TASK 5 Testing Spoken and Written Production

TESTING SPOKEN AND WRITTEN SKILLS The productive skill of speaking is not easy to test. It demands time for testing or assessing each learner and there are other several factors such having huge groups that make testing productive skills more challenging. Furthermore, “Questions relating to the criteria for measuring the speaking skills and to the weighting given to such components as correct pronunciation remain largely unanswered” (J. B.Heaton,1991) What to say about the written production? Writing is a complex and sometimes difficult skill not only to grade but also to teach it. Written production involves the application of other skills such as grammar, vocabulary, “…as well as conceptual and judgemental elements” (J. B. Heaton, 1991) In order to identify what elements an English teacher may use for testing and assessing productive skills from English learners, read the bibliography we have been using related to designing tests (Arthur Hughes, 1992) and visit the page www.rubistar.4teachers.org where you may find different resources to develop or adapt your rubrics for testing or assessing English learners.  INSTRUCTIONS. For task 5, Part A and C are planned to be done by your own. Part B is to be developed here. PART B. Using the rubrics you have developed, grade the following spoken and written works.  DEADLINE: May 11th.                                               Conversation between two students from                                           basic level .  These are examples of written production taken from English exams applied to university students from Accounting, 2010. INSTRUCTIONS. Read the letter from your friend George and reply to him briefly. Hi my friend! Guess what? I have got a new job! Do you remember that letter I wrote to the paper? Well, the manager of a local computer company read it and offered me a job! The company is doing very well at the moment and they really need people with experience. I’m not working now – it’s my lunch break – so I´m writing a few e-mails to my friends to tell them the news. I’m a technical support engineer and I help customers with their computers problems. It’s only my first week, so I’m still learning about all the products, but I really like it here. I work quite long days, but I don’t work at the weekends. Anyway, I have to go- the phone is ringing. George Answer from Cesar: Dear George… Work only in you like. You can became a good worker in the company You can help to the company I have a work, this is in the school, my work is of the teacher, I get up early for go to my work This work is interesting, beacuas I interactive with the students and I like. Thank you for write me See you later. Answer from Lety: Dear George… I hope you are very well, you are my best friend and I like that you have a new job, I hope you work a long time. I hope to see you soon. Best Wishes. Your friend Lety

TASK 4. Testing listening

TASK 4

TESTING LISTENING

"Because it is a receptive skill, the testing of listening parallels in most ways the testing of reading." (Arthur Hughes, 1992) 

-   Is it possible to test listening without considering speaking? Why?

-  What microskills are you including in your test?

-   What type of texts are you going to use?

-   Which techniques do you consider most appropriate for the level you are designing your test?

We continue working with the same bibliography. 
Do not forget to include the references of extra materials you are using.