Testing and its application in reading

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Department of Foreign Languages ~m~ GRADUATION PAPER -I I TESTING AND ITS APPLICATION IN READING ~ ? Advisor: Ms LE THV THUY , Student: PH~M TRANG KIEV NGA Student's number: 0171335 TV DQi HQc HulIi! Class: SA 0101 1111111111111111111111111111 101000443 July, 2005 ~ HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INFORMATION Department TECHNOLOGY of Foreign Languages ~W~ GRADUATION PAPER TESTING AND ITS APPLICATION IN READING A ? Advisor: Ms LE THU THUY Student: PH~M TRANG KIEV NGA Student's July, 2005 number: 0171335 -, .: Advisor's comments .: Examiner's comments ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to my family members, especially my beloved parents, who have given me spiritual as well as financial support for me to finish this study My heartfelt thanks should also go to Ms Le Thu ThUy, my advisor, whose thoughtful, patient guidance, and invaluable advice have helped me perfect my research paper In addition, I would like to thank the staff of the School of Foreign Languages in HUFLIT, particularly to Mr Vii Qu6c Anh, for his constant advice and encouragement Last, but far from least, I am truly grateful to my close friend, Mr B6 Xuan Hi~p Hardly would I have completed this research paper if it had not been for his assistance and support TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i TABLE OF CONTENTS ii ABSTRACT iv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPETR THREE: TYPES OF TEST 3.1 Diagnostic test 3.2 Placement or entry test 10 3.3 Achievement test 11 3.4 Aptitude test 13 3.5 Proficiency test 13 CHAPTER FOUR: DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEST ITEM 15 APPLIED IN READING 4.1 Multiple-choice appropriate responses 16 4.2 True-false or alternative response items 21 4.3 Open-ended questions 22 ii J 4.4 Information transfer 24 4.5 Cloze tests 24 CHAPTER FIVE: SOME COMMON QUESTION TYPES 26 APPLIED IN THE READING TESTS 5.1 Vocabulary-in-context questions 26 5.2 Factual questions and scanning questions 28 5.3 Inference questions 3I 5.4 Overview questions 34 5.5 Reference questions 40 5.6 How to prepare an effective test to check students' comprehension 42 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION 44 BIBLIOGRAPHY III ABSTRACT Tests have always asserted their significant role in education because they are one of the most efficient types of measurement that can reflect teachers' competence and students' progress Based on the information collected from a test, teachers can have an accurate diagnosis of their students' strengths and weaknesses so that they can decide on proper courses of instruction Nonetheless, it seems that not all teachers are able to design effective tests so as to assess their students appropriately The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the tests and testing systems in education and to study the strengths and weaknesses of some types of tests and test items through which we can learn some methods and techniques of designing tests to check students' reading comprehension Because tests contribute largely to the students' success, it is very important that we should grasp some basic principles of test construction so that we can design valid and reliable tests for our future students iv Advisor: Le Thu Thuy Student: Phc;m Trang Ki~u Nga CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The need for an accurate assessment of learners' knowledge and ability always takes a central part in any instructional program To attain this goal, various kinds of measurements have been applied, among which tests appear to be the most effective and preferable ones A test, as its name suggests, is a tool used to examine the knowledge and ability of an individual in a certain aspect In educational institutions, tests are utilized with the purpose of determining how much the learners have progressed Because of their special functions, designing tests requires a great deal of knowledge and skills from teachers In fact, tests are of extreme significance to both teachers and learners A teacher, as a guider, an instructor, and an evaluator, always finds it a necessity to have a profound understanding of his students' learning outcome For this reason, tests have been reckoned as an efficient assistant of teachers, since they provide the information about the students' progress and the teachers' competence in teaching As for students, tests offer them an opportunity to take their learning seriously, to selfevaluation, and to set and attain goals for themselves Moreover, a test can also be an inspiration that spurs students to work harder in order to obtain better results Being aware of the role of tests is vital, but being capable of creating an effective and fair test is even more important Unfortunately, many teachers still feel very confused and even frustrated when designing tests It is due to the fact that most of them have Testing and Its Application in Reading Advisor: Le Thu Thily Student: Phe;rnTrang Ki~u Nga considered the most difficult one in comparison with the others, since it calls for a good combination of skills from candidates, such as the ability to recognize opinions and viewpoints, to interpret information_and most important of all_to make inference Inference questions may be phrased in a number of ways, in which infer or imply are the two words that are frequently used in different forms to build questions ,/ Sample questions - Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? - It can be inferred from the passage that - The author implies that - Which of the following does the passage imply? - Which of the following would be the most reasonable about ? - It is probable that Like many other types, inference questions can be designed in various forms, but the two most commonly used are in multiple-choice and true-false items Example