Writing tests

Why do we have many kinds of writing tests? To test different writing tasks. (each stage requires different types of evaluation) To test different applications of writing. (e.g. reports, note taking, personal needs,…etc) To test many different factors that can be evaluated. (e.g. mechanism, vocabulary, grammar, content ,style, organizations, …etc)

Limited response

Evaluation per-writing stage. (sentence level) 1) Sentence combining e.g. “He likes ice cream but he won’t eat any. Combine sentences using connective. e.g. Some people come late. They will not get good seats. (that) It should be done this way because combining sentences requires internal changes in the grammar.

2) Sentence expansion Students should add words, such as adjectives or adverbs. e.g. The ( ) man hurried ( ) to the ( ) horse. 3) Sentence reduction Provide a cue to the students. He told us about a man who had a wooden leg. (with)

4)Copying It makes students aware of the extended context and mechanism. (check page 104) 5) Oral cloze Combine dictation with selected cloze using high frequency deletion. Difficult content words and grammar are not covered, yet can beginning. (Check page 105)

Advantages of limited response item Easy to construct Suitable for students with limited ability in English. Almost objective tests.

Limitation of Limited response items It does not measure the actual writing skill. Not easy to be corrected.

Guided writing

This kind of tests measure the students abilities to handle controlled or direct writing tasks. This can be done by asking the students to ; a) change a text. b) Outline C) dictation

Testing specialized skills This will include mechanism (i.e. spelling, punctuation, and capitalization) , unity, and organization. Spelling: It can be tested orally, or through multiple- choice arrangement. e.g. In each of the following groups of four words, one word is spelled incorrectly. Find this word and underline it. a. Believe b. all right c. because d. marige

Punctuation and spelling It can be tested through unpunctuated sentences or through multiple choice sentences. e.g. Q. Re-write the following sentences with the appropriate punctuation. on december 25 1980 doctor adams died in an automobile accident nevertheless his kind deeds will live on for a long time

e.g.2 Q.2. the following sentences contain errors in mechanics, but no spelling errors. Find the part of the sentence where the mistake occurs, then circle the letter of that part. We sent for / a repairman to take/ a look at A B C the / telephone. In the office where I work. D*

Unity A teacher should use a good unified paragraph, then add a sentence that is unrelated. Students will have to find sentence(s) that don’t fit. (check example on page.107) Organization The teacher should use a well-organized paragraph with clear transition words. Then, s/he can scramble the sentences and the students have to put the sentences back to their original order. (check example on page.108)

Changing a passage This kind of questions is popular because the students do not have to supply the subject matter; it is there already. Moreover,, there are built-in grammatical structure that help the students.

Artificial paragraph Sentences will change as directed. The focus here is on the grammatical accuracy of the rewritten work.(Check the example on page.108) b) Changing passive statements into active. c) The use of a dialog. The students should change the dialog into a narrative using direct quotations. d) The students should make a specific grammatical change. For example, change the passage from the present continuous to the past, or from singular to plural.

Paragraph outline Provide an outline for controlled content and grammar e.g. Q. Write a paragraph using the following outline I / buy/ new white swimsuit/ I for get/ bring/ I / mad/ Becky/ mother / take/ we/shop/ Monday night/ I find/ pretty blue/ not expensive./ I start/ pay/ wallet/ gone/I / borrow/ money/Becky/mother/i/ certainly/ upset

Write a paragraph beginning with a specific topic sentence Write a paragraph beginning with a specific topic sentence. They are asked to consider the following sentences as well. e.g. Q. Write a paragraph about this topic sentence “Several things have contributed to my being an educated person”. Make use of the following sentences. - I have lived in …………………. I have traveled in ………………… I have read ………………

Provide questions. e.g. Q.1. Write a paragraph of about seventy-five words describing a store or business that you know very well. Base your paragraph on answers to the following questions. What is it called? When did it start to do business? How many employees does it have? What do employees have to do ? ….etc etc

Advantages of guided-writing tests Quick and easy to construct. It require an active rather than passive responses, so it gives the appearance of being an effective measure of writing. It is a good start for those who can not start writing on their own.

Disadvantages of guided-writing tests Some types can be time consuming (like the paragraph outline questions). Sometimes, it is difficult to be scored with real consistency (like the paragraph outline questions).

