Testing and teaching

Test: It is a tool that is used to measure student progress. Tests can also be used to assess
student knowledge of specific topics, as well as their overall learning and development.

Q / What is the purpose of the test?

1- Motivate the learners.
2- Reinforce learning
3- Assess the learner`s achievement
4- Point out the weakness areas of the learners
5- Make learners more confident

Importance of testing:
1- Individual performance
2- Group performance
3- Teacher performance or teaching effectiveness

Individual performance: Is the achievement of one learner over a period of time (a week, a
month, a year) in connection with a specific course of study.

Group performance: Is the achievement of all the learners we have in the course compared
with one another or even compared with another group of learners at the end of a month, a
term or an academic year.
Teaching effectiveness: It can be said that there is only one kind of teaching effectiveness and
that is the kind that results in effective learning.
It is necessary to have:
 An estimate of the learners` present knowledge of the subject.
 An estimate of the learners` ability to learn.

2
Evaluation of the learners' achievement helps the language teacher to:

1. Identify the problematic areas that need to be re- explained.

2. Enable the learners to realize their ability in expressing themselves using correct forms of
the language.
3. Enable the learners to identify their errors and learn from them.
4. Discover learners' errors and prepare remedial exercises.
5. Upgrade learners to a higher stage (level) when they find that possible.

What is the difference between full period test and a quiz?

Full period tests Can be used to evaluate the learners' achievement at the end of a unit or a
set of units.

Ten-minute tests (Quiz) can be used as:

1. A review of the material given earlier.

2. A basis for a new material to be given.

The following points are suggested when giving a daily quiz:

 Base the quiz on what you have taught them the lesson before.
 Tell the learners exactly what you want them to do
 Correct the test papers and return them the next lesson, if possible.
 Discuss areas of difficulty.

3
Types of tests:

Tests vary according to source, design, content and scoring.

According to source, there are two types of language tests:

1- School tests: Are set by the teacher at school for the purpose of assessing the achievement
of their students. Examples of this type of tests are daily, weekly and monthly.

2- Public tests: Are set by the government for the purpose of assessing the achievement of
the students at the end of each of the three stages (primary, intermediate and secondary) in
order to upgrade the students to the next stage.

What are the requirements of public test?

They require a lot of time, effort and money to administer, supervise and score.

Design tests can be:

1- Oral test: This type of test is used to test the learners` ability to communicate in the foreign
language using the spoken forms. They test pronunciation, reading aloud, conversation,
etc.
2- Written test: This type of test is used to test the learners` ability to communicate in the
foreign language using the graphic symbols. They test vocabulary, structure, composition,
,etc.
3- Oral and written tests: This type of test involves the oral and the written aspects of the
foreign language. Such as dictation and listening comprehension tests.

Q / What is the feature of a good examiner?

A good examiner should test one language point or element at a time.

4
Scoring or marking divides tests into two types:

1- Objective tests: They are called objective because their scoring does not depend on the
personal opinion of the scorer. Since objective tests have definite correct answers, marks
are given to the correct or wrong answers chosen by the student. Such as matching, fill – in-
the – blanks and true or false.
2- Subjective tests: They are called subjective because their scoring is highly affected by the
personal opinion of the scorer. Such as compositions, essays, letter writing, open-ended
questions.
Evaluation and testing:
1. Identify the problematic areas that need to be re- explained.
2. Enable the learner to realize their ability in expressing themselves using correct forms of
the language.
3. Enable the learner to identify their errors and learn from them.
4. Discover their learners' errors and prepare remedial exercises.
5. Upgrade their learners to a higher stage (level) when they find that possible.
Raw scores: The results of a test before analysis and interpretation.

Q / Why do we use English language tests in our schools?

1- Motivate the learners.
2- Reinforce learning
3- Assess the learner`s achievement
4- Point out the weakness areas of the learners
5- Make students more confident

Q /In what way can "discovering the learners' weaknesses" help the foreign language
teacher?
At discovering a weakness area, the teacher will try to:
1. Work harder to improve their standard in the foreign language
2. Bridge the gap
3. Prepare remedial exercises.

5
Q / How can the English language test be a teaching device?
If teachers know exactly how to use it, it can really give them very valuable information about
the:

 Standard of their students

 Effectiveness of their teaching

Q / How do public examinations influence teaching?

