Welcome to………

1. Welcome to……… Steve Darn 27.04.2013

2. Testing for the Real World Professional Development

3. Session aims To consider how testing and assessment reflect changes in the way English is taught. To consider how far testing and assessment contribute towards the real-world purpose of language learning. To suggest some alternative types of assessment and discuss when and why you would use them Professional Development

4. A Test on Testing 10. How have you felt while doing this test? Professional Development

5. Things have changed Accuracy Fluency Language Skills Teacher-centred Student-centred Separation Integration Examination subject Life-skill Product Process Professional Development

6. Assessing Process Professional Development

7. Balance – Summative vs Formative Summative Tests Formative Participation Homework Projects Presentations Assignments Portfolios The good language teacher needs to have an understanding of, and an ability to use, a wide repertoire of test instruments and assessment procedures. The effective evaluation of learner performance in language programmes does not require teachers to make a choice between testing and assessment, but to use the right combination of both. Dave Allen 2003 Professional Development

8. Test as you Teach Professional Development

9. A Writing Test Visuals – for stimulation Short reading text – for input Matching task – for vocabulary Error correction task – for structures Sequencing task – for organizing Guidelines – for task completion Writing task Professional Development

10. Types of test Professional Development

11. An Optical Illusion Is the yellow circle in the right-hand flower bigger?

12. What is the Norm?

13. Changing the Norm – are you for the high-jump? 2.28m / 1.86m Professional Development

14. The Forgotten Test Today, English proficiency can hardly be thought of as an economic advantage at all. It is certainly no longer a marker of the elite. Instead, it is increasingly a basic skill needed for the entire workforce, in the same way that literacy was transformed in the last two centuries from an elite privilege to a basic requirement for informed citizenship. The English Proficiency Index 2010 Professional Development

15. Aptitude Aptitude has been poorly regarded among language teachers because it has been perceived as anti-egalitarian. The bulk of language teaching materials have assumed that all learners are the same. Professional Development

16. Can you learn a new language? “ba” is “one” “baba” is “two” “dee” is “three” “tu” is “twenty” “ti” is “thirty” “tu-ba” is “twenty-one” in this language -- because “tu” is twenty and “ba” is one. “ti-ba” is “thirty-one “ – because “ti” is thirty and “ba” is one. Professional Development

17. No cheating!!!!!! Professional Development

18. Of course you can! a. thirty-one (31) b. thirty-three (33) c. two (2) d. twenty-three (23) Professional Development

19. MLAT Number Learning measures memory as well as an “auditory alertness” factor which would affect auditory comprehension of a foreign language. Phonetic Script measures sound-symbol association ability, which is the ability to learn correlations between a speech sound and written symbols. Spelling Clues/Hidden Words tests vocabulary knowledge of English as well as sound-symbol association ability. Words in Sentences measures sensitivity to grammatical structure without using any grammatical terminology. Paired Associates measures rote memorization ability Professional Development

20. Contacting the Real World – Mission Control! Mission 1: Finding a penpal Aims To introduce yourself through a piece of personalised writing with a good degree of accuracy To have your poster ‘published’ in two IH schools To set up a contact through which you can use English on a regular basis for a real communicative reason Professional Development

21. A real use for Facebook Prepare a poster with a picture of yourself and some information about you. Include the following information: 1. Introduce yourself 2. Say you are from Turkey and what your level is3. Say something about your hobbies, job etc4. Say that you are looking for a penpal and also say why you want one5. Include your email address so that your new penpal can contact you! Go to our website:http://www.ilsizmir.com/ Click on ‘Şubelerimiz’ Choose TWO cities from the list of schools. Email your poster to your teacher and say which cities you want your poster to go to. Your teacher will send your poster. Professional Development

22. Mission Accomplished – Newcastle, Milan, New York, La Spezia, Auckland, Dublin…. Professional Development

23. More Missions Arrange a night out by phone E-mail a hotel in an English speaking country and enquire about prices Write a hotel review and post it to tripadvisor.com. Write your favourite recipe and post it on mydish.co.uk and/or you make a video and post it on YouTube.com. I'm very happy now:))it's fantastic:) Professional Development

24. Conclusions A more ‘critical thinking’ approach to assessment A closer relationship between teaching and testing More attention to acceptable standards More attention to the purpose of testing The development of alternative means of assessment Professional Development

25. Thank you for listening stevedarn@gmail.com www.stevedarn.com Professional Development