In the process of learning a language, especially English, testing plays a powerful role.. * To students learning English: - Well-made tests of English can help create positive attitu
Trang 1I have been teaching English at a senior high school for twenty years now My students are between the ages of fifteen and eighteen; it means they are in tenth grade to twelfth grade and they have been learning English for five to seven years or so Each class consists of forty five students with different levels of competence and English is one of the compulsory subjects that they have to study at school.
The textbooks I am using now were published by The Ministry of Education and Training in 2006 and have officially been in use since then These books are designed to aim at developing the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) It means that there is a big change in teaching and learning English in schools now (Because the textbooks previously used mainly focus on reading skills as well as analyzing grammar.)
In the process of learning a language, especially English, testing plays a powerful
role I mean the importance of testing.
* To students learning English:
- Well-made tests of English can help create positive attitudes toward the class and give students a sense of accomplishment as well as a feeling that the teacher’s evaluation of them matches what the teacher has taught them.
- Good English tests also help students master the language by requiring them to study harder, emphasizing course objectives and showing them where they need to improve.
- After the tests, students are able to learn from their weaknesses and adjust their learning
* To teachers of English:
- Our tests can help answer the question “Have I been effective in my teaching?” We
can evaluate the effectiveness of the syllabus as well as the methods and materials we are using.
Trang 2- Through our tests, we can adjust our teaching and asking ourselves the following
questions: “Which points need reviewing? What areas do we need more work on?
Should I spend more (or less) time on this material with next year’s students?” and
so on
- Good tests will also help the teacher to locate the precise areas of difficulty encountered by the class or by the individual student In other words, it is necessary for the teacher to diagnose the student’s weaknesses and difficulties.
Testing in other schools as well as in my school, Tran Bien high school is set by The Ministry of Education and Training This means that
* The students have to take many different kinds of test at the end of the two semesters such as fifteen-minute tests, forty-five-minute tests, the mid-term tests and the end-of-term tests.
* Almost every teacher has to write their own tests This brings an advantage that students will soon become familiar with the type of test usually set and will feel reassured because the test contents will be based on the course tests But it is a big
challenge for the teacher to solve the problem: “How to write an effective test.”
Since the academic year 2004-2005, Multiple Choice Questions have been applied widely in the national examinations for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), especially in the core subject of English Up till now, in many schools in Bien Hoa City most teachers have been using this type of test (See APPENDIX 1) They use
100 % multiple - choice questions to test their students To my point, it is not perfect to
do that Why so? Because the usefulness of this type is limited Multiple-choice testing
like that just tests knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, etc rather than the ability to use
language Teachers rarely measure communication but they measure students’ ability
to recognize correct grammatical forms, etc This misleads students about the process of learning a language in general and English in particular Moreover they gradually have
a lack of language skills The other limit is that the length of time required to construct
Trang 3good multiple-choice items could often have been better spent by teachers on other more useful tasks connected with teaching or testing It is time-consuming and more difficult One advantage of this type of test I can find is that the teacher spends less time scoring the papers of the students What about students? Most of the students are happy
to take this type of test and they become lazy to practise their language skills They need not review the lessons before the tests, but they just choose the options A, B, C, or
D in a free way without thinking carefully To choose the options accidentally may give them a certain mark This proves that testing means zero
From my point of view, I would like to present in this paper the way “HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE TEST."
1 What to test?
- Testing language subskills: It measures the separate components of English such as
vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
- Testing communication skills: It measures actual communication in the real world
The tests show how well students can use the language in actually exchanging ideas and information That means testing listening, speaking, reading and writing.
VOCABULARY :
- Choose the letter of the word which is the nearest in meaning to the underlined word.
Ex: The President expressed his deep sorrow over the bombing deaths.
A regret B anger C sadness D passion
- Choose the letter of the correct or best word to complete each sentence.
Ex: Sperm whales are……, which means they eat meat.
- Select the correct option to which the definition refers.
Ex: A person who receives and pays out money in a bank is a(n)………….
Trang 4- Complete the following sentences with the most suitable verb phrase from the list.
