Chapter 9: Testing the writing skills pptx

Chapter 9: Testing the writing skills... Chapter 9: Testing the writing skills 1.. The writing skills language use: the ability to write correct & appropriate sentences  mechanical sk

Chapter 9:

Testing the writing skills

Chapter 9:

Testing the writing skills

1. The writing skills

2. Testing composition writing

3. Setting the composition

4. Grading the composition

5. Treatment of written errors

1 The writing skills

 language use: the ability to write

correct & appropriate sentences

 mechanical skills: the ability to use correct conventions of written

language e.g spelling, punctuation

 treatment of content: the ability to think creatively and develop thought without any relevant information

1 The writing skills (con.)

sentences and paragraphs and to use

language effectively

appropriate manner for a particular

purpose, e.g the ability to select, organize and order relevant information, the use of judgment  important in teaching and

testing of writing

2 Testing composition writing

 The types of writing tasks in the test should be the ones which students are confronted everyday.

 The candidate’s performance will have met the following minimum criteria:

Basic level

 no confusing errors of grammar or

vocabulary;

 a piece of writing legible and readily

intelligible;

 able to produce simple unsophisticated sentences

Intermediate level

 accurate grammar, vocabulary and

spelling, though possibly with some

mistakes which do not destroy

communication;

 handwriting generally legible, expression clear and appropriate, using a fair range

of language;

 able to link themes and points coherently

Advanced level

vocabulary and spelling;

language candidate is able to use

accurately and appropriately;

writing, displaying considerable

sophistication

Important notes

 Composition writing : a useful testing tool b/c providing students with an

opportunity to demonstrate their

ability to organize language material, using their own words and ideas and to communicate providing a degree of motivation which many objective tests fail to provide

Important notes (con.)

 Ss should be presented with a clearly defined problem which motivates them

to write; in other words, meaningful

situations should be given.

 Composition titles without guidance

should be avoided

3 Setting the composition

 A good topic for a composition determines

the register and style to be used in the

writing task by presenting Ss with a specific situation and context in which to write.

 The difficulty in constructing compositions is the writing of the rubrics, so sufficient

information must be conveyed by the rubric

in order to provide realistic, helpful basis for the composition

4 Grading the composition

 A student’s ability to organize ideas and

express them in his / her own words a

skill essential for real-life communication; composition can be used to provide not only high motivation for writing but also an

excellent backwash effect on teaching.

 A well-defined task in terms of one or two situational compositions enormously

increasing the reliability of the test

Compositions may be scored according

to one of the two methods:

(1) the impression method

(2) or the analytic method

(3) the mechanical accuracy or error- count method (not recommended)

Scoring methods

Scoring methods (con.)

one or more markers awarding a single

mark based on the total expression of the composition as a whole.

scheme which has been carefully drawn up

by the examiner or body of examiners.

5 Treatments of written errors

overall structure of a sentence &

resulting in misunderstanding or failing

to understand the message conveyed

or confusion in a particular clause or

sentence without hindering readers

'comprehension