MC ELT 4

Teaching and Assessment of

Literature Studies

Module for BSED - ENGLISH 2 Students

JESSICA M. ALCANTARA
Faculty, College of Education
DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA, SR. MEMORIAL STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
AND TECHNOLOGY
Cabitan, Mandaon, Masbate
 Preliminary Notes
Dear student,
Welcome to School Year 2021-2022!
As we embrace the new normal, many challenges in the new educational
landscape await us in particular and in practice. In particular, the availability of
different educational platforms and in practice, the use of these modalities in
flexible learning are taken into consideration to address your learning needs.
This 18-week module in MC ELT 4- Teaching and Assessment of Literature
Studies is prepared to answer your needs in literature assessment and
evaluation and test construction focusing on four macro skills: listening, speaking,
reading and writing. All learning tasks are formulated based on the intended
learning outcomes. At the end of this module, you are expected to define key
concepts related to language and literature assessment; identify language
assessment and assessment tools; explore approaches to language testing and
the principles in the preparation of good tests; differentiate quantitative and
qualitative analyses; identify the different types of tests for receptive and
productive skills; prepare samples for each skill; identify types of literature tests
and prepare literature tests using the prescribed literature testing format.
It is hoped that all activities and learning tasks are properly answered and
accomplished before you proceed to the next module.
If there are gray areas in the topics presented, your instructor is just a phone call
away to help you. As what William Butler Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of
a pail but the lighting of a fire”. With this, your passion for learning is all that is
important for your instructor to perform his/her teaching job.
Enjoy your academic journey and make it a rewarding one.

JESSICA M. ALCANTARA, D.A.

Faculty

NOTICE: No part of this module may be reproduced and distributed in any form or by any means including
electronic or mechanical methods without written permission from the faculty.

This is exclusively distributed to the BSED- English 2 students of the Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial
State College of Agriculture and Technology-College of Education (Main Campus), Mandaon, Masbate.
Module Overview

Literature is an integral part in teaching a language. This module on

the Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies is designed among Bachelor of Secondary
Education students taking English as their field of specialization. It focuses on the four macro skills
such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. Assessment and evaluation activities in this
module are based on these macro skills to provide the students with the necessary information on
test construction and preparation of good tests particularly in language and literature.
It is hoped that this module will provide meaningful insights to BSED students in the
teaching and assessment of literature.

Desired Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

a. Appreciate strategies in teaching literature.
b. Apply various concepts and principles in the teaching and assessment of literature
studies.
c. Prepare assessment tools in written texts.

Preliminary Task
Give at least FIVE reasons why assessment and evaluation are essential components
of the teaching-learning process.

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Week 1

Content focus

Lesson 1

Principles and Purposes of Language Assessment

Specific Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, students are expected to:
a. Define key concepts related to language assessments.
b. Explain principles for student assessment and evaluation.
c. Discuss the purposes of assessment.
d. State the functions of language tests.

Key concepts to language assessments

The following terms are used in this module to facilititate the understanding on language and
literature assessment. These are assessment, testing, language testing, measurement and
evaluation. Various authors have defined these terms in varied ways.

Assessment
According to to Go and Posecion, assessment is referred to as the act of gathering information on
a daily basis in order to understand individual student’s learning and needs.

Testing
The term is referred to as procedures that are based on tests. ( Mildred B. Go and Ofelia T.
Posecion)

Language Testing
The term is defined as “the practice and study of evaluating the proficiency of an individual in using
a particular language effectively.” (Priscilla Allen as cited by Mildred B. Go and Ofelia T. Posecion)

Measurement
As defined by Go and Posecion, measurement includes testing and other types of measurement,
as well as other types of information that result in quantitative data such as attendance, records,
questionnaires, teacher ratings of students, etc.

Evaluation
The term refers to the culminating act of interpreting the information gathered for the purpose of
making decisions or judgments about students’ learning and needs, often at reporting time.
(Mildred B. Go and Ofelia T. Posecion)

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION PRINCIPLES

The following principles aim to assist teachers in planning for student assessment and evaluation:
  Assessment and evaluation are essential components of the teaching-learning process.
They should be planned, continuous activities which are derived from curriculum objectives
and consistent with the instructional and learning strategies.

 A variety of assessment and evaluation techniques should be used. Techniques should be

selected for their appropriateness to students’ learning styles and to the intended purposes
Students should be given opportunities to demonstrate the extent of their knowledge,
abilities, and attitudes in a variety of ways.

 Teachers should communicate assessment and evaluation strategies and plan in advance,
informing the students of the objectives and the assessment procedures relative to the
objectives. Students should have opportunities for input into the evaluation process.

 Assessment and evaluation should be fair and equitable. They should be sensitive to
family, classroom, school and community situations and to cultural or gender requirements,
they should be free of bias.

 Assessment and evaluation should help students. They should provide positive feedback
and encourage students to participate actively in their own assessment in order to foster
lifelong learning and enable them to transfer knowledge and abilities to their life
experiences.

 Assessment and evaluation data and results should be communicated to students and
parents/guardians regularly, in meaningful ways.

 Assessment and evaluation should use a variety of techniques and tools. The teacher
collects assessment information about students’ language development and their growth in
speaking, listening, writing, and reading knowledge and abilities. The data gathered during
assessment becomes the basis for an evaluation. Comparing assessment information to
curriculum objectives allows the teacher to make a decision or judgment regarding the
progress of a student’s learning.

PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT

 Assessment for learning

This focuses on the gap between where a learner is in his/her learning, and where he/she
needs to be - the desired goal. The assessment can be done through the following
processes:
Sharing criteria with learners
Effective questioning
Feedback
It is defined by Black and William as cited by Go and Posecion that assessment for learning
refers to ‘all those activities undertaken by teachers and/or by their students, which provide
information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which
they are engaged.

Remember this quote:

Learners learn best when…

they understand clearly what they are trying to learn, and

what is expected of them.

they are given feedback about the quality of their work and
what they can do to make it better.
 they are given advice about how to go about making

 Assessment as learning
This is about reflecting on evidence of learning. This is described as part of the cycle of
assessment where pupils and staff take the following activities:

set learning goals

share learning intentions and success criteria
evaluate their learning through dialogue and self and peer assessment.

As such, according to Go and Posecion, learners become more aware of what they learn,
how they learn and what helps them learn.

 Assessment of learning
This involves working with the range of available evidence that enables staff and the wider
assessment community to check on students’ progress and using this information in a
number of ways.

In this purpose, it also provides an arena for the management and planning of assessment,
and for teachers to work collaboratively with the evidence. It connects assessment with the
curriculum.

As explained by Go and Posecion, judgments about students’ learning need to be

dependable. On the other hand, these are valid (based on sound criteria); reliable (based
on accuracy of assessment and practice); comparable (they stand up when compared to
judgments in other departments or schools).

FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE TESTS

Tests are essential parts of assessment and their functions are but important to
identify clearly.
 In learning
These are the functions of tests along this area:
 To measure students’ language ability
 To discover how much they have been learning
 To diagnose students’ strenghts and weaknesses
 To motivate students in learning

Language teachers use tests in varied ways:

 They sometimes choose to test students through periodic quizzes and tests of
achievement.
  At other times, they assess students’ language proficiency (their global ability to use
the foreign or second language) maybe after the end of several years of language
study.
 At other times, they use tests for placement and diagnostic reasons and other
purposes.

 In teaching
A. Along this area, tests are used in teaching as a means to
 ensure effective teaching
 Improve teaching quality
 obtain feedback on student learning place on a course.

B. Can have a backwash effect

This may result in changes of instructional programs or teaching practices to reflect the
test contents because language teachers want their students to do well on high stakes tests for
many different reasons.

 In research
Tests have a potentially important role in all research, both basic and applied, that is
related to the nature of
 language proficiency. The term refers to the ability to use a language
spontaneously for real-world purposes
(https://languages.wisc.edu/proficiency/)

 language processing. This refers to an intricate cognitive function that

appears to be sensitive to different sorts of information, some linguistic, some
not.( Josée Poirier, Lewis P. Shapiro, in Cognition and Acquired Language
Disorders, 2012)

 language acquisition. This term can be defined in varied ways by the

following authorities:
The psychologist views language acquisiton as a window on the operation of
the human mind but for researchers who accept this emergentist approach,
the goal of language acquisition studies is to understand how regularities in
linguistic form emerge from the operation of low-level physical, neural, and
social processes. (Macwhinney, Brian "Language Acquisition ." Encyclopedia
of Education. . Encyclopedia.com. 11 Aug. 2020
https://www.encyclopedia.com).

 language attrition. This can be defined as a reduction, weakening or loss of

a first, second, third, or more language in an individual person or in a
community (Schmid and Kopke, 2017).

 language teaching or its short form LT. The term provides its definition in
principle and in practice. In principle, the term refers to instruction in any
LANGUAGE under formal or informal conditions; in practice, the term is
commonly used among language teachers and applied linguists
("LANGUAGE TEACHING ." Concise Oxford Companion to the English
 Language. . Encyclopedia.com. 11 Aug. 2020
<https://www.encyclopedia.com>.)

In a nutshell

Assessment and evaluation are vital in a teaching-learning process. They must be

planned, used with varied techniques and tools, provided with inputs, observed fairness,
provided positive feedback from the students, be communicated to students and parents or
guardians regularly in meaningful ways. Moreover, the purposes of assessment vary based
on the teaching and learning activities. These can be assessment for learning, assessment
asLearning
learning Task
and assessment
1 of learning. In these activities tests are essential parts of
assessment in learning, in teaching and in research.
Learning Task 1
Discuss the following questions:
1. How do you differentiate assessment and evaluation?
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2. What principles in assessment and evaluation should teachers observe?
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3. What are the functions of tests in learning, in teaching and in research?
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Learning Task 2

Identify the correct word or group of words in each sentence.

1. The act of gathering information on a daily basis in order to understand individual students’
learning and needs is called _______________.

2. When procedures are based on tests, this key concept is known as ________.

3. This is referred to as the practice and study of evaluating the proficiency of an individual in
using a particular language effectively.

4. When this key concept includes testing and other types of measurement, this is called
_____________.

5. The key concept which is described as the culminating act of interpreting the information
gathered for the purpose of making judgments about students’ learning and needs.

6. This principle on assessment and evaluation should be free of bias.

7. If this assessment focuses on the gap between where a learner is in his/her learning, and
where he/she needs to be - the desired goal, it is said to be _______.

8. This assessment tells about reflecting on evidence of learning.

9.This is considered as an essential part of assessment.

10.It is referred to as the ability to use a language spontaneously for real-world purposes

SELF-REFLECT:
Please answer the following questions:
1. What meaningful insights have you gained from this module?
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2.Do you find the topics easy to understand or not? Expound your answer.
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REFERENCES:

Go, Mildred B. and Ofelia T. Posecion. English Language and Literature Assessment:
A Comprehensive Guide, Lorimar Publishing, Inc. 2010.

______________https://languages.wisc.edu/proficiency/

"LANGUAGE TEACHING ." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. .

Encyclopedia.com. 11 Aug. 2020 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
Macwhinney, Brian "Language Acquisition ." Encyclopedia of Education. . Encyclopedia.com. 11
Aug. 2020 https://www.encyclopedia.com).

Poirier, Josée and Lewis P. Shapiro, in Cognition and Acquired Language Disorders: Linguistic and
Psycholinguistic Foundations, 2012 accessed at
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/language-processing on
September 8, 2020).

Schmid, Monika S. and Barbara Köpke.

 The relevance of first language attrition to theories of bilingual development, Linguistic
Approaches to Bilingualism, 10.1075/lab.17058.sch, 7, 6, (637-667), (2017).

Week 2

Content Focus

LESSON 2
Types of Language Assessment

Specific learning objectives: At the end of this module, the students are expected to:
a. Identify the kinds of assessment and evaluation.
b. Discuss the different types of assessment tools.
c. Make samples of each tool discussed.
d. Identify the kinds of language tests.
e. Appreciate the value of knowing the various kinds of assessment and evaluation, assessment
tools and language tests.

Preliminary Activity
Select the letter of your best possible answer.
1. This kind of assessment usually occurs at the beginning of the school year and before each
unit of study. A. Diagnostic assessment B. Formative assessment
C. Summative assessment D. Summative judgment
2. The focus of this assessment lies on the processes and products of learning.
A. Summative judgment B. Formative assessment C. Diagnostic assessment
D. Summative assessment
3. This kind of assessment occurs most often at the end of the semester.
A. Formative assessment B. Diagnostic assessment C. Summative assessment
D. Summative judgment
4. Which of the following assessment tools can be used to determine the students’s progress by
their teachers during learning? A. Observation B. Anecdotal records
C. Checklists D. Rating scale
5. These assessment tools are notes written by the teacher regarding student language behavior,
or learning. A. Checklists B. Anecdotal records C. Observation
D. Portfolios
6. The collections of relevant work that reflect students’ individual effeorts, development, and
progress over a designated period of time. A. Rating scale B. Rubrics
C. Checklists D. Portfolios
7. Which of the following activities provide information about the students’ oral progress?
A. Speaking and Listening B. Reading and Writing C. Listening and Reading
D. Speaking and Writing
 8. These language tests are designed to measure people’s ability in a language, regardless of
any training they may have had in that language. A. Proficiency tests B. Diagnostic tests
C. Achievement tests D. Placement tests
9. If the aim of these tests is to identify learners’ strenghts and weaknesses, they are said to be
________A. Achievement tests B. Placement tests C. Proficiency tests D. Diagnostic
tests
10. The following tests belong to achievement tests EXCEPT ____________________
A. Progress achievement tests B. Final achievement tests C. Poq quizzes D. Written
tests

