UNIVERSITY OF SULAIMANI SCHOOL OF BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING COURSE BOOK 2012-2013 Contents Course coordinator

rdinator List of lecturers of the course Course overview Course objectives Course references Syllabus Subjects Exams

Course Coordinator and list of teachers for this course

1- Name of the course: LANGUAGE TESTING 2- Lecturer in Charge: NAJAT ISMAEL SAYAKHAN 3- Department and the College: Department of English, Faculty of Basic Education and Physical Education, University of Sulaimani 4- Contact: - Course coordinator: Rawaz Jamal Amin - Address: Department of English, Faculty of Basic Education and Physical Education, University of Sulaimani

- E-mail: rawaz.amin@univsul.net

Course Overview:
This course enables students to plan how to be test designers, because every English language learner has to be a test designer sometime; at schools, institutes, colleges and universities. It is a general fact that every learner, as a test taker, is often irritated, he/she might feel bored and embarrassed; they rarely feel zealous or filled with enthusiasm for taking a certain test. So when they are asked to design a language test, they are expected to figure out the basics of testing procedures in this course to design and evaluate language tests with more care and consideration.

Course Objectives:
The main objectives of the course are: 1234Students will be able to design tests. They will be able to recognize objective and subjective tests. They will be able to identify the different types of tests. In a student-centered environment, they will be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each others test-papers. 5- Students will be encouraged to actively participate in class discussions about the type of tests they had undergone throughout the earlier stages of their study. 6- This course will engage students interests and orient them to the learning of the elements of measurement and evaluation. 7- Using appropriate questioning techniques to give appropriate feedback to reinforce learning.

Course Reading List: -Textbook: - Birjandi, Parviz, Parviz Mossalanejad and Esmaeil Bagheridoust : Language Testing, A Collection for Graduate Applicants (2004): Tehran : Shahid Mahdavi Publications.

-Related references:

1- McNamara, Tim: Language Testing (2000): Oxford, Oxford University Press. 2- Heaton, J.B.: Writing English Language Tests (1988): Essex, Longman Group UK Limited. 3- A Dictionary of Language testing. 4- Farhady, Hossein: Twenty-Five Years of Living with Applied Linguistics, Collection of Articles (2006): Rahnama Press, Tehran, Iran. 5- Al-Juboury, Nejat Ahmed: A Language Teachers Guide to Assessment (1999). University of Baghdad Press, Baghdad.

Samples of expected questions and their answers:

Q1/ Define the following items: Backwash effect, aptitude test, remedial instructions, Answer: -Backwash effect refers to the effect of testing on teaching and learning a given language, it can be beneficial when it helps teaching and learning, and it can be harmful when the test content is at variance with the objectives of the course. - aptitude test measures persons aptitude for second language learning or foreign language learning, it can be used to identify those students who are most likely to succeed, it serves as a guide in placing the students in fastermoving or slower-moving groups. - remedial instructions may refer to any form of language instruction which is intended to remedy, correct, or compensate for the learners inadequate understanding of any aspect of a language. The purpose is to elevate students to an acceptable level. Q2/ Answer the following branches: A/ Why is testing a delicate and complex responsibility? B/ What were the norms during the intuitive era of language testing? Answer: A/ testing is delicate because decisions are going to be made based on the test results, in other words, decision making requires exact information, and exact data is obtained through accurate testing and evaluation. If the decisions are not appropriate, they may badly influence students future lives. Tests are also complex because they involve different fields of study. Test designers should be aware of the psychological, sociological, methodological, and philosophical schools. B/ in the intuitive era, the norms were the teachers intuition, the method of testing is determined by the teacher as the method of teaching is determined by the teacher (as in Grammar-Translation method) in which the teacher is the authority.

Q3/ what is the difference between Recognition and recall items? Answer: In recognition or selection items, the examinee is required to select the correct answer from a number of alternatives, whereas in recall items, the examinee is required to produce the cued response from his/her own memory rather than selecting from alternatives. Q4/What is the main weakness of the essay-translation approach? Answer: 1-no special skill is required. 2-there is a lack of concern for objectivity and for test reliability.

Syllabus:
Seq. 1 subjects General introduction to language testing and some general concepts The importance of testing, standardized testing vs. teacher-made tests, and the history of language testing Functions of Language Tests Forms of a test Test items: Components of an item Objective vs. subjective tests Supply vs. selection tests Essay type and multiple-choice items Recognition type items True/False MCI Matching Recognition-Production type items Items in oral mode Items in written mode Items in pictorial mode Characteristics of Language Tests: Steps in constructing a test

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Approaches to Language Assessment Written Assessment objective semi objective subjective items Statistics and language testing

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11 12 13 14 Principles for constructing T/F items Principles for constructing matching items & multiple-choice items Complementary aspects of measurement: Reliability, validity , and practicality

Subjects Subject 1: General Introduction to Language Testing Objective: to give students a basic knowledge regarding the use of testing in our lives and provide students with the keywords of language testing. Scientific content: 1-The use of tests in our life 2-definitions of the keywords of testing (testing, measurement, evaluation, test battery, backwash effect ..etc.). References: Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran.

