TESTING GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

Daniel F. Cali O.

CONTENTS:1. Grammar

1.1 Why test grammar?1.2 Specifications1.3 Sampling1.4 Items1.5 Scoring

2. Vocabulary2.1 Why test vocabulary?2.2 Specifications2.3 Items2.4 Testing production ability

GRAMMAR

Times have changed…

Past Present

Language skills

Grammar

Times have changed…

Past Present

Language skills

CA: e.g. EBP

Grammar

WHY GRAMMAR?

“[…] gramatical ability, or rather, the lack of it, sets limits to what can be achieved in the way of skills performance.”

Existing gaps in students' gramatical repertoires…

Writing specifications

Achievement tests

• Straightforward

Placement tests

• All the structures

Proficiency tests

Sampling

Specific structur

es

Most importa

nt structur

es

ItemsTEXT

GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT

NATURAL LANGUAGE

Corpus based examples…

Items

Techniques

Gap filling

Paraphrase

Multiple choice

CompletionProduction Production

Production

Recognition

Gap filling

• Idea:One correct answer!

Examples:

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I am going to travel to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I will take my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I will go with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We will buy one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

WILL VS. GOING TO

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

will help you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What are you going to do tomorrow? I am going to visit to my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it is going to rain.

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I will phone you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we ____ (buy) a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

WILL VS. GOING TO

• 1. Next summer, I _____ (travel) to New York. My sister lives there and she bought me a plane ticket for my birthday.

• 2. It's getting cold. I _____ (take) my coat!

• 3. Are you going to the cinema? Wait for me. I ______ (go) with you!

• 4. Those watermelons seem delicious. We______ (buy) one!

• 5. Mrs Simons, those bags seem quite heavy. I

____ (help) you carry them.

• 6. What ____ (do) tomorrow? I ___ (visit) my family.

• 7. Look at those black clouds. I think it ______ (rain).

• 8. Bye Bye Joe. I ____ (phone) you as soon as I arrive home!

• 9. I have been thinking about it and we have decided that we are going to buy a new car.

Source: http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3135#a

Gap filling

• Two answers:Meaning has to be the same.

Example:

I bought a new house ___________ is old but it is nice.Which/that

Gap filling

• There can be just a gap or there can be a prompt for each gap, as inthe following example:

Paraphrase

Example:Testing passive, past simple form.

• It was too late when I found out that my uncle sold the bicycle.• It was too late when I found out that the bicycle __________.

“It is helpful to give part of the paraphrase to restrict the students to the grammatical structure being tested.”

CompletionIt allows the tester to elicit specific structures.

Multiple choice

• Context!

Examples:

MODAL VERBS

1) They ________________ be away. A) MayB) Can

2) You ________________ be right.C) Might D) Can

3) The exam ________________ be easy.

E) Might F) Can

4) It ________________ be true about a sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in the Congo.

A) Can B) Can´t

Source:http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

MODAL VERBS

1) They ________________ be away for the weekend but I'm not sure. A) MayB) Can

2) You ________________ be right but I'm going to check anyway.C) Might D) Can

3) The exam ________________ be easy. You never know.

E) Might F) Can

4) It ________________ be true about a sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in the Congo. It's impossible.

A) Can B) Can´t

Source:http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

MODAL VERBS

1) They ________________ be away for the weekend but I'm not sure. A) MayB) Can

2) You ________________ be right but I'm going to check anyway.C) Might D) Can

3) The exam ________________ be easy. You never know.

E) Might F) Can

4) It ________________ be true about a sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in the Congo. It's impossible.

A) Can B) Can´t

Source:http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

MODAL VERBS

1) They ________________ be away for the weekend but I'm not sure. A) MayB) Can

2) You ________________ be right but I'm going to check anyway.C) Might D) Can

3) The exam ________________ be easy. You never know.

E) Might F) Can

4) It ________________ be true about a sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in the Congo. It's impossible.

A) Can B) Can´t

Source:http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

MODAL VERBS

1) They ________________ be away for the weekend but I'm not sure. A) MayB) Can

2) You ________________ be right but I'm going to check anyway.C) Might D) Can

3) The exam ________________ be easy. You never know.

E) Might F) Can

4) It ________________ be true about a sauropod dinosaur living in Lake Telé in the Congo. It's impossible.

A) Can B) Can´t

Source:http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may3.i.htm

Scoring production grammar test• A candidate should not be penalised for a missing third person –s

when the item is testing relative pronouns.

• In other words: Grade what you are supposed to grade!

(Feedback!)

VOCABULARY

Why vocabulary?

• Achievement tests: washback effect!

• Placement tests: lexical items as a prerequisite…

Use a published

test…

Construct one‘s own…

Why vocabulary?

• Achievement tests: washback effect!

• Placement tests: lexical items as a prerequisite…

Use a published

test…

Construct one‘s own…

Specifications

• Achievement tests:Add all the new items!

• Placement tests:Frequency!

Sampling

Frequency

Usefulne

ss

Samplin

g

Items

• Testing recognition ability:

Multiple choice questions:

Recognize synonymsRecognize definitionsRecognize appropiate word for context

Recognize synonyms

Choose an alternative (a, b, c or d)

• Gleama. b. c. d.

gather shine welcone clean

Recognize definitions

• Loathe means:

Dislike intenselyBecome seriously illSearch carefullyLook very angry

• Bill is someone I loathe:

Like very muchDislike intenselyRespectFear

Recognize appropiate word for context • Context, rather than a definition or synonym:

Example:

The strong wind _________ the man's efforts to put up the tent.

a. Disabledb. Hamperedc. Derangedd. Regaled

Items

• Testing production ability:

PicturesDefinitionsGap filling

Pictures

• Examples:

Write down the name of the picture:

_______________________________________

Write down the name of the picture:

_______________________________________

HOW IS THE STREET? CROWDED!

DESCRIBE THIS BEAR

…AWFUL?

…DELICIOUS?

IS THIS FOOD…?

HOW IS THE TANK?

EMPTY!

HOW DO THEY FEEL? RELAXED!

BABY SKIN IS…

SOFT!

IN GROUPS, MENTION AS MANY ADJECTIVES AS YOU CAN REGARDING OUR UNIVERSITY

Definitions

• This may work for a range of lexical items:

• __________ is the second of the year.• __________ is frozen water.

DefinitionsSolve a crossword…

http://www.educaplay.com/es/recursoseducativos/1242724/vocabulary.htm

Gap filling

• One or more sentences with a single word missing:

Because of the snow, the football match was _______ until the following weekend.

Because of the snow, the football match was p - - - - - - - - until the following weekend.