diet and
exercise. So you send him/her an email, where you point out the value and benefits of
a healthy diet, but also the positives of physical activity on a daily basis (250-300
words).

BEWARE: if you want to put a name at the end of the speech, don't use your own
name.

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Part 2

You are a senior graduate student in the Communication and Media department of a
major university in your country and have been invited to give a speech on the
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importance of freedom of information at a conference to be held on World Press
Freedom Day (May 3). In your speech, which you will write below, you refer to the
professional values that should govern young journalists today, in the way news is
presented in print and electronic media. (300 words)

BEWARE: if you want to put a name at the end of the speech, don't use your own
name.

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Listening Comprehension
Section 3
Time: 30 minutes
Grade: 25

You will hear an actor read an excerpt of a literary work twice (2). You like what you
hear and take short notes (up to 8 words) as in the example.

0 The big dream of the hero of the short story is

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1 Its main difficulty is

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------.

2 The most important disadvantage of the texts he writes

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----------.

3 His determination to begin the author's work in earnest seems

--------------------------------------------

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-----------------------------.

4 According to Eckerman the success of a book

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-.

5 At the end of Eckerman's two books dominates

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-----.

6 In relation to the hero of the short story himself, Eckerman certainly excels
------------------------------------
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---------------------------------

7 The consolation for the case of the hero of the short story is
-------------------------------------- -------------------------------------.

8 The hero of the short story believes that he will divorce Margarita because he does
not think that ----------------------------------
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---------

9 Margarita doesn't divorce and the hero of the short story is afraid that
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------.

10 From the point of view of the hero of the short story, his relationship with
Margarita

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Speaking Comprehension
Section 4
Time: 30 minutes
Grade: 25
Part 1

You have been to a conference, which is about human rights. During the conference,
you are given a written text summarizing the presentations and the content of the
lectures held at the conference. You should exchange information with your
interlocutor, based on the text and support your views on human rights and argue to
convince your friend of the correctness of your point of view.

Part 2

The following text and image are given. The examinees should, based on this text,
answer questions that I will ask them regarding human rights.

The questions are:

• What are human rights and what is your view?

• What are considered the most important human rights and why?

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 Εικόνα 1. Αγγλικό κείμενο

Explanatory Text

Reading

In this reading exercise, my students are presented with a material appropriate for
their reading level and a task that will help me gauge their level of reading

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comprehension. The major topic, about the laughter is covered in great detail
throughout the narrative. According to CEFR (2001), my students should be able to
read simple texts on themes relating to their field of interest with a good degree of
comprehension. They should also be able to understand the description of events well
enough.

They must also be able to scan lengthy texts for the information they need and extract
it from various places of the document. They are also expected to be able to identify
key passages in texts at this point.

In particular, through the specific activity, with the reading of the text by the students,
they should understand its content and connect it with the phrases that exist as an
exercise, developing their reading skills and understanding of the written word, where
the students reading the text and based on the meaning of the sentences, they should
put the correct phrases in each gap.

Students are actually given a technique to arrange and organize the content in order
for them to eventually understand it by taking this into account. This is due to the fact
that the reading activity's items contain generic statements, which will encourage
students to apply their skimming strategies—quickly reading a text to uncover its
essential points or ideas—and allow me, the teacher, to gauge how successful they
have been. Additionally, the reading exercise emphasizes more precise information.
This procedure enables me to evaluate how my pupils' scanning strategies are
developing as a teacher. In addition to these two techniques, students will also need to
infer meaning from context in order to comprehend the text and its core idea more
fully.

Gap-filling exercises are among the most common and help to understand the text
more easily, through careful reading and comprehension. The gaps in the text as well
as the answer options have been carefully selected so that they can help the students,
while the options are deliberately above to detect the level of the students.

If a student responds incorrectly, the basis of his misunderstanding will be evident

right away, and he can then be "treated" in accordance with that understanding
(Alderson, 2000). To design an activity that will truly aid students in understanding

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and the teacher in evaluating their comprehension, the designer must focus (Alderson,
2000).

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Listening

The recording was produced using an Ideational Framework (Appendix 1). It is

"genuine in nature" and is based on the course syllabus. By using the Framework, I
was able to externalize abstract schemata in a more impromptu manner than by
simply reciting a script since I wanted the recording to have components of
authentic/genuine speech.