Types of

Language Assessment
Types of Language Assessment

Kinds of Assessment and Evaluation

Diagnostic assessment and Formative assessment and Summative assessment
evaluation evaluation and evaluation
 Usually occur at the  Focus on the  Occur most often at
beginning of the processes and the end of a unit of
school year and products of learning instruction and at
before each unit of term or year end
study  Is continuous and is when students are
meant to inform the ready to demonstrate
student, the achievement of
parent/guardian, and curriculum objectives.
the teacher of the
student’s progress  The main purposes
toward the curriculum are to determine
objectives. knowledge, skills,
abilities, and attitudes
 Provides information that have developed
upon which over a given period of
instructional time; to summarize
decisions and student progress; and
adaptations can be to report this progress
made and provides to students,
students with parents/guardians
directions for future and teachers.
learning.
 The purposes are to  Involvement in  Based upon criteria
determine students’ constructing their own derived from
knowledge and skills, assessment curriculum objectives.
their learning needs, instruments or in By sharing these
and their motivational adapting the ones the objectives with the
and interest level. teacher has made students and
allows students to involving them in
focus on what they designing the
are trying to achieve, evaluation
 develops their instruments, teachers
thinking skills, and enable students to
helps them to understand and
become reflective internalize the criteria
learners. by which their
progress will be
 Peer assessment is a determined.
useful formative
evaluation technique.  assessment and
For peer assessment evaluation results
to be successful, provide both
students must be formative and
provided with summative
assistance and the information
opportunity to strategies.
observe a model peer
assessment session.

 By examining the  Through peer  Similarly, formative

results of diagnostic assessment , evaluation assists
assessment, teachers students have the teachers in making
can determine where opportunity to summative judgments
to begin instruction become critical and about student
and what concepts or creative thinkers who progress and
skills to emphasize. can clearly determining where
 Diagnostic communicate ideas further instruction is
assessment provides and thoughts to necessary for
information essential others. Instruments individuals or groups.
to teachers in such as checklists or
selecting relevant learning logs, and
learning objectives interviews or
and in designing conferences provide
appropriate learning useful data.
experiences for all
students, individually
and as group
members
 Diagnostic
assessment tools:
Writing Strategies
Questionnaire and
Reading
Interest/Attitude
Inventory

Types of Assessment Tools

Assessment Tools
1. Observation  Occurs during students’ daily reading,
writing, listening, and speaking
experiences.

 An obtrusive means by which teachers

(and students) can determine their
 progress during learning.

 Can be recorded as anecdotal notes and

on checklists or rating scales.
2. Anecdotal Records  Notes written by the teacher regarding
student language behaviour, or learning.

 Document and describe significant daily

events, and relevant aspects of student
activity and progress.

 Notes can be taken during student

activities or at the end of the day.

 Formats for collection should be flexible

and easy to use.

Please observe the following guidelines to use

anecdotal records:
 Record the observation and the
circumstance in which the learning
experience occurs.

 Make the task of daily note taking

manageable by focusing on clearly
defined objectives or purposes, and by
identifying only few students to observe
during a designated period of time.

 Record data on loose leaf sheets and

keep these in a three-ring binder with a
page designated for each student and
organized alphabetically by students’ last
names or by class.

 Write the notes on recipe cards and then

file these alphabetically.

 Use adhesive note papers that can be

attached to the student’s pages or recipe
card files.

 Design structured forms for collection of

specific data.

 Use a combination of the above

suggestions.
3. Checklists  Observation checklists, usually completed
while students are engaged in specific
activities or processes, are lists of specific
criteria that teachers focus on at a particular
time or during a particular process.

 Are used to record whether students have

acquired specific knowledge, skills, processes,
abilities, and attitudes.

 Inform teachers about where their instruction

has been successful and where students need
assistance or further instruction. Formats for
checklist should be varied and easy to use.

Please observe the following guidelines to use

checklists:
 Determine the observation criteria from
curriculum, unit, and lesson objective.

 Review specific criteria with students

before beginning the observation.

 Involve students in developing some or

all of the criteria whenever it will be
beneficial to do so.

 Choose criteria that are easily observed

to prevent vagueness and increase
objectivity.

 Use jargon-free language to describe

criteria so that data can be used in
interviews with students and parents.

 Make the observation manageable by

keeping the number of criteria to less
than eight and by limiting the number of
students observed to a few at one time.

 Have students construct and use

checklists for peer and self-assessments.
 Summarize checklist data regularly.

 Use or adapt existing checklists from

other sources.

 Use yes-no checklists to identify whether

a specific action has been completed or if
a particular quality is present.
  Use tally checklists to note the frequency
of the action observed or recorded.

 Construct all checklists with space for

recording anecdotal notes and
comments.

 Record the extent to which specific

criteria have been achieved by the
student or are present in the student’s
work.

 Record the quality of the student’s

performance at a given time or within a
given process.

 Are similar to checklists, and teachers

can often convert checklists into rating
scales by assigning number values to the
various criteria listed.

 Can be designed as number lines or as

holistic scales or rubrics.

 Include criteria that describe each level of

the rating scale and are used to determine
4. Rating Scales and Rubrics student progress in comparison to these
expectations.

 All formats for rating student progress

should be concise and clear.

The following guidelines should be observed

in using rating scales and rubrics:
 Determine specific assessment criteria
from curriculum objectives, components of
a particular activity, or student needs.

 Discuss or develop the specific criteria with

students before beginning the assessment.

 Choose criteria that are easily observed in

order to prevent vagueness and increase
objectivity.

 Select criteria that students have had the

opportunity to practice.

 Use jargon-free language to describe criteria

so that data can be used effectively in
interviews with students and parents.

 Make the assessment manageable by

keeping the number of criteria to less than
 eight and by limiting the number of students
observed to a few at one time.

 Use or adapt rating scales and rubrics from

other sources.

 Use numbered continuums to measure the

degree to which students are successful at
accomplishing a skill or activity.

 Use rubrics when the observation calls for a

holistic rating scale.

 Rubrics describe the attributes of student

knowledge or achievements on a numbered
continuum of possibilities

 Are collections of relevant work that reflect

students’ individual efforts, development,
and progress over a designated period of
time.

 Provide students, teachers, parents, and

administrators with a broad picture of each
5. Portfolios student’s growth over time, including the
student’s abilities, knowledge, skills, and
attitudes.

 Students should be involved in the selection

of work to be included, goal setting for
personal learning, and self-assessment.

 The teacher can encourage critical thinking

by having students decide which of their
works to include in their portfolios and
explain why they chose those particular
items.

 Instruction and assessment are integrated

as students and teachers collaborate to
compile relevant and individual portfolios for
each student.

Guidelines:
 Brainstorm with students to discover
what they already know about portfolios.

 Share samples of portfolios with

students.

 Provide students with an overview of

portfolio assessment prior to beginning
their collections.

 Collaborate with students to set up

 guidelines for the content of portfolios
and establish evaluation criteria for their
portfolio collections.

