Writing and Speaking Tests:-

Presented by:-HOOR UL AIN FATIMA

Roll no:20
Testing and Evaluation
 WRITING TESTS:-

Writing skills:-
The writing skills are complex and sometimes difficult to teach,
requiring mastery not only of grammatical and rhetorical
devices but also of conceptual and judgmental elements.
Five general components or main areas are necessary for
writing good prose. These are:
1-Language use
2-Mechanical skills
3-Treatment of content
4-Stylistic skills
5-Judgement skills
Testing Composition Writing:-
The concern of students following a profession or in business will be
chiefly with report-writing and letter-writing while at college or university
level, they will usually be required to write (technical) reports and papers.
A successful candidate will have passed an examination designed to test
ability to produce selection of the following types of writing:
Basic level: letter , post card , diary entry , forms
Intermediate level: As basic level; plus guide ; set of instructions
Advanced level: As intermediate level plus , newspaper report and notes.
The candidate’s performance will have met the following criteria:
Basic level: no confusing errors of grammar and vocabulary , a piece of
writing legible and reading intelligible , able to produce simple
unsophisticated sentences.
Intermediate level: Accurate grammar , vocabulary and
spelling though possibly with some mistakes which do not
destroy communication , handwriting generally legible ,
expression clear and appropriate , using a fair range of
language , able to link themes and points coherently.
Advanced level: Extremely high standards of grammar ,
vocabulary and spelling , easily legible handwriting , no
obvious limitations on range of language candidate is able
to use accurately and appropriately , ability to produce
organised , coherent writing , displaying considerable
sophistication.
Once the students are ready to write free compositions
on carefully chosen realistic topics , then composition
writing can be a useful testing tool. It provides the
students with an opportunity to demonstrate their
ability to organise language material , using their own
words and ideas and to communicate. In this way,
composition tests provides a degree of motivation
which many objective-type tests fail to provide.
Setting the Composition:-
In addition to providing the necessary stimulus and information required
for writing, a good topic for composition determines the register and style
to be used in the writing task by presenting the students with a specific
situation and context in which to write. Since it is easier to compare
different performances when the writing task is determined more exactly,
it is possible to obtain greater degree of reliability in the scoring of
compositions based on specific situations.
Such composition tests have an excellent backwash effect on the teaching
and learning preparatory to the examination.
Difficulty in such composition arises in the writing of rubrics. If the
composition is too long then text becomes more of a reading
comprehension . On the other hand, however, sufficient information
must be conveyed by rubric in order to provide a realistic , helpful basis
for composition.
SITUATIONAL COMPOSITION:-
The following are provided as examples of situational
compositions intended to be used in tests of writing:
Type 1:-
Type 2:-
Type 3:-
Type 4:-
Type 5:-
Type 6:-
Grading the Composition:-
Markers may award their marks on:
What a student has written.
What the believe the student meant by what he or she
wrote.
Handwriting and general appearance of what the
student has written.
Previous knowledge of the student.
Two markers may differ enormously in respect of
spread of marks , strictness and rank order.
Compositions may be scored according to one of two
methods:-
The Impression Method:-
This method of marking entails one or more markers
awarding a single mark(=multiple marking) based on the
total impression of composition as a whole .
Three or four markers score each paper , marks being
combined or averaged out to reveal the testee’s score.
The Analytic Method:-
This method depends on a marking scheme carefully
drawn up by the examiner or body of examiners. It
consists of an attempt to separate the various features of a
composition for scoring purposes.
These features include grammar , vocabulary , mechanics
, fluency and relevance.
Mechanical accuracy or Error-count Method:-
Although this is the most objective of all method of
scoring , it is the least valid and is not recommended.
The procedure consists of counting the errors made by
each testee and deducting the number from a given
total. For Example, a testee may lose upto 10 marks for
grammatical errors, 5 for misuse of words , 5 for
misspellings etc.
Treatment of written errors:-
Native-speaking teachers evaluated written work by the number and types of
errors it contained.
Non-native speaking teachers of language however penalised students for
what they consider basic errors e.g (He go) and were generally far stricter in
their attitude to errors .
Two types of errors are:
Local Errors:-
Those errors which cause only minor trouble and confusion in a particular
clause or sentence without hindering the reader’s comprehension of the
sentence .
Local errors include:
Misuse of articles
Omission of prepositions
Lack of agreement between subject and verb
Global Errors:-
Those errors which involve the overall structure of
sentence and result in misunderstanding or even failure
to understand the message which is being conveyed.
The errors include:
Misuse of connectives(e.g Although the train arrived
late , we missed the last bus to the city center).
Misuse and unnecessary insertion of relative pronouns
(e.g You should try to be as healthy as a girl arrived on
the bicycle a short time ago).
The tests writer’s attitude to error gravity and approach
to treating errors in making free writing will vary
according to the student’s level of attainment.
Objective test Mechanics:-
(punctuation)
Type 1:
In the following passage there is no punctuation mark
Write out passage putting all punctuation mark and
capital letters.
lend me your pen peter asked
After punctuation:
“Lend me your pen’’, Peter asked.
Type 2:
Using multiple-choice technique:
Spelling:-
Type 3:- Completion items:
It enable students to know exactly which word is
required .
Write one or more letters in each of the spaces in the
following words (the definitions will help you to
recognize the following word)
1- om s n (something left out)
2- di uade(persuade something not to do something)
3-o u ing (happening , take place)
Objective tests:-
Style and register:
Style:
The multiple-choice items below are concerned with
student’s sensitivity to style.
Example;
1-Some of the reviews were favourable to the new play
A. and as many were unfavourable.
B. although others of the same amount were
unfavuorable.
C. while an equal number were unfavourable.
D. but the same number were unfavourable.
Register:-
The use of correct register denotes the ability to write for a specific
purpose with a specific audience in mind.
Matching tests are well suited for registers , such tests can be
constructed both at word level or sentence level.
Word level:
The students are instructed to match each word in list A with word
in list B .
List A List B

