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My Comments 4

posted by Յուրա Գանջալյան on Mon, 25/02/2013 - 10:34

 

         New assessment tasks
Submitted by aaltugan on 22 February, 2013 - 02:35
We all know how assessment is important as a motivating factor. However, students are required to take a multiple choice English exam to enter a school, college or a university so how it is possible to encourage and motivate students to focus on four skills. English language or any other language cannot be tested by a multiple choice exam. These tasks should be renewed and assessing four skill exams like Cambridge ESOL exams or Edexcel exams should be taken into consideration. As teacher we should create our assessment tasks to help student to get motivated in the right way to practice all skills.

 

Comments

janaj's picture
janaj
Manageability

Submitted on 22 February, 2013 - 15:14

Alltugan, you have rised a very serious question. I 100% agree with you. Can you give any examples of changes you find manageable a acceptable by all parties?
brankas's picture
brankas
Dear aaltugan

Submitted on 23 February, 2013 - 03:30

You are making an excellent point. This is a problem in Croatia as well. We seem to forget sometimes that the point of learning a language is to be able to use it...
nosirjon's picture
nosirjon
Good point

Submitted on 23 February, 2013 - 21:09

Thanks for the post aaltugan. Every teacher would be agree with you on your concern. This is the case in Uzbekistan also. There are multiple choice exams for colleges and universities. But in local school textbooks the end of unit tests include tasks for all skills. I think it is up to the teacher to create his or her own type of assessmen tasks that incorporates the assessment of all for skillls.
YuraGanjalyan's picture
YuraGanjalyan
Let's go back to the origin of multiple choice tests

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 10:15

Multiple choice tests were initially created to examine a great number of applicants in as short time as possible. They are only needed for entrance exams in Armenia. But I think there is no need to give our students multiple choice tests. We know what they know and what they don't know. These tests do not teach anything. It is a waste of time. When doing a multiple choice test we shut our mouths, command our ears to hear only without listening, turn off the right side (the creative one) of our brains and open our eyes extraordinarily wide not to miss any tiny word or article because missing that tiny article, prefix, suffix or preposition might have a destructive influence on our near future. I have never liked multiple choice tests. To prove the uselessness of multiple choice tests I once took an online multiple choice test to examine my knowledge in Italian. My score was 47 out of 100. I needed some 13 points more to pass the test. The question is that, besides "bonjorno" and "arivederci" I don't know any Italian at all.
aaltugan's picture
aaltugan
manageability

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 15:27

I know to test four skills require a lot of time but we have to find a way to test form skills instead of grammar. Unfortunately, students and even lots of teachers are exam motivated therefore. As a result, testing all skills should be objective and we have this much technology so we should be able to save time by preparing tests. What do you think Jana?
aaltugan's picture
aaltugan
manageability

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 15:27

I know to test four skills require a lot of time but we have to find a way to test form skills instead of grammar. Unfortunately, students and even lots of teachers are exam motivated therefore. As a result, testing all skills should be objective and we have this much technology so we should be able to save time by preparing tests. What do you think Jana?
aaltugan's picture
aaltugan
manageability

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 15:28

I know to test four skills require a lot of time but we have to find a way to test form skills instead of grammar. Unfortunately, students and even lots of teachers are exam motivated therefore. As a result, testing all skills should be objective and we have this much technology so we should be able to save time by preparing tests. What do you think Jana?
aaltugan's picture
aaltugan
I definitely agree, the

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 15:31

I definitely agree, the distracting choices are chaotic as well. They do not test the language. the question is how we can change this system.
tanja_madjarova's picture
tanja_madjarova
Hi all

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 20:28 New

Am confused by this discussion - are you saying that multiple-choice Qs do not teach anything? For give me but I would be to disagree. They can be a real test of testing reading/listening comprehension skills if designed properly. Examples? Just have a look at FCE/CAE/CPE relevant sections. How about inference Qs? Or tone/attitude Qs? So much to test through them! Even grammar and vocab in those tests are a real challenge and even if there is the element of 'guessing', Use of English does give an insight into ss' linguistic strengths and weaknesses.

I agree that open-ended Qs(essays, open ended answers to L or R comprehension Qs) are also a good way of testing language but they are not perfect either because especially with essay writing there is so much subjectivity in assessment.

I would agree with you when you say that standardized/multiple-choice tests are a waste of time only if the tests have been poorly designed and do not test anything.

secretriver's picture
secretriver
Dear Aaltugan I also agree

Submitted on 24 February, 2013 - 20:45 New

Dear Aaltugan I also agree for 100% with your opinion. Multiple choice test is not a major assessment tool not only for English but for any other subject as well. English as we all know is a subject in action. Some major universities are also using multiple choice questions during their entrance exams, I think it is because multiple choice tests are less expensive and easily automated. Some students who apply for English department do the multiple choice in English and other students who apply for e.g. history faculty do the same test. And most of the applicants are good at English grammar only and they do not have enough skills in reading, speaking, writing and listening. I think in order to study at an English department applicants must have at least satisfactory level of all four skills.
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