Ex: come round come down with come along come into come up with
1 Les……… a lot of money after his rich grandmother died.
2 Do you want to………… to my house and watch the match tonight?
3 I hate shopping alone so I’m really glad you’re ………….
4 Mr Moorcroft ……… a great idea to make Maths more interesting
5 I know I’m ……… the flu when I get a headache like this.
- Fill in the blank with the correct form of the words on the right.
GRAMMAR :
- Choose the best one to fill in the blank.
Ex: Several years ago I ……English.
- Identify the underlined word or phrase that has to be changed for the sentence to be correct.
Ex: One of the girls lost her wallet and doesn’t have some money for the game.
A B C D
- Write the correct form of the words in brackets.
Ex: 1 He’s …………student in our class (tall)
2 Where are the children? - They ………… TV in the living room? (watch)
- Combine the two sentences, using the word in brackets.
Ex: Sheila saved enough money She went to Paris (AFTER)
PRONUNCIATION :
- Choose the word that has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
- Pick out the word that has the stressed pattern different from that of the other words
Ex: A integral B musical C difficult D delightful
Trang 5- Teacher reads aloud a word and students choose the correct one.
Ex: (spoken) plays
LISTENING :
- Listen carefully to the following short talk and answer the questions below.
1 Why has the bus stopped?
2 How many accidents have there been this week?
3 When was the accident to occur?
4 Are there many accidents to occur at this corner?
5 Should one be careful at this corner?
- Listen carefully to the recording and write the missing word in each of the following blanks A: Tom! You never talk to me (1)…………
B: What did you say? A: …and you never (2)…………me, (3)……….
B: (4)…………?
A: You (5)……take me out, you used to buy me (6)……and you used to (7)……my birthday B: But I (8)………remember your birthday, (9)……….
A: Do you? Well, it was yesterday! I’m (10)………home to mother! - Listen carefully to the passage and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) True – False 1. David works in a hospital …………
2. He leaves home at eight o’clock …………
3. He goes to work by car …………
4. Rosa starts work at one o’clock …………
5. She goes to work with David …………
6. David can cook …………
7. They eat in the kitchen at seven o’clock …………
8. Rosa often watches TV while she’s having dinner …………
- Listen carefully to the passage and choose the best answer (A), (B), (C) or (D).
1 What used to happen in the past?
A Teachers sat still for hours.
B Teachers could memorize all sorts of things.
C Children sat still for hours.
D Children learned things by themselves.
Trang 62 How long did children go on repeating things?
A until they sat still for hours.
B until they knew them “by heart”.
C until they were allowed to stop.
D until they understood them.
3 What do many teachers wonder today?
A If it is possible to make children learn at all.
B If you can never help children learn.
C If children can learn and discover things by themselves.
D If children can learn things ‘by heart”.
4 What do these teachers say?
A children’s education is changing very rapidly today.
B they will continue making them memorize all sorts of things.
C You must let children learn and discover things for themselves.
D They will go on making children sit still for hours.
READING :
- Complete the blanks in the following reading text by choosing A, B, C or D.
At last I (1) to study another foreign language I soon mastered French and I could read the books and newspapers (2) _ in French with (3) I then could undertake Italian One of my friends that was also learning Italian used (4) _me to play chess with him (5) that this practice took up too much of the time I had to spend studying…
- Read the passage and write one suitable word in each blank The initial and bold letter has been given for you.
THE RAINSTORM
Yesterday, when I was driving home from work, it (1) s………to rain Some people were walking along the street Only a few people were (2) c…………
umbrellas It soon began to rain so hard that everyone ran into shops and cafes to get
out of the rain A little while later, all the people who were walking on the (3) s
………… were either using umbrellas or (4) w………raincoats Many people were still standing under cover No one was riding a bicycle or (5) m………, but some
Trang 7people were driving cars They were driving (6) s………, though, because of the
rain.
- Read the passage and then decide whether the following statements are true(T) or false (F).
