The ministry of higher and secondary specialized education of the republic of uzbekistan

Homework Task Thirteen
Imagine you have completed (i.e., taught) the lesson you chose for Homework Task One (A) and you want to make a short quiz (10 min) that will measure what you taught in the class. For this homework task, please write the answers to the seven questions that will help you make test specifications for the test. We have pasted the questions again here:

1) What is the purpose of the test?
2) What sort of learners will be taking the test?

3) What language skills should be tested (reading, writing, speaking and/or listening)?

4) What language elements should be tested (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, speech acts, etc.)?

5) What target language situation is envisaged for the test, and is this to be simulated in some way in the test content and method? (For instance, is this a test of academic French? Of English for international TAs? Of Japanese for hotel workers?)

6) What text types should be chosen as stimulus materials -- written and/or spoken?
7) What sort of tasks are required -- discrete point, integrative, simulated
‘authentic’, objectively assessable? (That is, what will the test-takers do?)

The lesson described above for Homework task 1 was very effective. During that lesson, I used intensive reading technique as I wanted to involve all my students in doing the task using details. The target was to give equal attention to all students to speak and discuss with what they learned from the reading. In a process of that lesson students discussed the topic “Sport idiomatic expressions” in which the lesson aimed at developing critical thinking, strategies speaking with details, summary based on the scientific article as a test type. The text was structured in 4 parts, each discussing particular features that presents cultural features of a particular nation. The discussion of the topic flow according to the tasks in which students worked in groups, pair work and individual work. There were variety of tasks that focused on language, strategies and skills. The short quiz for 10 minutes will be developed according to the following specifications:

1) What is the purpose of the test? The purpose of the quiz is to check how well students understood the topic of the lesson and what language they learned.

2) What sort of learners will be taking the test? Pre-intermediate and intermediate level of English students.

3) What language skills should be tested (reading, writing, speaking and/or listening)? The quiz will test reading and writing skills.

4) What language elements should be tested (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, speech acts, etc.)? The text type was scientific article, the language elements to be checked are grammar and vocabulary.

5) What target language situation is envisaged for the test, and is this to be simulated in some way in the test content and method? (For instance, is this a test of academic French? Of English for international TAs? Of Japanese for hotel workers?) The academic English is stimulated in the quiz content.

6) What text types should be chosen as stimulus materials -- written and/or spoken? Written text.

7) What sort of tasks are required -- discrete point, integrative, simulated
‘authentic’, objectively assessable? (That is, what will the test-takers do?) Simulated authentic text and objectively assessable tasks are required for the quiz. In the quiz students will be reading the text and complete tasks such as matching the words with its meanings, True/False, writing a summary of the text.
Homework Task Fourteen
You now have gone through five sections in the chapter and learnt the salient aspects in language assessment and testing. By this time, you should have developed ideas regarding what changes you can make in your teaching and assessment practices. Based on what you have learnt in this chapter and discussions at classes, write an action plan (minimum 1 page) describing the problematic areas which you are planning to address after you complete this in-service education course, provide details of:

• Why you think it is a significant issue

• How you are going to address it; and,
• What is the expected result?
The objectively scored test item is one of the most commonly used in assessment today. It is, by and large, one of the most common formats for assessments of L2 learners' listening, reading and, to some extent, writing. Using questions with an objectively scored format has a number of advantages including increased reliability—a larger sample of questions test takers are able to complete in a set time. They also take much less time to mark and analyze. The most commonly used objectively scored test items are multiple‐choice questions (including, e.g., gap‐fill, sentence completion), true/false, and matching. While reading this chapter I learnt the noticeable aspects in language assessment and testing. And also knew about different principles language teachers should take into consideration when using subjectively-scored assessments. Most teachers are highly encouraged to use subjectively scored methods of assessment based on performance (e.g. role-play, presentation) and product (e.g. essay, report, portfolio). By this time, I have developed ideas regarding what changes I can make in my teaching and assessment practices. The subjective test involves personal judgement of the examiner. Subjective or essay, which permit the student to organize and present an original answer. Examples: short-answer essay, extended-response essay, problem solving, performance test items. Subjective and objective are terms used to refer to the scoring tests. All test items, no matter how they are devised , require candidates to exercise a subjective judgment. In an essay test, for example, candidates must think of what to say and then express their ideas as well as possible; in a multiple choice test they have to weigh up carefully all the alternatives and select the best one.

The discussion of the chapters on assessment and testing in language teaching gave me ideas what should I change in my teaching and assessment practice. The assessment for learning provided me with ideas what assessment task I can include in to my assessment profile of the course syllabus, make changes into the content of the course depending on the result of the diagnostic assessment tools. Moreover, there are possible ways of involving students in the process of assessment during my teaching, the ways which are self-assessment and peer-assessment. The knowledge that I got from this chapter provided me with the ideas to plan the lessons according to the results of the assessment tools too.

To my mind it is a significant issue to revise the course syllabus especially assessment profile. The revision process will give the teacher an opportunity to include new topics and focus on various listening materials and topics for speaking, in the case of the Reading and Writing course. The length of the materials is also taken into consideration, as it is an important one in planning the lessons and paying attention to the affective factors that may influence the students while working with the audio or video recordings. The assessment profiles play a vital role in the course assessment. I will change the tasks in the continuous assessment, the tasks will help the learners to develop their speaking skills, doing analysis and exploring the language of the different types of the materials for listening and speaking. In the summative assessment students will see their achievement, as the tasks in the summative assessment will be similar to what they have done during the course or evaluated in the continuous assessment.

Authentic materials are another issue to give attention to. I will pay attention to selection of materials such as semi-authentic and authentic materials. Resources will be revised, as we have access to the newly published materials in the country. Taking into consideration students’ IT skills in the modern world, the course syllabus should also include tasks for independent study, especially for the reading course. Including extensive reading will give students an opportunity to develop their independent study skills if they are given clear and step by step instruction of how to complete the tasks.