Pigeons have been taught to recognize human facial expressions, upsetting long- held beliefs that only humans had evolved the sophisticated nervous systems to perform such a feat In recent experiments at the University of Iowa, eight trained pigeons were shown photographs of people displaying emotions of happiness, anger, surprise, and disgust The birds learned to distinguish between these expressions Not only that, but they were also able to correctly identifY the same expressions on photographs of unfamiliar faces Their achievement does not suggest, of course, that the pigeons had any idea what the human expressions meant Testing and Its Application in Reading 32 Student: Ph(lm Trang Ki~u Nga Advisor: U Thu Thuy Some psychologists expressions capable have theorized to human communication, of recognizing that because humans subtle expressions of the developed The pigeons importance special of facial nervous systems cast doubt on that idea, however In fact, the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotions is not necessarily innate even in human babies but may have to be learned in much the same way pigeons In experiments conducted several years ago at the University of Iowa, it was found that pigeons organize images of things into the same logical categories that humans None of this work would come as any surprise to Charles Darwin, who long ago wrote about the continuity of mental development from animals to humans A Multiple-choice appropriate responses From the passage, which of the following can be inferred about pigeons? A They can show the same emotions as humans B They can understand human emotions C They can only identifY the expressions of people they are familiar with ¥'D They have more sophisticated nervous systems than was once thought If Charles Darwin could have seen the results of this experiment, his most probable response would have been a(n) _ A rejection B surprise ¥' C agreement Testing and Its Application in Reading 33 Advisor: Le Thu Thily Student: Ph(,lm Trang Ki~u Nga D amusement B True-false items The results of recent experiments show that pigeons can understand human emotions (F) The experiments conducted several years ago at the university of Iowa proved that pigeons were not the only kind of animal with the ability to recognize facial expressions (NI) If Charles Darwin could have seen the results of this experiment, his most probable response would have been an agreement (T) 5.4 Overview questions After almost every passage, the first question is usually an overview question to determine whether the readers have grasped the general idea of what the passage is mainly about There are three main kinds of overview questions They are main idea questions, main purpose questions, and attitude questions * The first kind is main idea questions The objective of this question type is to ask test-takers to identify the central thought in the reading text To attain success in these questions, students should skim the text, while trying to ignore supporting ideas that distract them from the main point implied in the passage Correct answers, therefore, should be brief, concise, and must carry the message of the text Testing and Its Application in Reading 34 Advisor: Le Thu Thuy Student: Phgm Trang Ki~u Nga ,/ Sample questions - What is the main idea of the passage? - The primary idea of the passage is - Which of the following best summarizes the author's main idea? Main idea questions can be of different forms, but the most common one is multiplechoice appropriate responses Example In the western third of North America, the convoluted folds of the earth's surface and its fractured geologic structure tend to absorb the seismic energy of an earthquake Even if an earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale struck Los Angeles, itsforce would fade by the time it reached San Francisco, some 400 miles away But in the eastern two thirds of the continent the same energy travels more easily The earthquake that struck New Madrid, Missouri, in 1811, estimated at on the Richter scale, shook Washington, D.C., about 800 miles away, and was felt as far as Boston and Toronto Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage? A If major earthquake strikes Los Angeles, it will probably damage san Francisco as well B The New Madrid earthquake of 1811 was felt in Boston and Toronto C The geology of the western United states is much more complex than that of the East ""D Earthquakes travel farther in the east than in the West Testing and Its Application in Reading 35 Advisor: U Thll Thiiy * Student: PhfJrn Trang Ki~lI Nga The second kind of overview questions is main purpose questions As the name says, this type asks why an author wrote the passage To find out the answers, testtakers must use the same technique as they with the main idea questions, that is having the general view of the reading text and eliminating unimportant details Like other question types, it also makes use of some familiar sample questions and sample answer choices Specifically, the answer choices for these questions usually begin with an infinitive v' Sample questions - The author's purpose in writing this passage is - What was the author's main purpose when he wrote this passage? - Why did the author write this passage? v' Sample answer choices In this passage, the author wants _ - to define - to relate - to discuss - to propose - to support the idea that -to distinguish between and _ Example American folk music originated with ordinary people at a time when the rural population was isolated and music was not yet spread by radio, records, or music videos It was transmitted by oral tradition and is noted for its energy, humor, and Testing and Its Application in Reading 36 Advisor: Le Thu Thuy Student: Ph(lnz Trang Ki~u Nga emotional impact The major source of early American folk songs was music from the British Isles, but songs from Africa