So, I visited the KEG page

(https://www.greek-language.gr/certification/sites/greeklanguage.gr.certification/
files/g2_kpl_akoystiko.mp3), where there are exam topics, so that I can create the
content of the recording. I based it on a listening, about an actor, where students have
to complete the sentences, keeping the appropriate information. I recorded the
directions individually and then combined the two audio files into one using the
program "Bearaudio." To make it sound more authentic, I also used sound effects
from a radio program.

The instructions are explicit, straightforward, and written at a lower language level
than the test-takers' to guarantee that they are understood by all test-takers, as
suggested by Brindley (Buck, 2002). I've selected a listening exercise called "Filling
in the Gap" to give my students because it combines listening and speaking with
writing.

Although scoring for these kinds of listening tests is subjective, I anticipate a

particular response for the first four questions. As a result, it involves some selective
listening on the part of my students, who must pick out key details and use their
bottom-up processing skills to recognize numbers, key phrases, and discourse
transitions. In order for test-takers with lower cognitive abilities to encounter the
easier items first, Buck (2002) proposes that the sequence of the items should be from
the easiest to the most challenging.

The element of the test that I found challenging was choosing an acceptable task for
my students and occasionally switching the activity's type. Initially, I had chosen a
"True-False" game, but I modified it to a "Filling the gap" activity, which is a more
difficult work, since I wanted to challenge my students more. I thought that making

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and editing the recordings was tough because it was a little awkward and I had to keep
recording until I discovered the right ones for my students.

Writing

The writing part consists of two parts. In the first part, students have to write an email
to a close friend, where they will record their advice and suggestions for a friend who
has started a diet and does not know the process to follow. Thus, the students should
write a text, with which they will inform him about the benefits of nutrition and
physical exercise and how important it is for our lives. In the next part, the students
will have to write a text in which, as journalists, they will refer to the modern media
used for the transmission of information, their advantages and disadvantages and refer
to the role of the state in relation to the work of young people journalists and their
freedom to express themselves and communicate with the world.

The purpose of this activity is to offer students practice writing personal letters, or in
this case, emails, to share information and express opinions about arbitrary subjects
like the weather. They can also hone their letter-writing skills while doing this by
summarizing their experiences in journalism and diet.

As a result, the overall objective of this exercise is to teach and assess students'
capacity to communicate information and ideas on abstract issues, to verify
information, and to clearly explain problems. I will also evaluate their capacity to
communicate information that is immediately relevant and make the point they
believe to be significant, in accordance with CEFR (2001).

The teacher must exercise caution when creating the writing assignment. Gathering
important data and making judgments that will direct the entire test development
process are required while designing a writing activity (Weigle, 2002). It is crucial to
take into account all test usefulness factors (reliability, construct, validity authenticity,
interactiveness, impact and practicality). Clarity in the activity's instructions, the
criteria for grading, and the general theme should be something that the students are
interested in are requirements for designing a writing task (Kroll & Reid, 1994).

Students are expected to write on what they have already experienced as far as the
writing assignment's subject is concerned. Test takers will thereby become more
interested in the material and do better than they otherwise would. Because of this,
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kids won't need to employ specialized terminology or background information, and
everyone taking the test will have an equal chance to write on the subject with their
classmates.

The challenges that a writing assignment designer may experience have to do with the
expression. Students may write writings that do not fit the goal of the activity if
something is not made plain enough or expressed adequately in the writing prompt.
When teachers give their pupils writing assignments, another issue is that the students
often produce a lot of material that is dense with details but weak in argument (Kroll
& Reid, 1994). As a result, the teacher is unable to evaluate the student's performance
using the same standards that he did for the other test-takers.

Speaking

According to Hughes (2003:23), "communicative language testing [...] [and] gauging

the ability to take part in acts of communication" are important. A communicative
task, according to Nunan (1993:59), is "a piece of classroom work that requires
learners to interpret, manipulate, produce, or engage in the target language while their
attention is primarily focused on meaning rather than form." Speaking is the talent
that is utilized the most, so it is crucial to evaluate it in a situation where it will
actually be used. As a result, they are placed in a position where they must debate the
alternatives for their end-of-year field trip as members of the student council before
deciding where they will travel.