entrain boss
Commence hospitalise
kid expire
Controlled Writing:-
Controlling students freedom of expression in writing
increase the reliability of scoring .
Type 1:
 Students are given small extract of short reading task
and then required to write a similar paragrapgh using
the notes to be given.
Type 2:
There are also several methods of practising or
measuring the ability to link sentences involving sub-
ordinating and coordinating conjunctions.
Example:
Each Olympic games opens. (before)
An athlete appears.
SPEAKING TESTS
Some difficulties in testing the speaking skills:-
1-Since listening and speaking skills are interdependent ,
we have to listen and understand at the same time.
The examiner have to make subjective judgements at the
same time as quickly as possible.
It is impossible without a tape recorder to mark the
composition. Through tape recorder , examiners are able
to check back and able to assess the composition at
leisure but tape recorder can not provide the full context
of actual situation.
2-Administration is another difficulty in testing oral
production. It is impossible to test large number of
students because of the limited time involved.
Language laboratories has made it possible to
administer more reliable oral production tests to large
number of students.
Reading aloud:-
Tests involving reading aloud are generally used when
it is used to assess pronunciation as distinct from the
total speaking skills.
Retelling of short story by student can assess
phonological elements which are otherwise tested by
reading aloud.
Conversational exchanges:-
Using pictures for assessing oral
production:-
The students are given a picture to study for a few
minutes they are then required to describe a picture in a
give time. The score is thus obtained on the basis of
number of words spoken and the errors made. Separate
scores for fluency , grammar , vocabulary , phonology ,
and accuracy of description/narration are far better.
Different styles and registers can be tested by including
maps and diagrams as well as pictures for comparison ,
instructions , descriptions and narrations.
Oral interview:-
For oral interview , examination situations is placed
between students regardless of real natural speech
situation.
Some interviewers get confused because of
psychological pressure so interviewers put student t
ease and score the interviewer and sit at the back of
room and score it on the basis of grammar vocabulary
and fluency of target language.
Some other techniques of oral examining:-
Short-talk:-
Students are required to prepare a short talk on given
topic . The questions must be asked by examiner or
group of students but examiner put the students at
ease and it is difficult method of examining learners of
target language at advanced stage.
Subjects about which individual students knows very
little should be avoided.
Group discussion and role playing:-
To check whether students use target language or
native language.
Both group discussions and role plays are best
assessed if they are included as part of language
programme rather than as a forma test .
Conclusion:-
A comprehensive and balanced examination of oral
production might thus consist of:
An oral interview involving two students
A short problem solving-activity involving the
comparison or sequencing of pictures.
A longer activity comprising group discussion or role
play.