Page 292 - Teaching English as a Foreign Language for Dummies 2009

Chapter 18: Putting Students to the Test
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Figure 18-1:
A typical matching vocabulary exercise.
I am not sure if I should wear my coat because the weather is so . . . (change).
• Rewrite the sentence so that the meaning is the same but include the word in bold.
Although it was raining, John still went to play tennis. Despite . . .
✓ Translation: This isn’t very common in TEFL but it may be an appropri- ate test for more advanced students. The text for translation should include idiomatic expressions that reveal a student’s ability to under- stand the more subtle nuances of the language.
✓ Essays: Essays test writing skills, as well as spelling, vocabulary and grammar. It’s quite important that an essay doesn’t become a test of imagination or creativity. During the marking stage, focus on specific language skills rather than level of interest. You can establish the criteria for awarding points beforehand so that you judge fairly.
✓ Presentation: Students can prepare a short presentation on a chosen topic. This is an effective way of exercising speaking ability and can bal- ance out the nerves that poor writers have when they take written tests. A combination of tests should give everybody a chance to shine.
✓ Pair work tests: When the course is primarily based on speaking, it may be unfair to test achievement through writing, so pairing students to demonstrate communication skills is a good alternative. Students can talk to teach each other to achieve the task while the teacher monitors and supervises. For example:
✓ Discuss which present is best for a new student at university: money (£50) two course books a strong rucksack
Write the number of a shape/shapes next to an adjective it describes For example: triangular –2
1) 2) 3) 4)
– 3 dimensional – curved
– symmetrical