 Consider the following:

*purpose of the portfolio
*the audience/s for the portfolio
*contents of the portfolio
*criteria for selecting a piece of work for
inclusion and the time should those
selections be made
* the person who will determine what items
are included in the portfolio
* the time the items should be added or
removed
* the process in which the contents be
organized and documented and the place
the portfolios be stored
* the criteria for evaluation of the portfolio
* the form that will feedback to the students
take
*the process the portfolio be
assessed/evaluated

 Assemble examples of work that

represent a wide range of students’
developing abilities, knowledge, and
attitudes including samples of work from
their speaking, listening, reading, writing,
representing, and viewing experiences.

 Date all items for effective organization

and reference.

 Inform parents/guardians about the use

and purposes of portfolios

 Consider the following for inclusion

* criteria for content selection
* table of contents or captioned labels
that briefly outline or identify the
contents
* samples of student writing
* sample reading logs
*samples of a variety of responses from
reader response journals
*evidence of student self-reflection
* audiotapes and videotapes of student
work
*photographs
*collaborative projects
* computer disks

Formats for portfolio assembly should be easily

organized, stored, and accessed. Some
 possibilities include the following:
1. Keep file folders or accordion folders in
classroom filing cabinet drawers,
cupboards, or boxes.
2. Use three-ring binders for ease of adding
and removing items as students progress.
3. Store scrapbooks in boxes or crates.

 May be more heavily emphasized

depending upon the particular unit or
activities.

 Teachers, possibly in collaboration with

their students, will determine the way
that the unit will be evaluated; however,
it is important that students know from
the beginning how they will be assessed
and evaluated.

6. Speaking and Listening

 Are productive means of assessing
individual achievement and needs.

 Interview questions can be developed to

meet the needs of specific students and
to fit the curriculum objectives.

 Criteria should be developed and/or

discussed with students at the outset of
activities such as written reports, visual
representations, oral presentations, or
7. Interviews/conferences projects which combine more than one
aspect of language use and
understanding.

 Teachers may assess the attitudes, skill

development, knowledge, or learning
processes demonstrated by students as
they engage in language activities.
8. Projects and presentations
 Data gathered during student activities
can be recorded as anecdotal notes, on
checklists, rating scales, or by using a
combination of these.

 Are most often used for assessing

students’ knowledge of content;
however, they may be used to assess
processes, skills, and attitudes.
  Tests whether they are oral or written
must represent students’ achievement
as accurately as possible.
 Formats for test items should be varied;
each type is most effective at assessing
and evaluating student progress when
used in conjunction with the other types.

9. Quizzes, Tests, and Examinations Guidelines:

 Construct test items to accommodate the
different ways that students learn and
demonstrate what they have learned or
can do.

 Ensure that test items measure

curriculum objectives accurately and
fairly.

 Use a variety of test formats ensuring

that they are appropriate to the
objective/s being measured.

 State test items clearly and precisely so

that students know what it is they are to
do.

 Construct test items that allow students

to demonstrate and apply what they have
learned.

 Provide opportunities to build necessary

scaffolds for students who were unable
to demonstrate successfully their
knowledge and abilities, so that they can
be successful next time.

 Use oral assessment when written

responses are not feasible or in
situations where criteria can best be
assessed through oral responses.

 Use performance test items when

students are required to demonstrate
competence directly.

 Construct open-ended response items

when it is appropriate for students to
respond in personal ways.

 Ask students to demonstrate their

learning using progress checks.

 Ask short-answer questions when

students are required to supply a specific
 answer to a specific question.

Kinds of Language Tests

1.Proficiency tests are designed to measure people’s ability in a language, regardless of any
training they may have had in that language.

2. Achievement tests are directly related to language courses, their purpose being to establish
how successful individual students, groups of students, or the courses themselves
have been in achieving objectives.
2.A. Final achievement tests are those administered at the end of a course of study.
2.B. Progress achievement tests are intended to measure the progress that students are
making.
3. Diagnostic tests are used to identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses.

4. Placement tests are intended to provide information that will help to place students at the
stage (or in the part) of the teaching program most appropriate to their abilities.
Typically, they are used to assign students to classes at different levels.

In a nutshell

There are three kinds of assessment and evaluation that usually occur
throughout the school year: diagnostic, formative and summative. Moreover,
a number of assessment tools can be used by both the teacher and the
students in data collection. These can be done through observation, use of
anecdotal records, checklists, rating scales and rubrics, portfolios, speaking
and listening, interviews/conferences, projects and presentations, quizzes,
tests, and examinations. Language tests can be categorized into proficiency
tests, achievement tests, diagnostic tests and placement tests. Their
categorization are based on the types of information that they provide.

Learning Task 1

Based on your understanding of the topics presented, explain the following questions:

1. What are the significance of conducting diagnostic, formative and summative assessment
and evaluation?
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2. What are the different assessment tools that can be used by both the teacher and the
students in data collection? Be able to discuss each tool.
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3. How do language tests assess your language performance?
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Learning Task 2
Prepare an E-portfolio for your summative evaluation and submit it on or before the mid-term
exam. This will be your PROJECT for the mid-term.

Learning Task 2
Conduct an online interview with your instructor focusing on the assessment tools he/she is
using in classroom instruction. Please be guided by the following format:

Name of Faculty:_____________________________________________________________
Subjects taught: _____________________________________________________________
Date and time of interview:_____________________________________________________
Guide questions: (Please formulate at least FIVE questions in your interview guide)

SELF-REFLECT
1. What did you learn from this module?
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2. How did you find the topics and activities?
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REFERENCE:

Go, Mildred B. and Ofelia T. Posecion. English Language and Literature Assessment:
A Comprehensive Guide, Lorimar Publishing, Inc. 2010.
 Week 3 -4
Content Focus

LESSON 3
Language Testing: Approaches and Techniques

 Approaches to Language Testing

 The Essay-Translation Approach

Characteristics and Types of Tests in Essay-Translation Approach

 Commonly referred to as the pre-scientific stage of language testing
 No special skill or expertise in testing is required
 Tests usually consist of essay writing, translation, and grammatical analysis.
 Tests have a heavy literary and cultural bias.
 Public examinations resulting from the tests using this approach sometimes have an
oral component at the upper intermediate and advance levels.

Strengths of Essay-Translation Approach

This approach is easy to follow because teachers will simply use their subjective judgment.
The essay-translation approach may be used for testing any level of examinees.
The model of tester can easily be modified based on the essentials of the tests.

Weaknesses of Essay-Translation Approach

Subjective judgment of teachers tends to be biased.
As mentioned, the tests have a heavy literary and cultural bias.

2. The Structuralist Approach

Characteristics and Types of Tests
Views that language learning is chiefly concerned with a systematic acquisition of a set of
habits.
Involves structural linguistics which stresses the importance of constructive analysis and the
need to identify and measure the learners’ mastery of the separate elements of the
target language such as phonology, vocabulary and grammar.
Testing the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing is separate from another as much
as possible.
The psychometric approach to measurement with its emphasis on reliability and objectivity
forms an integral part of structuralist testing.

Strengths of Structuralist Approach

 In testing students’ capability, this approach may objectively and surely be used by
testers.
 Many forms of tests can be covered in the test in a short time.
 Using this approach in testing will help students find their strengths and weaknesses in
every skill they study.
Weaknesses of Structuralist Approach
 It tends to be a complicated job for teachers to prepare questionnaires using this
approach.
 Considers measuring non-integrated skills more than integrated skills.