as well as songs of the American Indians have a significant part in its heritage Later settlers from other countries also contributed songs In the nineteenth century, composer Steven Foster wrote some of the most enduringly popular of all American songs, which soon became part of the folk tradition Beginning in the 1930s, Woody Guthrie gained great popularity by adapting traditional melodies and lyrics and supplying new ones as well In the 1950s and 1960s, singer-composers such as Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez continued this tradition by creating " urban" folk music Many of these songs dealt with important social issues, such as racial integration and the war in Vietnam I The main purpose of the passage is to _ ,/ A trace the development of Americanfolk music B explain the oral tradition C contrast the styles offolk musicians D point out the influence of social issues on "urban" folk music Although it is the initial question about a passage, an overview question should be answered only after test-takers have done the other questions That is because the process of answering the detail questions may supply readers a clearer view of the main idea, or main purpose of the passage As their goal is to assess the ability to catch the general view, the correct answers must be those that exactly summarize the main points of the text Moreover, "They must be more general than any of the supporting ideas or details, but not so general that they include ideas outside the scope of the passages."(Rogers, 2004: 291) Testing and Its Application in Reading 37 Student: Phgm Trang Ki~u Nga Advisor: U Thu Thuy * The third type is often referred to as attitude questions Attitude questions ask test- takers to determine the author's opinions and emotions about the topic through the language he or she uses in writing the passage Therefore, to deal with these questions, readers should look for the vocabulary that indicates whether the author's feelings are positive, negative, or neutral ./ Sample questions - What is the author's attitude toward - The author's opinion of is best described as - The author's attitude toward could best be described as one of - How would the author probably feel about Answers to these questions are often nouns or adjectives expressing emotions / Sample answer choices - optimistic - displeasure - amused - admiration - pleased - compassion - pessimistic - respect - humorous - amazement Example The dancer Isadora Duncan was a daring, dynamic innovator in dance While she was not very successful in teaching her highly personal style of dance to others, she taught a generation of dancers to trust their own forms of expression She rebelled against the rigid, formal style of classical ballet Inspired by the art of Greece, she Testing and Its Application in Reading 38 Advisor: U Thu Thiiy Student: Phgm Trang Kdu Nga usually danced barefoot in a loose, flowing Greek tunic She found fUrther inspiration in nature and used dance movement to mirror the waves of the seas and passing clouds Isadora Duncan was born in San Francisco in 1878 She gave her first performance in 1899 Early failures gave way to triumphant performances in Budapest, Berlin, London, and in 1908, back in the United States She lived in Europe most of her life, establishing dancing schools for children there She died in 1927 near Nice, France, in a freak accident, her long scarf being caught in the wheel of an open sports car in which she was riding A Multiple-choice appropriate responses The author's attitude toward Isadora Duncan could be described as one of _ A displeasure '/B admiration C compassion D amazement B True-false items The author's attitude toward Isadora Duncan could be described as one of amazement (F) Testing and Its Application in Reading 39 Advisor: Le Thu Thlly Student: Ph£!rnTrang Ki~u Nga 5.5 Reference questions Reference questions ask test-takers to determine what a noun_which is called the referent_a pronoun, or some other expression refers to Some learners may assume that the pronoun always replaces the noun preceding it; however, in many situations, the correct answer is not usually the noun that is closest to the pronoun in the passage Distractors of this type are usually other nouns that are used in the passage In case learners are unsure of the correct answer, it is recommended that they substitute the four alternatives for the word that is being asked about, and then select the most logical substitution Since this type does not require test-takers much skill, except for a little carefulness, most of them find reference questions the easiest type of reading questions V Sample questions - The word in line - The word in line - The word in line - What does the word refers to is a reference to the refers to which of the following ? in line refers to? Multiple-choice and true-false are the most commonly used items in this question type Example There is a poisonous, plant-like animal called the anemone that lives among coral reeft When smalljish venture too close to the tentacles of these "living flowers, " they are stung and eaten For unknown reasons, the anemone makes an exception of the Testing and Its Application in Reading 40 Advisor: Le Thu ThUy Student: Phgln Trang Ki~u Nga clownjish, which swims through its deadly tentacles in safety When in danger, the clownjish dashes among the anemone's tentacles where other fish are afraid to follow The clownfish even builds its nest where the anemone can protect it A Multiple-choice appropriate responses I The word "they" in line refers to _ A coral reefs '/B small fish C tentacles D.jlowers "It" in line is a reference to the word _ A clownfish '/B nest C anemone D exception C True-false items I The word "they" in line refers to "small fish " (T) The word "it" in line is a reference to the clownfish Testing and Its Application in Reading (F) 41 Student: Phgm Trang Ki~u Nga Advisor: U