Alternative forms of guided writing tests Cloze test and dictation can be used to test writing as well. Dictation Many teachers know this technique but few handle it properly. It gives good information about the student’s language ability if it has been prepared, presented and scored right.

Preparing a dictation test 1) Choose a story or an article that is not too difficult. Selection from the reader used in class. The length depends on whether it is used alone or with other language measurement. It should be unified and well-organized. Passages with much quoted material should be avoided unless the teacher is measuring punctuation. Passages with a lot of names, dates and numbers should be avoided as well.

2) Decide where the pauses should be. Pausing every seven or eight words is a good idea. The teacher should mark his/her passage in advance before the test.

Administering the dictation test. Giving practice dictation during regular classes is a good idea to prepare the students in advance. The teacher should make sure everyone has lined paper and pens. The teacher can write on the board some of the unusual names or expression which may confuse the students. Explain the scoring procedure in advance.

The dictation will be read aloud THREE times. The First Time: no pauses, students must not write anything, they have to listen carefully. The Second Time: pauses after seven or eight words as previously marked, students can write what they have heard, no repetition,, make sure the pauses are long enough so everyone has time to write down what they’ve heard. The Third Time: no pauses, at normal speed to provide opportunity for proofreading, and no repetition.

Scoring the dictation test For an accurate, fast, reliable scoring, deduct one point for each error ( omitting words, adding words, inverted word order, grammatical errors, etc). - First time misspelled words, repeated misspelled words. ??? - Ignore punctuation and spelling for beginners unless the teacher wants to test mechanics.

Advantages of dictation tests It measure general proficiency in English. It is easy to prepare It can be scored with good consistency. It is harder to cheat in a dictation test.

Limitations of dictation tests It is difficult to use for diagnostic purposes. It is not helpful to measure short term progress. It is not easy to correct.

Free writing

Few teachers give ask their students to write without giving them specific topic. However, this is Not advisable at all. A clear and detailed guidelines for writing should be provided to the students. WHY? Different skills can be used to write different types of essays. The teachers need to make sure they are testing what they have taught. The teachers need to make sure that all students are performing the same task to make a fair comparison between them.

Guidelines for writing tasks. The aim of a test for the upper-intermediate to advance levels is to evaluate the effectiveness of the total composition including, accuracy, organization, socially appropriate language, appropriate selection of supporting details…etc. We need to make sure that the grammatical forms needed is suitable for the target students. For example, a topic like “How to use a pay phone” will require the students to use imperative.

It is a good idea if we guide the content of what the students write It is a good idea if we guide the content of what the students write. This can be done through the following strategies; Using a picture/ series of pictures Providing charts, tables or diagrams. Providing a situation.

Evaluating the students’ writing Though there are many factors and abilities that can be measure in the writing, limiting these abilities is a good idea. WHY? - It leads to more accurate, and consistent scoring. - It speeds up the grading process. - It is a way to avoid discouraging the students.

There are TWO ways to evaluate a piece of writing; analytical, and holistic. The analytical method. It attempts to evaluate separately the various components of a piece of writing. One way to do it is by using “points-off” method. In this method students will lose points or fractions of grade for errors that occur in their writing. Such errors may include errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, organization, vocabulary choice.

This can be done in several ways. Some teachers may do it as ; 1-2 errors = one unit off (100-95) 3-5 errors = two units off (95-90) Other teachers may do it as; Mechanics …………………………. 20% Vocabulary choice ………………20% Grammar and usage …………...30% Organization…………………………30% Total 100%

Sometimes there is a big difference between what the students try to convey and his/her mastery of the language. To encourage the students, some teachers give “split grade”. e.g. B+ / D B+ = quality of the content D = accuracy of the language use. Limitation of the analytical method. Sometimes it is difficult to weight each error and each area.

The Holistic Method. It focuses on communication. It ignores mechanical errors. It measure how well this paper communicate. There is a need to develop a ‘feeling’ for grading. It is one of the best ways to evaluate the complex communicative act of writing.

Advantages of the free-writing items It is a sound measurement of the overall writing ability. It has a good effect on instruction. It is difficult to cheat in the free-writing items.

Limitations of the free-writing items Grading may lack objectivity and consistency. It is time consuming to grade.