3. The Integrative Approach

Characteristics and Types of Tests
 Involves the testing of language in context and is thus concerned primarily with
meaning and the total communicative effect of discourse.
 Integrative tests are concerned with a global view of proficiency.
 Involves functional language but not the use of functional language
 The use of cloze test, dictation, oral interview, translation and essay writing are
Note: Week 9 – MID-TERM EXAMINATION

Week 10-11

LESSON 6
Qualitative Analysis
A. Purpose
Not all topics in language and literature can be measured statistically. Viewpoints,
actions and characteristics can’t always be represented numerically and so need
a qualitative approach.
B. Categories of Approaches
1. Reflections-is aimed at gaining an insight into the thinking processes and
opinions of the test taker
2. Verbal reports (verbal protocols)- a way of collecting qualitative data. They offer
an insight into the thought processes of informants.

Variables:
▪ Talk aloud: informants voice their thoughts
▪ Think aloud: Informants voice their thoughts as well as other information, i.e. physical
movements
▪ Concurrent: The verbal report is given in real time
▪ Retrospective: The verbal report is given afterwards
▪ Mediated: The researcher occasionally intervenes
▪ Non-mediated : The researcher does not intervene
Some pointers when using verbal reports in test analysis:
Before
1. Consider language: Will the informant be able to voice his/her thoughts in an
L2?
2. Is a concurrent verbal report more suitable than a retrospective one or vice
versa?
During
1. Tell the informants what a verbal report is.
2. Give the informants the opportunity to practice before the real report starts.
3. Give feedback after the try outs.
After
1. Try to process the data as quickly as possible.
2. In any case, make notes for future reference.

Some pitfalls to look out for:

1. Verbal reports may obstruct the test simulation.
2. Vague reports might be of no value.
3. Certain variables might go unnoticed during the verbal report.
4. Get the informants’ contact details so you can ask for additional information.
5. Too much data is hard to process. Try organizing it by working with initial
hypotheses.

3. Diary studies
Informants keep a diary which allows researchers to get an insight into their
thoughts. Diaries are not often used in test validation research, but they have
proven their worth in research into learning processes.
Number of Varieties:
 Unstructured: The informant is free to write what he/she wants in whatever
format.
 Guided: The researcher gives the informant guidelines
  Structured: The researcher offers the informant a diary form with closed and
open-form questions.
C. Techniques for Monitoring Student Progress
Self-assessment promotes students’ abilities to assume more responsibility to
identify where they believe they have been successful and where they believe
they require assistance.
Peer assessment allows students to collaborate and learn from others.

Some effective techniques for monitoring student progress in the areas of oracy and
literacy include the following:
1. Make video and audio recordings of a variety of formal and informal oral
language experiences, and then assess these according to pre-determined
criteria which are based upon student needs and curriculum objectives.
2. Use checklists as concise methods of collecting information, and rating scales
or rubrics to assess student achievement.
3. Record anecdotal comments to provide useful data based upon observation of
students’ oral activities.
4. Interview students to determine what they believe they do well or areas in which
they need to improve.
5. Have students keep portfolios of their dated writing samples and language
abilities checklists and records.
6. Keep anecdotal records of students’ reading and writing activities and
experiences.
7. Have students write in reader response journals.
8. Confer with students during the writing and reading processes and observe them
during peer conferences.

D. Types of Qualitative Analysis

1. Conversation analysis (CA)
2. Discourse analysis
3. Test language analysis
4. Task characteristics

Conversation analysis
The assumption is that every interaction is contextual and has a stable and
predictable nature. CA focuses on talk, i.e. speaking tests.
a. From a transcript, the power relations can be researched by analysing
 The structure of adjacency pairs
 Turn-taking
b. Some possible pitfalls to look out for with CA
 Data quality-The speech recording has to be clear
 Loss of data-The original recording should be kept for future reference.
 Time- Transcripts are very time-consuming to compose and to research.
 Limited generalizability- Each interaction is different, so it is hard to draw
general conclusions.
Discourse analysis (DA)
DA is the analysis of “text and talk as social practices” and is mainly concerned
with power relations, gender inequalities etc. In DA the transcript of an
interaction is analyzed for adjacency pairs, turn-taking and repair. Special
attention is paid to:
 The effect of examiner behavior on test taker performance;
 The effect of test taker characteristics on performance;
 The effect of task type on performance; and
 Comparing test taker language ability outside of test to test performance.

Test language analysis

 An analysis of test input or test taker responses for lexical richness, rhetoric,
genre, discourse markers, grammatical complexity, etc.
When using this type of sample analysis, pay attention to:
 Time-Test language analysis is very time-consuming.
 Data- Processing data is more efficient if you know what you are looking for.
Task characteristics
This type of validation research helps to examine the test tasks and to determine
to which extent they correspond to the test goal.
The analysis is performed by a number of expert judges who determine the task
quality.

Bachman & Palmer (1996) suggest a framework of analysis which considers the
following:
 the setting (physical setting, participants, time, etc.)
 the rubric (language, complexity and clarity of evaluation procedure)
 The test input (length and characteristics of language)
 the expected response
 Relationship between expected and actual response
When analyzing a test for its task characteristics, consider the following:
the framework should be adjusted to each different test.
the judges have to be competent and experienced test designers.

Feedback Methods
1. Questionnaires gather data such as opinions and views that can also be
gathered through interviews. The main advantage of questionnaire is the
possibility to use a very large informant population
Types:
Closed- the informant replies to the questions by ticking boxes or by marking a
scale.
Open- The informant replies in his/her own words
Before administering the actual questionnaire, it is useful to run it through the
following process:
 Consider all possible issues that your questionnaire should cover.
 Write a draft.
 Eliminate questions that do not address the questionnaire purpose.
 Group the questions thematically to spot overlaps.
 Format the questionnaire and administer it to a small group of target
respondents for feedback.
 Rewrite the questionnaire.
Always avoid:
 Double-barreled questions
 Unclear instructions
 Questions that do not apply to the respondent
 Questions that rely on memory
 Hypothetical questions
 Biased options
 Checklists are a way of determining whether all procedures have been gone
through, whether all necessary features are present, etc.
 A checklist can literally be a list of boxes to be checked.
 Checklists can be used in test design to make sure nothing has been forgotten.
 They have proven to be useful when comparing the test outcomes to the
developers predictions.
 Much like questionnaires, checklists should be piloted prior to using them.
2. Interviews are a flexible way of gathering data.
 Unstructured –There is no fixed interview schedule, but rather a number of
themes that are to be addressed.
  Semi structured –The researcher follows a preset schedule but it is possible to
deviate from this when interesting issues arise.
 Structured-The interviewer goes through a fixed series of written questions
without deviating. This type of interview closely resembles a questionnaire.
 One on one- This kind of interview allows the researcher to zoom in on the views
of individual respondents.
 Group-The advantage interviewing larger numbers at once is that group
interactions might spark observations that would have gone unnoticed.
Referencing
Think about the following before the interview:
 Interviewers should get the chance to practice their interview skills prior to the
data collection
 Ideally, the pilot settings resembles the actual conditions as accurately as
possible.
 During the interview, it’s useful to take note of the interview situation
 The success of an interview largely depends on the interviewer-respondent
interaction
 Interviews are time consuming
Kinds of referencing:
 Norm-referencing is the placement of learners in rank order, their assessment
and ranking in relation to their peers.
 Criterion-referencing is a reaction against norm-referencing in which the learner
is assessed purely in terms of his/her ability in the subject, irrespective of the
ability of his/her peers.
 The mastery criterion-referencing approach is one in which a single ‘minimum
competence standard’ or ‘cut-off point is set to divide learners into ‘masters’
and ‘non-masters’, with no degrees of quality in the achievement of the objective
being recognized.
The continuum criterion-referencing approach is an approach in which an individual
ability is referenced to a defined continuum of all relevant degrees of ability in the area
in question.
 Week 12-13