There are many sources of pollution in our modern world At present, the most serious sources are acid rain, car exhaust fumes and oil spills
Factory chimneys give out smoke that contains sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide These gases combine with the atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acids When it rains, these acids dissolve in the rain and make it acidic Acid rain is believed
to be the worst pollution problem of all It has harmed aquatic life by turning many lakes into lifeless bodies of water In these areas, there is no limestone into the acidic lakes However, it is not possible to do this on a large enough scale to save all the lakes
Car exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide and lead which are highly poisonous In big cities, the exhaust fumes build up and pose a health hazard to human beings.
Pollution of the sea by oil threatens marine life Much of the oil comes from ships that clean their fuel tanks while at sea Offshore oil wells also discharge vast amounts
of oil into the sea Pollution of the sea can also be caused by oil spills An oil spill may occur as a result of accidents involving oil tankers.
2 Acid rain is made when sulphuric and nitric acids dissolve in the rain ………
3 Carbon monoxide from car exhaust fumes is not harmful ………
5 The oil only comes from ships that clean their fuel tanks while at sea ………
6 Accidents involving oil tankers may cause oil spills ………
- Read the passage and answer the following questions.
TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS IN BRITAIN
Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions In Britain traditions play a more important part in the life of the people than in other countries Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.
It has been the law for about 300 years that all theaters are closed on Sundays.
No letters are delivered, only a few Sunday papers are published
To this day an English family prefers a house with a garden to a flat in a modern house with central heating English people like gardens Sometimes the garden
in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted garden in imitation
of grass and a box of flowers.
Trang 8Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England Christmas is a great English national holiday, and in Scotland it is not kept, except by clerks in banks, all shops and factories are working.
Questions & answers
1 How important are traditions in Britain?
2 What do Englishmen do to their traditions?
3 Which does an English family prefer, a house with a garden or a flat?
4 Find a sentence in the text which shows that the English people like gardens very much.
5 How is Christmas kept in Scotland?
- Read the passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D
Jack London was the famous American novelist and short story writer He was
born in San Francisco in 1876 He quit school at fourteen to become a sailor He
was a self-taught student, he finished his high school and college education during
six months He led an adventurous but poor life His viewpoint was in favor of the
poor and socialism He read a lot of books of Karl Marx He was influenced by
Marxist theory and the October Revolution In 1895, he joined the Socialist Labor
Party but in the last years of his life, he moved away from the working class and in
1916 he left the Party In 1916 he committed suicide because of despair dream He
used an overdose of morphine and drowned himself in the sea He was an
adventure novelist, a Socialist reformer and a prominent Socialist who often
signed under the line “Yours for the Revolution, Jack London.”
1 Jack London quit school in………….
2 He had a/an………life.
A rich and adventurous B poor and quiet
C adventurous and poor D rich and quiet
3 He was in favor of……….
A self-teaching B capitalism
C the rich D the poor and socialism
4 He committed suicide by……….
A using an overdose of morphine and drowned himself in the sea
Trang 9A Because he left the party.
B Because he used to have a dream.
C Because of the socialism.
D Because of despair of life and disillusion with American dream.
- Read the following paragraph about Esperanto Esperanto was a language someone invented about a hundred years ago.
Zamenhof invented a new language called Esperanto to improve understanding between people of different countries He showed Esperanto to his friends to find out what they thought about it Later in the same year he went to study at a university in Moscow He wanted to improve Esperanto.
Zamenhof’s friends then worked hard to spread the new language They tried to persuade schools throughout the world to teach it However, only a few people today speak Esperanto because more and more people use English as a foreign language.
Now read each question and answer Write ONE word in each blank.
1 Why did Zamenhof go to Moscow? To study at a university there.
2 Why did he invent …………? To help people to………… one another.
3 Why did he show his new language to his…………? So that they could ……… him what they thought about it.
4 Who helped him to ………… Esperanto? His ………….
5 ………… did they want schools to do? …………Esperanto.