Subject 2: The importance of testing, standardized testing vs. teachermade tests, and the history of language testing Objective: to give students a basic knowledge regarding the reason behind taking tests. Students will be able to differentiate between standardized tests and teacher-made tests. Students will be given insight into the historical background of language testing, shedding light on the different historical periods language tests have gone through. Scientific content: 1-classification of tests according to: a- contents b-directions c-norms d-construction 2-the eras of language testing: a-the intuitive era (the traditional time of testing) b-the scientific era c-the communicative era

e-application

References: Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran.

Subject 3: Functions of Language Tests: prognostic tests and evaluation of attainment Objectives: to give students general information about the purpose of constructing tests and introduce them to the main types of tests Scientific content: 1-Tests are classified into: prognostic and evaluation of attainment. 2-prognostic tests are classified into: selection, placement, and aptitude tests 3-evaluation of attainment tests are carried out through achievement, proficiency, and knowledge tests. 4-direct vs. indirect tests 5-power tests vs. speed tests References: Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran.

Subject 4 and 5: Forms of a test: Test items: Components of an item Objectives: 1- to help students recognize different forms of a test item 2- to define the term item and its components. Scientific content: 1- objective vs. subjective tests 2-essay-type vs. multiple-choice items Suppletion vs. recognition items References: 1-Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran. 2-Farhady, Hossein: Twenty-Five Years of Living with Applied Linguistics, Collection of Articles(2006): Rahnama Press, Tehran, Iran.

Subject 6: Recognition type items: True/False MCI

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 Matching Objectives: 1-to give students general information about the recognition type of items 2-to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each type 3-to help students construct tests including the types above Scientific content: This type of item requires the examinee to understand the stem and then recognize and select the correct response from among several alternatives. The examinee is not required to produce anything. References: 1-Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran. 2-Farhady, Hossein: Twenty-Five Years of Living with Applied Linguistics, Collection of Articles(2006): Rahnama Press, Tehran, Iran. Subject 7: Recognition-Production type items: Items in oral mode Items in written mode Items in pictorial mode Scientific content: These types of items are somewhere between completely recognition and completely production types. That is, they require both activities. References: -Farhady, Hossein: Twenty-Five Years of Living with Applied Linguistics, Collection of Articles(2006): Rahnama Press, Tehran, Iran. Subject 8: Characteristics of Language Tests: Steps in constructing a test Scientific content: Item characteristics are determined through systematic steps within the process of test construction; these steps include: Planning, Writing test items, Reviewing test items, and Pre-testing. References:

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-Farhady, Hossein: Twenty-Five Years of Living with Applied Linguistics, Collection of Articles(2006): Rahnama Press, Tehran, Iran. Subject 9: Approaches to Language Assessment Objectives: -To touch lightly on the major approaches to language testing. These are roughly classified to four main ones: 1-the essay-translation approach 2-the structuralist approach 3-the integrative approach 4-the communicative approach References: Al-Juboury, Nejat Ahmed: A Language Teachers Guide to Assessment (1999). University of Baghdad Press, Baghdad.

Subject 10: Written Assessment: objective semi objective subjective items Objectives: When considering the written questions, there is a tendency to use the three broadly based headings of Objective items, Semi-Objective items, and Subjective questions. Students need to be introduced to such methods of assessment. Scientific content: 1-Objective items (closed response) 2-Semi-Objective questions 3-Objective questions (free response) References: Al-Juboury, Nejat Ahmed: A Language Teachers Guide to Assessment (1999). University of Baghdad Press, Baghdad.

Subject 11: Statistics and language testing Objectives:

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1-to introduce students to the ABC of statistics concerning language testing 2-to give them information about the types of measures Scientific content: 1- measures of relative position: Rank, percentage, and percentile rank 2-measures of central tendency: mode, median and mean 3-measures of variability: range, variance and standard deviation 4-measures of relationship: correlation References: Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran. Subject 12 & 13: Principles for constructing T/F items, matching items, and multiple-choice items. Objectives: 1-To introduce students to the advantages and disadvantages of T/F items, matching items, and multiple-choice items. 2-to help students design their own tests using the forms given. Scientific content: 1-determining the form and function of the test 2-determining of the content 3-test preparation 4-principles for constructing the items above References: 1- Writing English Language Tests(1988): Heaton, J.B.: Essex, Longman Group UK Limited. 2-Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran. Subject 14: Complementary aspects of measurement: Reliability, validity, and practicality Objectives: 1-to introduce students to the validation process

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2-to give them general information about the three characteristics of a good test Scientific content: 1-reliability, threats to reliability 2-validity, threats to validity 3-practicality References: 1- Language Testing(2004). P. Birjandi, P. Mossallanejad, and E. Bagheridoust. Tehran 2-Language Testing(2000): Tim McNamara. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Exams : Rules and Instructions

The Grade of 4th year Language Testing course is calculated as follows: 15 marks 5 marks 15 marks 5 marks 60 marks First term exam Daily participation Second term exam Unannounced exam Final exam

100 marks

Total

13