Content Focus
LESSON 7
T esting the Receptive Skills

-listening and reading skills

The skill of listening may be tested in two ways:
1. Sound discrimination
A common task for students in testing auditory discrimination is distinguishing
sounds in minimal pairs. For beginning level groups, these are often formulated in
selection test types where the examinee identifies the different sounds in a group of
similar sounds except one.

Examples: 1. Directions: Write Yes if the two words heard in each pair have the same
vowel sounds. No, if they have different sounds.
1. meat-met
2. Still-steel
3. draw-draw
4. feel-feel
5. green-grin
II. Directions: Write the letter of the word that has a different vowel sound in each group.
If all the words sound the same, write S.
1. a. been b. bean c. bean
2. a. cop b. cop c. cap
3. a. eel b. ill c. eel
4. a. hem b. hymn c. hymn
5. a. pill b. peel c. pill

The same test types can be used for discriminating consonant sounds like (p) and (f),
and (v), (s) and (z), etc.
Example: Directions: Write Yes if the initial consonants in each pair sound the
same; No, if they sound different.
1. pill-fill
2. thought-taught
3. best-vest
4. sip-sit
5. cool-call
For advanced level learners, the words may be used in sentences which
students will copy.
Another way is asking students to identify from a group of pictures one which is
referred to by the teacher in her sentences using words of similar sounds. In this test,
students are expected not only to rely on their listening skills but also on their
comprehension and spelling skills.

Example: Directions: On your paper, copy the following pairs of sentences:

1. His cot is small. His cat is small.
2. She bought a fan. She bought a pan.
3. The child drew a lamp. The child drew a lamb.
4. I placed the pin in my pocket. I placed the pen in my pocket.
5. The lady stood in front of the glass. The lady stood in front of the class.
The same sentences may be accompanied by pictures illustrating them, from
which students will pick the right choice.

2. Listening Comprehension
Tests on listening comprehension also vary according to learner’s proficiency.
For the immediate group, tasks may consist of responding to requests, answering
questions, following directions, repeating messages, etc. Common test types for these
tasks are question-answer, stimulus-response, and listen-repeat.
Examples: Directions: I. Do the following actions:
1. Erase the board and place the eraser on the table.
2. Face the student behind you and shake his/her hand.
3. Open the door and the window nearest to it.
4. Stand in front and place both hands on the table.
5. Take your bag and hold it with your left hand.
Directions: II. Answer the following questions.
1. What are your parents’ occupations?
2. How long have you been staying in your current address?
3. Why did you choose to study in this school?
4. What do you often do during your free time?
5. Where would you want to travel, given the chance?
These may be made even simpler for beginners. For the advanced level, tasks
may consist of drawing inferences, listening for the gist or intent, listening for specific
information, following a story line or sequence of events, etc.
Example: Directions: Listen to the conversation between Joanna and Kyle in school.
Circle the letter of the answer that best completes the sentence based on the
conversation.
(Taped transcript)
Joanna: Hi Kyle! Have you written your essay in English 101?
Kyle: Not yet. I had to attend the choir’s rehearsal last week.
Joanna: Ah yes! I heard you are competing in Malaysia next month.
Kyle: Right. But I have been missing some classes because of it.
Joanna: You could probably ask our teachers for some make-up
assignments.
Kyle: I’m planning to, this week. I’m going to the library now to write my
essay.
Joanna: Good luck! See you in class.
1. Joanna and Kyle are classmates ______________.
A. only in English 101.
B. in several subjects.
C. all subjects.
2. Kyle has been absent from classes because he has been attending _____.
A. choir practice.
B. basketball practice.
C. swimming practice.
3. The choir is scheduled to compete in Malaysia __________.
A. next week.
B. next month.
C. next year.
4. Kyle’s problem is he has not_________.
A. been attending classes.
B. passed his essay.
C. spoken to his professors yet.
5. Which statement best describes Kyle?
A. He is a happy-go-lucky student.
B. He prioritizes his extracurricular activities over his academic subjects.
C. He tries to balance his academic duties with his non-academic interest.
B. Testing Reading
Reading tests may consist of the following:
 skimming to identify the gist or intent
 scanning to locate specific information
 Identifying a story line

 identifying examples presented in support of a fact or an opinion

 using context to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words or structures
 recognizing organizational features of text
 Identifying referents of pronouns
Test formats include multiple choice, short answer, summary, information transfer, etc.
Example: For the intermediate high proficiency group:
ALIEN CREATURES ON EARTH? A Roswell Incident
Activities: A. Skimming to identify the gist
Directions: Encircle the letter corresponding to the correct answer. The whole
passage states that accounts about aliens on earth are:
A. entirely true.
B. absolutely false.
C. awaiting confirmation.

B. Scanning to locate specific information

Directions: Answer the following questions:
1. When and where did the Roswell Incident happen?
2. Who were the direct witnesses of the incident?
3. From the description of the witnesses how did the craft and the creatures inside
look?
4. Where were the craft and the bodies taken and why?
C. Making inferences
Directions: Encircle the letter corresponding to the correct answer for each sentence.
1. It is difficult to establish the truth of the stories about aliens because___
A. there are no eyewitnesses to confirm them.
B. there are no physical evidences to prove them.
C. they are just product of man’s imagination
D. Guessing Meanings of Unfamiliar Words through Context
Directions: Select the most probable meaning of the underlined word based on the
context within which it is used in the sentence.
1. People have continued to report that they have seen UFOs and extraterrestrial
creatures.
A. horribly ugly
B. out-of-this-world
C. supernatural
D. heavenly
2. Major Easley immediately condoned off the area around the craft while it was checked
for radiation.
A. examined
B. investigated
C. enclosed
D. marked
Week 14-16

Content Focus

LESSON 8
Testing the Productive Skills

 Testing the speaking and writing skills of students

 Speaking here does not refer to the eloquence of delivering a prepared speech
but to one’s ability to carry out a conversation using the language learned
effortlessly
 In assessing the spoken ability of learners, several components have to be
considered: pronunciation, grammar, word choice, fluency.
 Content and organization are not given as much emphasis as the first four
(Harris, 1969).

