10. I. ESSAY-TRANSLATION APPROACH
M. PAZHOUHESH KHAYYAM UNIVERSITY 10
A. Background
1. It is also called pre-scientific / intuitive stage
No requirement for testing skills was required
Tests relied on subjective/ intuitive judgment of teacher
Teachers were untrained in testing
B. Characteristics of intuitive Tests
1. Tests were mainly subjective which required
Labeling parts of a sentence
Memorizing lists of language patterns
1. Tests demanded abundant writing
2. Tests relied on knowledge of grammar and analysis
11. I. ESSAY-TRANSLATION APPROACH
M. PAZHOUHESH KHAYYAM UNIVERSITY 11
1. Tests were heavily loaded with literary content
2. The test structure were mostly open-ended items of
• Reading comprehension
• Essay writing
• Dictation
• Precise
• Translation
12. II. STRUCTURALIST APPROACH
M. PAZHOUHESH KHAYYAM UNIVERSITY 12
A. Background
It is also called discrete-point stage
Application of psychometric principles is dominant
Teachers are required to be trained in linguistics &
measurement principles
Development of objective items is advocated
The approach is rooted in structuralism & behaviorism
13. II. SRTUCTURALIST APPROACH
M. PAZHOUHESH KHAYYAM UNIVERSITY 13
B. Characteristics of DP Tests
Language abilities are tested through subtests
Language skills are cut up into discrete points for testing
Each item is to measure one language point each time
Language is divided into (sub)skills & components
DP Tests should be highly reliable & objective
DP tests are mostly
decontextualized
in multiple-choice format
appropriate for diagnostic purposes
quantifiable in terms of results
14. Language Skills and ComponentsLanguage Skills and Components
componentscomponents
Language skillsLanguage skills
ListeningListening SpeakingSpeaking ReadingReading WritingWriting
Phonology,Phonology,
orthographyorthography
VocabularyVocabulary
StructureStructure
14M. Pazhouhesh Khayyam University
15. III. INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
M. PAZHOUHESH KHAYYAM UNIVERSITY 15
A. Background
John W. Oller is the originator
It integrates linguistic & extra-linguistic aspects
It is rooted in cognitivism & generativism
It regards language ability indivisible
It tends to test language skills integratively
B. Characteristics of IN Tests
Integrative tests
assess language in meaningful , contextualized contexts
provide real-life situations in tests
16. III. INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
M. PAZHOUHESH KHAYYAM UNIVERSITY 16
tend to integrate linguistic & extra-linguistic aspects
Adopts a holistic / global view of language t and testing
Measure several levels & components simultaneously
Are concerned for communicative effect of discourse
Assess the ability to use 1 or 2 skills simultaneously
Are in the forms of
Cloze passages
dictation
Oral interview
Translation
Essay writing
17. III. Pragmatic Approach
Background
PR tests are
rooted in Pragmatics & Psycholinguistics
adopt a holistic pragmatic approach
are concerned with pragmatic mapping
o Emphasize correspondence between linguistic & extra-linguistic
aspects of language
17M. Pazhouhesh Khayyam University
18. o Characteristics of PR Tests
oPR tests tend to
oTest language in meaningful , natural context
o meet naturalness criteria by requiring learners
• To utilize normal contextual clues in the language
• To comprehend linguistic & extra-linguistic contexts
• To map pragmatically linguistic features with extra-
linguistic aspects
oHave learners employ their pragmatic expectancy
grammar
18M. Pazhouhesh Khayyam University
20. IV. Communicative Approach
Background
o Communicative tests
are rooted in Social constructivism & Functional view of
language
Focus on social interaction & transaction
Emerged after functional-notional approach to TEFL
Tend to assess communicative competence
• Grammatical Competence( linguistic aspects)
• Textual Competence( cohesion & coherence)
• Illocutionary Competence( functional use of language)
• Sociolinguistic Competence ( extra-linguistic aspects)
20M. Pazhouhesh Khayyam University
21. Characteristics of Communicative Tests
oCommunicative tests tend to
Measure language ability in meaningful, communicative
context
Are concerned with real life ,communicative use of language
Focus on tapping language use rather than language usage
oAdopt the Divisibility Hypothesis by
• obtaining Learner’s language proficiency profiles
• Matching and tailoring instruction with the learner’s needs
o be culturally loaded
o use authentic language in tests
oShow a Preference for qualitative (rather than quantitative)
modes of assessment
oTo be in the forms of :
• Oral interview
• Essay writing
• Comprehension questions on an authentic passage
• Reading an article and reacting to it
• Listening to a lecture & reacting to it 21M. Pazhouhesh Khayyam University
22. Characteristics of a communicative test
It should be interactive.
It should be direct in nature with tasks reflecting
realistic discourse processing activities.
Texts and tasks should be relevant to the intended
situation.
Ability should be sampled within meaningful and
developing contexts.
The test should be based on an a priori specification, so
what is to be tested and how it is to be tested should be
laid down at the test design stage. [Adapted from Weir, 1993]
22M. Pazhouhesh Khayyam University