Lesson 12: teaching speaking in primary level pupils: monologue and dialogue questions to be discussed

4. Completion

Completion tests require students to give some information to complete a sentence on the page. Completion tests might be filling in the blank tests, cloze tests, or free answer tests. Completions give students a chance to show the teacher what they know rather than testing for what they do not know. Language students can use their entire knowledge of English to come up with an answer that makes sense for each question, and these tests check how well a student can communicate rather than how much he has memorized. Completion tests may be harder on the teacher since they require more time to grade. Also, the teacher needs to have flexibility on the answers since students may not choose the exact word the teacher had in mind. Providing a word bank can help students with these types of tests, but smart teachers will give students more options than they will need to complete the test. For example, a test with 20 questions might have 30 words in the word bank. (Having an equal number of questions and answers would make this a matching test.)

5. Essay

Essay tests are less common in the ESL classroom since they require a larger base of general knowledge than simpler test forms. Essay tests, however, are highly communicative. Students can be creative with the language they know, and strong students will find correct ways of expressing their ideas even if they do not remember exactly what was taught in class. Essay tests can be stressful for ESL students, though. The idea of filling in a blank page can be paralyzing to students whose confidence is wavering. And beginning students may not have enough base knowledge of English to succeed with this type of test. Grading essay tests can be challenging as well. So much of essay grading is subjective, so teachers who use a rubric to grade essay tests will find their scores most objective.

6. Oral Testing

Oral testing is particularly important in language classrooms because spoken language is the ultimate goal in any language program. Oral tests focus on students’ ability to communicate with what they know. Since spoken language is creative and flexible, students may find that oral testing gives them opportunities to self correct, ask for clarification and use language creatively. A one on one interview, though, can be intimidating, especially for shy students. Those that are quiet in class can find the pressure of a private conversation with their teacher enough to throw their performance on the exam. Teachers, on the other hand, may appreciate the opportunity to hear students who choose not to speak on a daily basis in class. Grading oral tests can be more subjective or more objective depending on how the test is structured.

Ultimately, the best teachers will include all of these testing strategies in their classrooms.

By doing so, they decrease the influence of the test itself and really get to the heart of their students’ knowledge.

What testing method do you use most often?

You may have horrible memories of taking tests as a student but now that you are teaching, it is important to test your students on the material you cover in class.

Tests are essential because they allow both you and your students to evaluate their performance. You will discover what areas they are struggling with and they will find out where they need to focus their attention. Here are some things to remember when testing students.