TESTING VOCABULARY

Why Test Vocabulary?

 Essential to the development and

demonstration of linguistics skills.
 To measure the comprehension and production
of words used in speaking or writing.
 What Words To Test?

 Choosing difficult words or random lists of words

doesn’t make much sense.
 Based on the syllabus, textbook, reading materials or
lexical errors in students’ written works.
 Michael West (1953): The General Service List (GSL).
 How To Test Vocabulary?

1. Limited response
2. Multiple-choice completion
3. Multi-choice paraphrase
4. Simple completion (Words)
 Limited Response

 For beginners.
 To avoid language skills that haven’t been mastered yet.
 Require either a simple physical action or a vey simple verbal
answer.
 For example:
 Is the book green? What color is the book?
 Please go to the window.
 Draw a circle around the tree.
 Limited Response
Advantages Limitations

1) Less stress or nervousness. 1) Difficult to test abstract words.

2) Avoid language skills that 2) Ambiguous sketches.

haven’t been mastered yet.

3) Be scored easily and objectively.

 Guided Writing
Purpose :
To check student’s ability to handle controlled or directed writing tasks.

Techniques :
1. Changing a passage
I. Use an artificial paragraph :
 When the sentences are change as directed, we have to
properly written.
For example :
It is twelve o’clock noon? Is It is twelve o’clock noon.
Elizabeth sitting in a comfortable Elizabeth is sitting in a
blue seat? Through the window comfortable blue seat. Through the
beside her does she see blue sky and window beside her, she sees blue
sometimes. sky and sometimes white.

(Artificial Text) (Studend guided-writing text)

II. Use passive sentences.
Example :
X The broken typewriter was fixed.
 Anwar fixed the broken typewriter.
III. Use spoken English or use indirect speech.
Example :
o Mrs. Farias asked her daughter Joana to tell her about ….
IV. Use a specific grammatical change.
E.g. :
o Change the passage from the singular form to the plural
form or from the present continuous to the past.
2. Building from a paragraph outline :
I. Testing writing controls the content and the grammar.

For example :
I / buy / new white swimsuit / I forget / 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

The student’s paragraph might read :

I bought a new white swimsuit, and then I forgot to bring it. I
was really mad. But Becky’s mother took us shopping Monday
night, and I found a pretty blue one. It was not very expensive. I
started to pay for it, and my wallet was gone! I borrowed some
money from Becky’s mother, but I was certainly upset.
II. Testing writing relaxes the grammar control a little more.
Although this particular sample promotes the present perfect
tense.

E.g. : Students are told to write “s” paragraph beginning with a

topic sentences : “Several things have contributed to me being an
educated person.”

Example :
• I have lived in ……. (countries)
• I have traveled in …… (places)
• I have had certain responsibilities that have matured me.
(Name them)
III. Testing writing controls the content of the writing but not
necessarily the grammar.

Example :
Directions : Write a paragraph about seventy-five words
describing a store or business that you know very well. Base on
your paragraph, answer the following questions. Start your
paragraph with “In my neighborhood, there is a ….”

① What is it called ?
② When did it start to do business ?
③ What do the employees have to do ?
 Important point (Guided Writing)
 Be rather quick and easy to difficult to grade.
construct.  Be difficult to score with real
 Give the appearance of being consistency (paragraph –
an effective measure of outline)
writing.
 Provide appropriate control
for those students who are not
ready to wirte on their own.
 Not measure ingredients such
as
 Organization found in extended
writing
 Be rather time consuming and
 FREE WRITING

Purpose : evaluate the effectiveness of the total composition

including sentence - level accuracy, larger rhetorical matters
such as unity, coherence and organization as well as
effectiveness in conveying ideas to the intended audience -
including socially appropriate language and appropriate
selection of supporting details.
 EXAMPLE OF FREE WRITING
Directions: you need a job for the summer? you have just read a
'help wanted' adverstisement for teenage workers (reception,
dining room, and cleanup) at the Grand Canyon Lodge in
Arizona. Address: U.S. Forest Service, Grand Canyon Lodge,
Box 1128, North Rim, Arizona 82117. Write a business letter.
Indicate the position applied for. Describe your qualifications,
such as your age, language background, travel, and personality
characteristics. Indicate when you will be available and how long
you can work.
 THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
FREE WRITING
ADVANTAGES OF FREE WRITING DISADVANTAGES OF FREE
WRITING
1. Have a good effect on instruction: 1. Grading of free writing tends to lack
students will be more motivated to objectivity and consistency.
write in and out of class, knowing
that their test will be an actual
writing task.

2. No chance of getting a passing grade 2. be time consuming to grade.

on a free- writing test by cheating .
 EVALUATING WRITING

EVALUATING
WRITING ANALYTICAL

HOLISTIC
 ANALYTICAL METHOD
1. Points off method
• Begin with 100 points or grade A
• Lose points of fractions of a grade for errors that occur in the
piece of writing
• Mechanics include :
1. Capitalization
2. Punctuation
3. Spelling
4. Grammar (sentence sense, verb tense and word order)
5. Vocabulary choice and ability to follow the assigned writing
tasks.
1. Another analytical approach reverses the
procedure described above.
 Points are given for acceptable work in each of
several areas :

Mechanics 20%
Vocabulary choice 20%
Grammar and usage 30%
Organization 50%
 HOLISTIC METHOD
• Be one of the best way to evaluate the
complex communicative act of writing.