6 Why don’t ………people speak Esperanto now? Because ………… has.
SPEAKING :
- Oral interview:
* The teacher prepares about 5-10 topics appropriate for the students and the
teacher lets students talk in pairs about the topic they choose (One asks and the
other answers)
Ex: 1 Talk about your daily routines.
2 Talk about your last trip.
3 Talk about your future plan.
4 Talk about your lower secondary school.
5 Talk about your learning English.
Trang 106 ……….
- Written tests :
* The teacher gives everyday situations, and then students choose the best one of the four options.
Ex: Would you like a cup of coffee? - ………
A Not at all B Yes, let’s C Yes, I would like D Yes, I’d love one
* The teacher puts a question and students give a response.
Ex: What do you usually first do in the morning?
→………
* The teacher gives a dialogue in which the statements are in the wrong order and students rearrange them
Ex: A All right Let’s go for a drink.
B Same to you I hope we both pass.
C Good luck in your exam!
D Did you study all last night?
E I did the same Meet you again, after the exam.
F No, of course not I watched TV and went to bed What about you?
* The teacher has students complete the dialogue with the phrases in the box.
Ex:
a) I can’t stand them.
b) I prefer television quiz And you?
c) Game shows There was an interesting quiz last night.
d) What time is the game played?
e) Oh, the usual soap operas.
f) It’s a good programme, but I’ve seen it before How about you?
g) What time is it on?
h) No, it’s a repeat Have you ever watched it?’
i) It’s going to be repeated next Sunday.
Trang 11Ex: It is interesting(1)…………note that(2) …………was an extremely close connection (3)
…………playing cards, paper money and gambling
Ex: Read the passage carefully and fill in the profile.
Bui Thi My was born on 18th September, 1963, in the town of Hoi An on the west coast ofVietnam She went to the Hoi An Secondary School, where she was a student until 1981
When she left school, she went to the Hue College of Music, where she studied traditionalclassical music She learnt how to play the classical music of Ca Hue She became expert
at playing many instruments
Trang 12She graduated from college in 1984 She played with the Hue National Orchestra for two years She became a member of Vietnamese State Orchestra one year later She performs concerts both in Vietnam and in foreign countries with the National Orchestra
In 1992, she married Tran Quoc Hoa, also a musician They have one son and a daughter
PROFILE Personal details
Name: ….……… Sex: Male / Female *
Place of birth: ……… Date of birth: ………
Nationality: ……… Marital status: ………
Education From To …… ……… ………
…… ……… ………
Work Experience From To …… ……… ………
…… ……… ………
Present employment: ………
(* Delete where not applicable) - Topic-writing Ex: Write a short paragraph (about 80-100 words) about your daily routines ………
………
………
………
………
………
………
………
………
………
………
………
Trang 13In short, testing is not all but it is necessary and fairly important in the process of learning a foreign language in general and English in particular Without testing, teaching and learning activities would mean nothing In other words, the process of teaching and learning would have no purpose because the teacher could not evaluate the students’ learning and knowledge; moreover, students could not have a motivation for
learning But how to write an efficient test is what all teachers should learn.
After a long time of applying this way of testing, my students could have better attitudes toward the learning activity They all could know what to learn and adjust themselves after a series of tests (See APPENDIX 2)
The results of the tests may show that the tests I used to check students’ understanding and knowledge are mostly successful (See APPENDIX 3)
In my teaching experience, I would like to suggest some improvements in testing The suggested strategies are also limited in numbers but I hope that I can share my experience with all of you, my colleagues in one way or another.
REFERENCES
Arthur Hughes -2003 - TESTING FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS -
Cambridge University Press
Harold S Madsen -1983 - TECHNIQUES IN TESTING - Oxford University Press
J B Heaton -1990 - CLASSROOM TESTING - Longman
Tim McNamara -2000 - LANGUAGE TESTING - Oxford University Press
Trang 14APPENDIX 1
Trang 15BUI THI XUAN HIGH SCHOOL THE ENGLISH TEST GRADE 12
Name: ……… Date: October 06th, 2012
Class: ……… Time allowed: 60 minutes
CODE: 3
Choose the word that has the underlined letter pronounced differently from the others.