A. Testing Speaking
1. Testing Pronunciation

 There are no fixed criteria for judging ‘good or bad’ pronunciation.

 With the introduction of communicative approach of teaching/learning
language, the emphasis has shifted from accuracy to clarity/comprehensibility.
 The following types of tests for pronunciation are common for beginners:
a. recognition of similar sounds
b. putting proper stress in words and sentences,
c. loud reading

Recognition of similar sounds/stress

Directions: From a list of words in each group, read the word that has the same
vowel sound as the guide words.

Guide Word
1. beat steak great leave break
2. food mood blood foot stood

Note: The same test type may be repeated for consonant sounds and word stress.

2. Testing Grammar
 Grammar tests involve correct usage of verb forms and tenses, nouns and
pronouns, adjective and adverb forms, etc.
 In oral communication, grammatical usage may be tested through the
following:
a. sentence conversion (from negative to affirmative, statement to question,
etc.)
b. answering questions
c. expansion (by modification, subordination, coordination, etc.)
d. word transformation in ontext (past to present tenses, singular to plural
nouns, nouns to pronouns, etc.)

2.a Sentence Conversion

Directions: Read the following statements aloud and change to questions
answerable by yes/no
 Directions: Read the following statements aloud and change to questions
answerable by yes/no.
a. My friend, Luisa, lives in Makati.
b. She and her sisters are renting a condominium along Buendia.
c. They used to go home everyday to Bulacan after school or work.
d. After a few months, they realized it was impractical.
e. Now they have more time for study and leisure.

Directions: Go back to sentences 1-5, change each into a question using the
following question words:
a. Who
b. Where
c. What
d. When
e. How

2.b. Answering questions

Directions: Answer the following questions appropriately.
a. What do you like most about your school?
b. How will you describe your classmates in three words? Your teachers?
c. Why is college education important to you?
d. What are your immediate goals after college?
e. Whom do you consider your closest friend here and why?

3. Testing Word Choice

In oral communication, vocabulary proficiency may be tested through the
following:
a. word substitutions
b. supplying appropriate words in the missing parts of sentences
c. selecting from a given list of words the most appropriate for the sentence

3.a. Word substitutions

Directions: Read the sentences aloud and substitute new but appropriate
words to underlined words.
a. Life in the city is tedious.
b. You need to wake up early everyday to avoid traffic congestion.

3.b. Supplying appropriate words to missing parts

Directions: Complete each sentence by supplying the missing parts with
appropriate words.
a. ________________ along Rizal Park on an early Sunday morning can be a
_______________ experience.

4. Testing Fluency/Ease and Speed of the Flow of Speech

 The speaker’s fluency in terms of ease and speed of the flow of speech may be
difficult to measure accurately because there are no standard rules as to what
speed is sufficient or insufficient.
 This may, however, be gauged from the speaker’s ability to answer questions
spontaneoulsy or speak on any topic informally with ease and fluency.
 Speed alone will not constitute fluency, because some speakers tend to speak
fast, but they stammer or falter several times in their talk which hinders the
smooth flow of communication.

5. Testing Comprehension
  Comprehension can be tested focusing on the speaker’s ability to reply
quickly to a remark or a question clearly and completely.
 All these component parts of the speech process can be rated simultaneously
in an interview using an evaluation sheet.
 The teacher can devise the evaluation sheet himself/herself.
 It must reflect the five components being rated, each consisting of a scale of
qualities to be rated according to assigned numerical values.
 It is advisable not to fill in the score sheet during the interview as it might
affect the performance of the speaker.
 It is better to record the scored interview and rate the speaker using the score
sheet afterwards.

Example of an evaluation scale for fluency

______5 Speaks very fast; message is very clear.
______4 Speaks fast; message is clear.
______3 Speaks moderately fast; part of the message is unclear
______2 Speaks slow; message is difficult to understand.
______1 Falters many times in speaking; message cannot be understood.

B. Testing Writing
This focuses primarily on evaluating the students’ ability to express their ideas in
writing taking into consideration its five component parts:
a. Content
b. Form
c. Grammar
d. Style and Mechanics (Harris, 1969)

B.1 Testing the Content

 Content refers to the ideas expressed in the writing. Oneness of general idea must
be observed by the writer.
 Test items focusing on content may include:
 Writing specific details on a general topic
 Writing a general statement encompassing all specific details
 Identifying and deleting unrelated sentences in a paragraph.

B.1.a Providing specific details to general ideas

Directions: Write 5 specific details related to the given general statements.
a. Traveling to foreign countries is rewarding.
b. The Filipino drama series reflect the country’s cultural practices.

B.1.b Writing a general statement to express the main edea of each group of sentences.
Directions: Write a general statement to express the main idea of each group of
sentences.
A._______________________________________
1. He is often absent in class.
2. He seldom recites.
3. He fails most of his quizzes.
4. He seldom passes an assignment or a seatwork.
5. He sometimes cuts classes.

B.2. Testing the Form

 Form refers to the organization of the content into a unified, coherent written
presentation.
 Tests of this type include :
 Ordering ideas into logical order: chronological, spatial, inductive, deductive,
etc.
 Connecting ideas using appropriate connectors
 Using topic sentences at strategic points
 Tying up ideas with a clincher sentence

B.2.a Ordering sentences in logical order

Directions: Arrange the following sentences in jumbled order into one coherent
paragraph. Place the letter corresponding to the first in the order in number 1, the next
in number 2
1. (a) Each leap year we add that day onto the end of February.
2. (b) Because of this, every 4 years an extra day is added to the calendar so we don’t
fall behind in the natural cycle of things.
3. (c) The earth’s solar orbit takes 365 and a quarter days
4. (d) In this way, the calendar is readjusted into the astronomical timetable.

B.2.b Connecting ideas using an appropriate connector

Directions: Complete the following paragraph by supplying appropriate words that will
make the ideas clear and coherent.

Among the wonders of Jamaica is a body of water called Luminous Lagoon. By day,
___1___ is a nondescript bay on the country’s northern coast. By __2___, it is a marvel
of nature.

B.2.c Writing a topic sentence and a clincher sentence

Directions: Write an appropriate beginning or ending to the following paragraphs to
highlight the main ideas.
A. _______________________. You see not only new places on the other side of the
globe, you also get first-hand information about the customs and practices of different
races. On top of this is the opportunity to study the languages of these people. Lots of
other things also expose you to different new experiences like riding a bullet train,
eating extra ‘hot’ dishes, being transported through cable cars, etc. Indeed, going
abroad is a rewarding experience!

3. Testing Grammar
 A test in grammar is a test of grammatical forms and syntactic patterns.
 Grammatical forms refer to the use of correct parts of speech like the plural and
possessive forms of nouns; the case, number and gender forms of pronouns; tense
forms of verbs; derivational and comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
 Syntactic patterns involve the proper combinations of words and their correct
placement in sentences.

3.a Testing grammatical forms

Directions: Change the forms of the verbs in parentheses to past.