Thu Thuy 5.6 How to prepare an effective test to check students' comprehension In order to prepare a test that can effectively assess student' comprehension, teachers should answer the following questions first: - Why you want to hold this test? - What is to be tested? - What type of test should be made? - What are the areas of difficulties? - What errors can you predict? Whatever kinds of instrument are used, and no matter how they are conducted, all of the measurements should possess certain characteristics Three of the most essential ones are validity, reliability, and usability First, a test should be valid to the extent that it actually tests what it is supposed to test In other words, validity reflects how well a test measures what it is intended to (http://www.a2zpsychology.com/articles/importanceoftestinginpsychology.htm) For instance, a test in reading comprehension is considered to be valid if it is concentrated exactly and only on that aspect If teachers allow too little time for reading or ask students to write long answers, or deduct marks for grammatical mistakes, the test will certainly lose its validity As Gronlund (1981 :55) puts it "Validity refers to the appropriateness of the interpretation made from test scores and other evaluation results with regard to a particular use." Testing and Its Application in Reading 42 Advisor: Le Thu Thuy Student: Phlfm Trang Ki~u Nga We shall take an example for the illustration of this point If teachers are to predict students' success in some future activity, their interpretations should be based on an accurate estimate of future success In general, validity is often involved in the specific use of the results and the soundness of teachers' proposed interpretations Reliability-A test is considered highly reliable when it produces the same results under the same circumstances Consequently, when two persons of equal ability the same test, or if the same person does it twice at different times, the results must be very similar In other situations, a test may be given to the same group several times If the results received are alike, the test is considered a reliable one Similarly, Gronlund (1981: 86) says that aside from validity, reliability is the most significant characteristic of evaluation results Reliability serves two basic functions: first, it provides the consistency that makes validity possible; second, it demonstrates how much confidence teachers can place in their measurement As a result, the more consistent the test results are from one measurement to another, the greater the reliability is In addition to these two characteristics, a test must also be usable or practical; that is, it should meet some practical requirements Tests are evaluated as usable if they not cost too much time and money to make, or if the results are easy to interpret (http://www.a2zpsychology.com/articles/importanceoftestinginpsychology.htm) According to Gronlund (1981: 57), usability of tests means economical in terms of time and money, easily administered and scored, and producing results that can be accurately interpreted Testing and Its Application in Reading 43 Advisor: U Thu Thuy Student: Phr;JmTrang Ki~u Nga CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION We have looked at some of the general principles of testing and have discussed a number of test items It is certain that a test, as an instrument to measure students' ability, is an essential part of the whole process of teaching Via tests, teachers are supplied with updated information about the learning outcome of their students Besides, a test is also a means used to determine how successful a teacher has been in his job and how effective the whole system has been at improving students' learning ability Most important of all, a well-designed test enables teachers to diagnose what barrier is most encountered by the students so that proper methodology can be adopted This study implies that teachers, especially prospective teachers need to be aware of the significant role of tests and to have sufficient knowledge about how to design tests Moreover, it is recommended that teachers follow the fundamental principles concerning testing and assessment For example, they should construct test items with clear directions, avoid using too difficult vocabulary and sentence structures, and have a logical arrangement of test items, and so on In brief, testing IS an indispensable component in the educational program, and designing an effective test requires teachers so much skill and knowledge Therefore, every teacher needs to have a thorough understanding of tests and the testing system so that they can make use of the function of tests Testing and Its Application in Reading 44 BIBLIOGRAPHY Brown, H (1994) Teaching by Principles, The U.S.A: Prentice Hall Regents Doff, A (1995) Teach English, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press Gronlund, N (1981) Measurement and Evaluation in Teaching, The U.S.A: Macmillan Publishing Company Harmer, J (1998) How to Teach English, Spain: Graficas Estella Harris, M., & McCann, P (1994) Assessment, The U.K.: Macmillan Publishers Pyle, M., & Munoz, M (1986) TOEFL Preparation Guide, The U.S.A Rogers, B (2004) TOEFL CBT Success (Translated and annotated by Le Huy Lam), Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House Sahanaya, W., Lindeck, J., & Stewart, R (1998) fELTS Preparation and Practice, Australia: Oxford University Press Scovell, D., Paste lias, Y., & Knobel, M (2004) fELTS Academic Module, Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House Sesnan, B (2001) How to Teach English, New York: Oxford University Press Sullivan, P., Zhong, Macmillan G., & Brenner, G (2000) TOEFL 2001 Edition, New York: l , * Internet: Irena and Nijole http://www.kalbos.lt/txt/4/12.htm [accessed May 2005] http://www.a2zpsychology.com/articles/importanceoftestinginpsychology.htm [accessed May 2005]