1 a trusted b sacrificed c recorded d acted
2 a questioned b lived c demanded d supposed
3 a married b talked c passed d stopped
Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.
Most Americans eat three meals (4)… the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner Breakfast begins between 7:00 and 8:00a.m., lunch between 11:00 a.m., and noon, and dinner between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m On Sundays “brunch” is a (5)…… of breakfast and lunch, typically beginning at 11:00 a.m.Students often enjoy a “study break” or evening snack around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m Breakfast and lunchtend to be light meals, with only one (6)……… Dinner is the main meal (7) …… breakfast
Americans will eat cereal with milk which are often mixed (8)……… in a bowl, a glass of orange juice, and toasted bread or muffin with jam, butter, or margarine
4 a during b for c on d in
5 a addition b connection c attachment d combination
6 a food b course c menu d goods
7 a At b In c For d With
8 a each other b one another c together d others
Choose the word whose syllable is stressed differently from the rest.
9 a photograph b attention c appearance d essential
10 a problem b minute c dinner d suppose
Choose a word or a phrase that best completes each unfinished sentence or substitutes the underlined part
11 Someone told us ………on the stairs
a don’t sit b not sit c to not sit d not to sit
12 We can use either verbal or non - verbal forms of communication
a using verbs b using facial expressions
c using gesture d using speech
13 Helen often reads a newspaper while she ………for the bus
a waits b was waiting c is waiting d has waited
14 It is thought that traditional marriage.…are important basis of limiting divorce rates
a values b records c responses d appearances
15 By the time we… to the train station, Susan ….for us for more than two hours
a get / will wait b got / was waiting c will get / has been waiting d got/ had been waiting
16 The most common way of attracting someone’s attention from a distance is……
a smiling b nodding c waving d handshaking
17 “Don’t forget to go to the supermarket after work.” He said
a He reminded me to go to the supermarket after work
b He asked me not to forget to go to the supermarket after work
c He told me that I shouldn’t forget to go to the supermarket after work
Trang 16d He requested me not forget to go to the supermarket after work.
18 Glenda…… extremely hard when she was a student
a has worked b worked c was working d had been worked
19 John asked me……… that film the night before
a if I had seen b had I seen c if had I seen d if I saw
20 After I ………lunch, I looked for my bag
a had b have had c had had d have has
21 My mother is the only one that I can absolutely confide………
a for b in c with d up
22 As soon as Mary saw the fire, she…… the fire department
a was telephoned b had telephoned c telephoned d has telephoned
23 They said that they had come back………
a the following day b the next day c the day after tomorrow d the previous day
24 While mum was watching TV, I……… my homework
a am doing b had done c was doing d has done
25 Children who are isolated and lonely seem to have poor language and……
a communicate b communicative c communication d communicator
26 John ……….a book when I saw him
a is reading b read c reading d was reading
27 Professor Pike was very interested in the diversity of cultures all over the world
a changes b variety c conservation d number
28 They said “We have lived here for a long time.”
a They said they had been lived here for a long time
b They said they had lived there for a long time
c They said they lived here for a long time
d They said that they have lived here for a long time
29 Almost everyone ……… for home by the time we arrived
a had left b left c leaves d leave
30 Non- verbal … such as waving, nodding or shaking of the head also have cultural meanings
a signs b hints c signals d marks
31 It’s rude to point someone
a on b out c to d at
32 When he…… at the station, his train …… already
a arrived / left b had arrived / left c arrives / leaves d arrived / had left
33 John asked me in English
a what that word meant b what that word means
c what did this word mean d what does this word mean
34 Stay here
a since I came back b when I will come back
c until I come back d as soon as I was coming back
35 Many young people have objected to.…marriage, which is decided by the parents of the bride and groom
a agreed b shared c sacrificed d contractual
36 He said to us, “Write your lesson carefully.”
a He said us to write our lesson carefully
b He told us to write our lesson carefully
c He asked us write our lesson carefully
d He said to us to write our lesson carefully
37 Tom said that he…………
a was busy then b was busy now c were busy now d is busy now
38 He in this school before he England
a taught / had left b taught / has left c has taught / left d had taught / left
Trang 1739 The wedding day was ………by the parents of the groom.
a carefully b careful c carelessly d careless
40 “Are you the new manager, Daisy? Congratulations!” said Billy
a Billy looked toward to being the new manager
b Billy congratulated Daisy on being the new manager
c Billy presented Daisy from being the new manager
d Billy dream of being the new manager
Identify the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct
41 While I did my homework, I had a good idea
Read the text carefully and then choose the best answer.