Public examinations influence teaching in the classroom since teachers will train their students
to pass those examinations.

Q / How can teaching influence testing?

1. The approach adopted in language teaching.
2. The type of textbook.
3. The type of teachers who direct the approach to language testing.
4. The techniques that are used to measure the different elements of language.
Q / What does the term "individual performance" refer to?
Is the achievement of one learner over a period of time ( a week, month, year ..) in connection
with a specific course of study.
Q / What does the term "group performance" refer to?
Is the achievement of all the learners we have in the course compared with one another or
even compared with another group of learners at the end of a month, a term or an academic
year.
Q / What can evaluation of the learners` achievement help the language teacher do?
1. Identify the problematic areas that need to be re- explained.
2. Enable the learner to realize their ability in expressing themselves using correct forms of
the language.
3. Enable the learner to identify their errors and learn from them.
4. Discover their learners' errors and prepare the necessary remedial exercises.
5. Upgrade their learners to a higher stage (level) when they find that possible.

6
Q / What is a test?
It is a tool that is used to measure student progress. Tests can also be used to assess student
knowledge of specific topics, as well as their overall learning and development.
Q / Is testing the only criterion available for evaluation of pupils? Discuss briefly.
Testing is not the only criterion available for evaluation of students. In fact, there are many
other criteria that can be used to assess students` learning and progress. These criteria can be
divided into two main categories: formal and informal.

Formal criteria such as:

o Projects
o Presentations
o Lab work
o experiments
Informal criteria such as:

o Class participation
o Homework completion
o Observation of student behavior and engagement

Q / What is the difference between school tests and public tests?

1- School tests: Are set by the teacher at school for the purpose of assessing the progress or
achievement of their pupils. Examples of tests are daily, weekly, monthly, end-of-term tests
and final examinations.

2- Public tests: Are set by the government for the purpose of assessing the achievement of
students at the end of each of the three stages (primary, intermediate and secondary) in order
to upgrade the teste to the next stage.

Q / How would you classify English language tests according to their design?

4- Oral test: This type of test is used to test the student's ability to communicate in the foreign
language using the spoken forms. They test pronunciation, reading aloud, conversation,
role play, etc.

7
5- Written test: This type of test is used to test the student's ability to communicate in the
foreign language using the graphic symbols. They test vocabulary, structure, composition,
,etc.
6- Oral and written tests: This type of test involves the oral and the written aspects of the
foreign language. Such as dictation and listening comprehension tests.

Q / How would you test listening comprehension among a group of testees ?

listening to a passage recorded on tape or read by the teacher then the teacher asks them
short questions that require short answers from the testees.

Q / How would you classify the types of language tests according to scoring?
1- Objective tests: They are called objective because their scoring does not depend on the
personal opinion of the scorer. Since objective tests have definite correct answers, marks are
given or deduced as to the correct or wrong answers chosen by the student. Such as matching,
fill – in- the – blanks, true or false.
2- Subjective tests: They are called subjective because their scoring is highly affected by the
personal judgement of the scorer. Such as compositions, essays, letter writing, open-ended
questions.
Q / Why are some language tests called objective?
Since objective tests have definite correct answers, marks are given to the correct or wrong
answers chosen by the student.
Q / Why are some language tests called subjective?
Because their scoring is highly affected by the personal judgement of the scorer.
Q / Why is it necessary for the language teacher to constantly monitor and measure his
pupils' achievement?
1. To remedy any lack of progress.
2. Support teachers in developing their teaching skills.

8
Q / What is evaluation?
o Is the process of measuring how well students are learning.
o It helps teachers to understand what students need to learn.
o To make sure that all students are making progress.
o Evaluation can be done through tests and quizzes.

Q / Does evaluation necessarily require very difficult mathematical problems?

Q / What are the mathematical activities required for the evaluation of test results?
It is not necessary for the teacher to be a mathematician in order to evaluate the
performances of the students.
The only mathematical activities they need, are:
 Counting
 adding up
 subtracting
 The ability to work out a percentage.
Q / Why do teachers have to analyses and interpret the results of the tests they give to their
students?
 To decide whether to move their students to the next stage or not.
 To decide whether to give their students a certificate saying that they are ready for higher
education.