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Individualisation-Standardisation 11/08/2015 2

 Measure  Compare  Monitor  Gatekeep  Maintain standards  Motivate  Give feedback  Make people employable 11/08/2015 3

 Focus on the individual  Knowledge is socially constructed  Difference  Learning style  Not only writing  Flexible formats  Stress  Awareness of SEM (Standard Error of Measurement)  Validity is driving force 11/08/2015 4

 Focus on the group  Knowledge is ‘given’ and objective  Everyone treated equally  Candidates expected to adapt  Format reflects ‘standards’  Stress is common to all individuals and can be overcome or ‘cured’ (medical model)  Driving force = reliability/objectivity 11/08/2015 5

Statistics Score NValid Missing.000 Mean Std. Error of Mean.227 Median Mode Std. Deviation Variance Skewness Std. Error of Skewness.172 Kurtosis.707 Std. Error of Kurtosis.342 Range Minimum Maximum Sum Percentiles /08/2015 6

 Reliability and objectivity  Psychometric  Standardisation  Comparison of individual with the group  Normal distribution curves  No relationship between assessor and assessed 11/08/2015 7

It might fail children (or students)…  Who have special needs  who are gifted and talented  who have individual learning differences  Who have a ‘non-traditional’ learning style  who experience social deprivation  who are ‘looked after’ and/or within the care system  from particular ethnicities 11/08/2015 8

Test purposes and test outcomes 11/08/2015 9

 Diagnostic  Proficiency  Placement  Achievement  Selection  Summative  Formative  High stakes  Low stakes 11/08/

 Raw mark  Mark compared to broad standard  Mark or grade linked to verbal descriptor  Criteria checklist  Norm-referencing  Criterion-referencing 11/08/

 A grade or percentage for English  A grade or percentage plus a breakdown into different skills areas  A grade or percentage, a breakdown into skills and a written report  All of the above plus a portfolio of evidence that the student has compiled 11/08/

The qualities of good language tests 11/08/

 Restrict choice  Write unambiguous items  Provide uniform test conditions  Have fewer marking bands  Ensure familiarity with format  Give clear criteria  Provide good training for raters  Ensure anonymous marking (Hughes, 1989: 36-43) 11/08/

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 First test (part) :  Mean = 34.96St.Dev. = 4.61  Second test (part):  Mean = 33.08St.Dev. = 4.88  The t-test for difference gives a value of with 195 df  The correlation between the two sets of scores is  Assuming form means are exactly the same over whole population:  reliability = st. error of measurement = 3.24  Within forms analysis:  reliability = st. error of measurement = 2.96  Split parts analysis:  Cronbach Alpha = and Spearman Brown Coefficient = /08/

 Describe a blizzard that you have experienced. How did you make your way home?  Describe the legal system in your country.  Discuss your favorite sport and why you enjoy it.  Discuss the importance of Christmas in our contemporary society. 11/08/

1. Why hasn’t your mother come? Well, she said that she …… leave the baby. a. can’t b. won’t c. couldn’t d. mayn’t 11/08/

2. Which word or phrase, a, b, c, or d, means the same as the word underlined. I’ll see you soon. a. next year b. in a few days c. tomorrow d. In a couple of hors 11/08/

 Ensure good visual presentation of test  Test only the skill(s) you plan to test  Avoid introducing any unnecessary complexities that don’t matter  Avoid testing something else instead, by default.  Ignore any mistakes outside the skills area being tested (?)  Keep focussed. 11/08/

 Listen to the radio recording and write a short summary of words on the content.  Outline the extent to which economic factors have impinged on individual’s abilities to manage their lives effectively.  Read the following text and answer the questions which follow. Copy your answers correctly from the text as marks will be deducted for incorrect spelling. 11/08/

Language testing philosophy 11/08/

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