Communication in general is process of sending and receiving messages that enables humans toshare knowledge, attitudes, and skills Although we usually identify communication with speech,communication is composed of two dimensions - verbal and nonverbal
Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication without words It includes apparentbehaviors such as facial expressions, eyes, touching, tone of voice, as well as less obvious messages such
as dress, posture and spatial distance between two or more people
Activity or inactivity, words or silence all have message value: they influence others and theseothers, in turn, respond to these communications and thus they are communicating
Commonly, nonverbal communication is learned shortly after birth and practiced and refinedthroughout a person’s lifetime Children first learn nonverbal expressions by watching and imitating,much as they learn verbal skills
Young children know far more than they can verbalize and are generally more adept at reading
nonverbal cues than adults are because of their limited verbal skills and their recent reliance on thenonverbal to communicate As children develop verbal skills, nonverbal channels of communication donot cease to exist although become entwined in the total communication process
46 According to the writer, ………
a People communicate with both verbal and nonverbal language
b One cannot communicate in both verbal and nonverbal language
c Those who can listen and talk should not use nonverbal language
d Nonverbal language is only used by the deaf and the mute
47 Which is NOT included in nonverbal communication?
a spatial distance b words c facial expressions d tone of voice
48 We can learn from the text that………
a nonverbal can never get any responses
b most people do not like nonverbal communication
c touching is not accepted in communicating
d even silence has message value
49 Human beings………
a have learnt how to communicate in nonverbal language through books
b can communicate in nonverbal language only when they are mature
Trang 18d have learnt how to communicate in nonverbal language since a child
50 The word “reading” has a close meaning to……
a looking at the words that are written b saying something aloud
Câu 1 A rea son B feature C teacher D realize
Câu 2 A camera B banana C classmate D pagoda
Câu 3 A four B more C talk D boss
II Chọn phương án đúng (A hoặc B, C, D) để hoàn thành mỗi câu sau.
Câu 4 Dennis _ 40 cigarettes a day
A use to smoke B uses to smoke C used to smoked D used to smoke Câu 5 I usually drive to work but today I _ by bus.
Câu 6 The computer can allow us to _ very large amounts of information.
Câu 7 After the first term, they can go _ a day excursion.
Câu 8 A: " I'm flying to Ha Noi this afternoon."
B: " Oh, really? you to the airport."
A I'm going to take B I'll take C I'm taking D I've taken
Câu 9 I _ my brother USD 10,0000 so far.
A has lent B has been lent C have lent D have been lent Câu 10 I don't think the rich bad.
Câu 11 Many Vietnamese people from disability due to dioxin.
Câu 12 There are a lot of black clouds in the sky It _ soon.
A will have rained B is going to rain C will rain D is raining
Câu 13. Some of the more time-consuming jobs can now be done by machines.
A not affected by time B odd C taking much time D taking little time
Câu 14 Her class is different _ other classes.
Câu 15 A new bridge across the river.
A has been built B has built C have been built D have built
Câu 16 The Smiths, house had been destroyed in the explosion, were given rooms in a hostel.
Câu 17 The chemistry book _ was a little expensive
A I bought that B that I bought C what I bought D that I bought it Câu 18 The earth _ threatened and the future looks bad.
A will be B are being C was being D is being
Câu 19 Here is the owner and the dog got the first prize in the competition.
Câu 20 The rich _ to help the poor.
A is expecting B expects C is expected D are expected Câu 21 _ is very important to everyone
A Educational B Educate C Education D Educating