Testing vocabulary

A.      Selection of items

The first task for the writer of a vocabulary test is to determine the degree to which she or he wishes to concentrate on testing the students active or passive vocabulary. The next task is to decide whether the lexical items in the test should be taken from the spoken or the written language. Selection of vocabulary can thus be thought of as falling into the following rough divisions according to the four major language skills :

a.       Listening      : passive/spoken

b.      Reading        : passive/written

c.       Speaking      : active/spoken

d.      Writing         : active/written

The test constructor’s task is made much easier if all the students have followed a particular syllabus. Lexical items can then be selected from :

1.       The syllabus (including a word frequency list if available)

2.       The student’s textbook (provided the items approximate to those used in natural speech situations)

3.       The student’s reading material (e.g. simplified readers, literary text)

4.       Lexical errors taken from the students’ free-written work (or from students’ incorrect answers in a cloze test.

According to the findings of research conducted in to the effectiveness of distracters in multiple-choice vocabulary tests. Those distracters based on students’ incorrect answers in cloze tests (through moderately useful) were found to be less powerful than

a.       The use of false synonyms (words with equivalent meanings to the key words underlined or shown in italic in the sentence)

b.      Contextually relevant items (words related to the context but different meaning to the key word in the sentence)

The test constructor is faced with a difficult problem if the testees have followed different syllabus.

B.      Multiple-choice items

a.       Choose the letter of the word which is the nearest in meaning to the word in italic

b.      Choose the letter of the correct or best word to complete each sentence

Four vocabulary recognition items :

a.       Type 1. In this type of recognition item the stem is replaced by a picture and we choose the appropriate  word that relate to the picture.

b.      Type 2. Here the stem consist of a definition. The testees  have to select the correct option to which the definition refers.

c.       Type 3. The stem consists of a lexical item : the testees have to select the best synonym or definition.

d.      Type 4.  The stem here consist of a sentence.

C.      Guidelines for writing items

1.       If the problem area being tested is located in the options the stem should be kept simple

2.       Each option should belong to the same word class as the word in the stem, particularly when the word appear in the context of a sentence.

3.       The correct option and the distractors should be at approximately the same level of difficulty.

4.       There is some disagreement concerning the relationship of the option to the problem area being tested.

5.       All option should be approximately the same length.

D.      Matching items

1.       Type 1

Write the correct word from the following list at the side of each number on your answer sheet. Use each word once only.

2.       Type 2

Complete the following sentences with the most suitable verb phrase from the list.

3.       Type 3

From the list of words given, choose the one which is most suitable for each blank. Write only the letter of the correct word after each number on your number sheet.

4.       Type 4

The most useful type of matching items is undoubtly that based on a reading comprehension passage.

E.       More objective items

a.       Type1 : word formation test items

1.       Write a word in each blank. The word you write must be the correct form of the word on the left.

2.       Rewrite the following paragraph, putting in each blank the correct form of the word in capital letter.

b.      Type 2 : Items involving synonyms

1.       Write in each space the best word to replace the words underlined in each sentence.

2.       In each space write one word that means almost the same as the word on the left. The word you write must rhyme with the word  on the right.

c.       Type 3 : Rearrangement items

Rearrangement the following letter to make words. Then use each word in a sentence of your own so as to show the meaning of the word.

d.      Type 4 : definitions

1.       Use each of the following words in a sentence so as to show the meaning of the words.

2.       Explain the meaning of each of the underlined words in the following phrases.

3.        

F.       Completion items

The following types of completion items can be used for the testing of vocabulary. Tests which present such items in a context are generally preferable to those which rarely on single words or on definition.

a.       Type 1

Read through the following passage a number of incomplete words. Write each completed  word on your answer sheet at the side of the appropriate number.

b.      Type 2

a.       Complete each blank with the most appropriate word to replace each number in the text.

b.      Complete the following paragraph on problems caused by weightlessness by writing ONE word in place of each blank.