The purpose of this assignment is to have the students create acceptable information
quickly and efficiently by simulating a circumstance that they are familiar with.
Additionally, this is an evaluative activity because the text-takers are required to
provide explanations, arguments, and decisions. This is in line with Brown & Yule's
(1983) differentiation of several sorts of conversational speaking. As a result, they
will demonstrate their functional competence using what the CEFR classifies as
macro-functions, such as comparing and reasoning, and micro-functions, such as
agreeing or disagreeing, recommending, signaling non-understanding, etc.

Making the choice between a single candidate circumstance and a pair task proved to
be difficult. Because in the former situation "the interlocutor begins all aspects of the
encounter and asks the questions, whereas the function of the examinee is to comply

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and answer," the latter was ultimately chosen. However, "participants' rights and
obligations to take the initiative are more fairly balanced in other forms of
interactions, such as discussions or conversations." (Luoma, 2004:35) Additionally,
they will be given a paired work on the day of their FCE exam, so it felt like the best
option.

However, there is a big disadvantage to this kind of work. The attitude,

communication style, and perhaps even language level of the other participant all
have an impact on how the examinees speak, according to Luoma (2004:37). The
worry is that not every exam taker will have an equal chance to demonstrate their
speaking abilities. However, in this instance, the target test-takers are familiar with
one another and have had lots of speaking practice together, so this negative point will
not significantly affect their performance.

I wanted to mention a few things regarding the process before I ended. I'm going to
formally welcome each pair of students, ask them how they are feeling, and
encourage them to unwind a little. I will then go over the work with them and see if
they have any questions. I will then allow them a few minutes to properly consider the
question and come up with an answer. I will then ask them to start their conversation.
If I observe that one student is speaking more than the other, I will inquire of the other
student as to their perception.

Designing a speaking exercise for assessment reasons was challenging since I had to
come up with a topic that was important to each pair and would encourage open
discussion. Nevertheless, I did my best to give my students projects that were suitable
for their requirements.

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Conclusion

In order to test reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities, this project will
create appropriate assignments and modify test materials to reflect the theory.
Additionally, it should demonstrate our capacity to fully explain and defend various
methodological ways to evaluate all four talents. This project was highly beneficial to
us as aspiring EFL teachers because it gave us the chance to practice creating suitable
testing tasks. It had a genuine function, and we trust that our work on it was able to
demonstrate that it was in line with both the project's and the course's goals.

References
Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Brown, G., & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press. Buck, G. (2001). Assessing Listening. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Kroll, B., & Reid, J. (1994). Guidelines for Designing Writing Prompts:
Clarifications, Caveats, and Cautions. Journal of Second Language Writing, pp. 231-
255.

Luoma, S. (2004). Assessing Speaking Skills. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press. Munby, J. (1978). Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge: Cambridge
Univeristy Press. Nunan, D. (1993). Introducing Discourse Analysis. London:
Penguin English.

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Appendix

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Answers of reading

and characterizes us 0
one of the most primitive regions 8
we fondly remember a smile-in person
unknown synonym or syntax second 6
or simple muscle contraction
of primitive man 3
the analgesic and therapeutic ones
properties of laughter
after strokes injuries 9
his jester action 7

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 was born as a reaction 4
as well as with classical experimentation 2
the brain processes as a whole 10
we grow old because we don't laugh
completely and for a long time 1
the findings of scientists
after mental stimulation 5

Answers of listening

0 The big dream of the hero of the short story is: to write a novel

1 Its main difficulty is: the editorial of the first page

2 The most important disadvantage of the texts he writes: is that their end is in sight,
he can foresee it

3 His determination to begin the author's work in earnest seems: from the purchases
he made the furniture and the things he bought

4 According to Eckerman the success of a book: it depends on the author

5 At the end of Eckerman's two books dominates: the liquid element

6 In relation to the hero of the short story himself, Eckerman certainly excels: in style

7 The consolation for the case of the hero of the short story is: his persistence

8 The hero of the short story believes that he will divorce Margarita because he does
not think that: she will divorce her husband

9 Margarita doesn't divorce and the hero of the short story is afraid that: the children
will take the place of her husband

10 From the point of view of the hero of the short story, his relationship with
Margarita: it will not end well

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