Soon after her family (leave) for the evening, Carol (start) to think that her hospital
room must be the lonelinest place in the world. Night time had (fall), her fears about
her illness (be) back, and she (feel) overwhelming despair as she (lie) there alone.

4. Testing Syntactic Patterns

Directions: Combine the following groups of words into coherent sentences.
a. and a candle in the other
Michaelangelo painted with a brush
from covering his masterpiece
 legend has it that
in one hand
in progress
to prevent his shadow

5. Testing Style
 Style pertains to the choice of structures and lexical items to give a particular tone
or flavor to the writing.
 Choice of structures refers to various ways of expressing sentences.
 They may start with the subject, the verb, or the modifiers; they may be expressed
in active or passive voice; they may be simple, compound or complex, etc.
 Lexical items involve vocabulary usage.
 Style in writing requires that word choice should consider clarity, appropriateness,
and variety.
 The first rule in communication is clarity of ideas.

5.a Testing variety of structures

Directions: Re-arrange the following sentences according to the directions given.
1. The contestant was looking anxious when he entered the theater. (Begin with ‘When’
and ‘Looking’)
2. The ushers instructed the guests to wait at the lobby. (Change to passive voice)
3. She went home early yesterday. Classes were suspended because of power outage.
(Combine into complex sentence)

5.b Testing lexical items

Directions:From the given list, select the appropriate word to substitute for the word
‘beautiful’ in the paragraph. Use each word only once.

a. was speechless at the sight of our new home! Everything looked beautiful.It was
beautifully painted with a combination of beige and yellow. The grounds were
enclosed by beautiful white picket fences.

6. Testing Mechanics
 The mechanics of writing refers to the proper use of graphic symbols such as
punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviation.
 Certain rules govern the use of these graphic symbols.

6.a Testing punctuation

Directions: Insert in the parentheses provided the correct punctuation marks.

When E ( ) Stanley Jones ( ) well ( ) known missionary to India ( ) had the opportunity
to meet with Mahatma Gandhi, he asked a searching question of India ( ) s revered
leader ( ) ( )

6.b Testing abbreviations and capitalizations

Directions: Abbreviate and capitalize words where necessary.

A. as a fictional narrative in prose the short story usually attempts to show what the
leading character is like by demonstrating how he acts under some form of stress

(Texts from Introduction to Literature by Arsenia B. Tan)

 Week 17

Content Focus

LESSON 9
Testing Literature

Specific Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:

1. identify the different types of literature tests.
2. write sample tests in literature using different types and formats.
3. recognize the essence of literature tests to language learning.

Preliminary activity
Write a three-paragraph preview about the book that you have just read .
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Types of Literature Tests

a. Testing literary background – This may include tests on historical background or

literary devices.
b. Tests on reading selections – This may be categorized according to the type of
questions asked in a literature class.

According to the Taxonomy of Cognitive Questions, questions are classified according to

complexity, as follows:
1. literal comprehension
2. reorganization
3. inferential comprehension
4. evaluation
5. appreciation

Note: Tests in literature may also be grouped in the same categories.

Format of Literature Tests

a. Oral literature tests challenge the speaking and listening skills of the students.
b. Written tests demand skills in reading and writing.
 Both tests may use the objective or essay format.
 Both tests can be used in testing literal comprehension but essay tests can
evaluate better the other categories of literature testing.

Examples of Literature Tests

1. Testing Literal Comprehension
Literal comprehension tests include recall of details, main ideas, sequence,
comparisons, cause and effect relationships and character traits.

a. Objective type
Recall of details
 Identify the characters who said the following lines in the story.
 Rearrange the order of events below as they happened in the story.

b. Essay type
 What are the contrasting characteristics of the protagonist and the antagonist as
described by the author?
 Cite incidents in the story that show the strained relationship between the
couple.

2. Testing Reorganization
Reorganization skills entail classifying, outlining, summarizing, and synthesizing ideas.

a. Objective type
 Classifying. Select the item that does not belong to the group.
 Synthesizing. From the choices given, select the statement that expresses the
theme of each of the following selections.

b. Essay type
 Outlining. Construct a topic outline of the essay providing at least three main
heads and a number of sub-heads.
 Summarizing. Write a one-paragraph summary of the plot of the story.

3. Testing Inference
 Inferential tests require students to use information explicitly stated in the text
Along with personal experience and knowledge in order to conjecture and to
form hypothesis.
 These include inferring supporting details, main idea, sequence, comparisons,
cause-and-effect relationships, character traits, and author’s organization;
predicting outcomes, and interpreting figurative language.

a. Objective type
  Interpreting figurative language: Choose the best interpretations of the following
figurative lines within the context of the poem.
 Inferring character traits: Match the adjectives that best describe the traits of
of the character as shown by his/her actions.

b. Essay type
 Predicting outcomes: What do you think is in store for Lumnay as the symbols
at the end of the story ?
 Inferring author’s organization: Why did Nick Joaquin use three generations in
his story?

4. Testing Evaluation
 Evaluation tests require the students to compare information and ideas in a text
with material presented by the instructor or other authorities and with the
student’s own knowledge and experience in order to form judgments of various
kinds.
 Tests include judgments of reality and fantasy; fact or opinion; adequacy and
validity; appropriateness; worth, desirability and acceptability.

a. Objective type
 Judgments of fact or opinion: Write O if the following statement expresses an
opinion of a reader on the story, F if the statement is stated by the author in the
story.

b. Essay type
 Judgments of reality and fantasy: Do the events in the story depict real-life
situations or are they just product of the author’s imagination? Explain.
 Judgment of acceptability: Are the actions of the hero acceptable from the
moral point of view? Why or why not?

5. Testing Appreciation
 Appreciation tests require students to articulate emotional and aesthetic
responses to the text based on personal and professional standards of literary
forms, styles, genres, theories, critical approaches.
 Tests include giving emotional response to the text identifying with characters
or incidents, reacting to author’s or speaker’s connotative and denotative use
of language, and reacting to imagery.

a. Objective type
 Reacting to author’s connotative use of language: Select the best connotative
meaning of the underlined word in each statement lifted from the story.

b. Essay type
 Identifying with character or incidents: Which character in the story can you
identify most? What are your similarities?
 Responding emotionally to the text: How do you feel towards Hamlet? Do you
sympathize with him? Why or why not?

E. How to evaluate literature tests

 Objective type of literature tests is easy to evaluate because there are ready
answer keys to the questions.
 Essay type of tests, however, is difficult to assess because the evaluation
focuses on both content and form.
  Content refers to the substance of the response; assessment should be based
on its consistency with the literary text.
 Form refers to the language of the response; assessment should consider
grammar and diction.
 For literal comprehension and inference tests, content should be assigned
more weight than form.
 Evaluation and appreciation tests, however, elicit opinion answers, as such the
substance does not depend on the literary text but on the student’s ability to
expound his/her ideas.
 This type of assessment solely depends on form.

Learning Task 1: Enumerate and discuss the types of literature tests

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Learning Task 2: Write 10 sample tests in each of the literature tests.

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