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1、Introduction
Designing an IELTS listening test is complex and demanding. It is essential for test designers to consider test validity during the design process in order to get a successful outcome. This paper focuses on how to make an IELTS listening test valid at the test design stage. This article begins with a brief introduction to validity and IELTS; then it provides the analysis and discussion on three validity considerations in the process of test construct: the purpose of the test, test specifications; and content authenticity; last it arrives at the conclusion. The paper points out that making clear of the purpose of the test is the essential step in designing an IELTS listening test, content and construct validity depands on a careful analysis of the purpose of the test; test specifications should be made at a very early stage in IELTS listening test construction, test specifications are important to ensure content and construct validity; it is important to concentrate on content authenticity when designing the IELTS litening test.
2、Validity and IELTS
It is essential to keep test validity in mind when designing an ITLTS listening test in order to get a successful outcome. The validity of test is the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to measure (Heaton, 2000, p.157). A test is said to be valid to the extent that it measures accurately what it is supposed to measure (Arthur, 2000, p.22). Any test may be valid for some purposes, but not for others (Henning, 1987, p.89). IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia (Jakeman & McDowell, 2002, p.5). IELTS is available in Academic and General Training formats, in both formats, candidates are tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking (The British Council, 2001, pp.4-5). All candidates take the same Listening modules. Designing an IELTS listening test is complex and demanding. There are many considerations to ensure test validity in designing an IELTS listening test, this paper focuses on three mian considerations: the purpose of the test, test specifications, and content authenticity.
3、The purpose of IELTS listening test
Making clear of the purpose of the test is the essential step in designing an IELTS listening test. The prime consideration for the development of any test is that of purpose (Spaan, 2006), Validity can be established in a number of different ways (Alderson, Clapham & Wall, 2000, p.171). Content validity and construct validity are more important than other aspects of validity, every effort should be made in constructing the test to ensure content validity (Arthur, 2000, pp.26-27). A test would have content validity only if it included a proper sample of the relevant structures, while relevant structures depend upon the purpose of the test (Arthur, 2000, p.22). Content validity depends on a careful analysis of the language being tested and of the particular objectives (Heaton, 2000, p.160).
Specific characteristics of IELTS shape the purpose of IELTS listening test. Firstly,
IELTS is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication; the academic module assesses whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level, while the general training module emphasizes basic survival skills in a broad social and educational context (Adams & Peck, 2001, pp.5-7). Secondly, IELTS is a proficiency test, which is not based on a particular language program, it is designed to test ability of students with different language training backgrounds (Alderson et al, 2000, p.12). When designing an IELTS litening test, test writer need to take all these characteristics into account carefully.
4、Test specifications
Test specifications should be made at a very early stage in IELTS listening test construction. Test specifications are the blueprint to be followed by test writers, the development and publication of test specifications is a central and crucial part ofthe test construction and evaluation process (Alderson et al, 2000, p.9). Test specifications are important to ensure content and construct validity. On one hand, to write full test specifications and to ensure that the test content is a fair reflection of these are important to test (Arthur, 2000, pp.22-23), every effort should be made in constructing tests to ensure content validity (Arthur, 2000, p.27). In order to judge whether or not a test has content validity, we need a specifications of the skills or structures (Arthur, 2000, p.22). On the other hand, test specifications provide the statement about what the test tests and how it tests it, they are essential in the establishment of the test's construct validity (Alderson et al, 2000, p.9). When embarking on the construction of a test, the test writer should first draw up the test specifications, describing in very clear and precise terms the particular language skills and area to be included in the test (Heaton, 2000, p.160).
Test specifications should include the information on language skills to be measured, content, format and timing, criteria levels of performance, scoring and reporting system (Arthur, 2000, pp.48-49). More attention should be paid to the first two aspects when designing IELTS listening test. Firstly, according to the purpose of IELTS, skills assessed in listening test should cover the skills used both in social and academic situation. Secondly, the content of IELTS listening test should be designed according to the purpose of the test and skills to be assessed. Candidates need to listen to a number of recorded texts including a mixture of monologues and conversations. Recording should cover passages concerned with social needs, for example, the dialogue between two speakers about travel arrangements or decisions on a night out, the recording monologue about student services on a university campus or arrangements for meals during a conference (Adams & Peck, 2001, p.6); meanwhile, as academic module aims to assess test takers' ability of studying abroad, test recording should include passages concerned with situations related more closely to educational or training contexts, for example, a conversation between up to four people and then a further monologue, a conversation between a tutor and a student about an assignment or between three students planning a research project, and a lecture or talk of general academic interest (Jakeman & McDowell, 2007, pp.6-7).
5、Content authenticity
Content authenticity is believed important in IELTS listening test. Firstly, there was a grow interests in teaching and testing real-life language in the late 1970s and authenticity has evolved in language testing and more recently in general education (Lewkowicz, 2000). Although the debate on authenticity is still moved forward, the use of text taken from real-life situations is believed important in language testing (Lewkowicz, 2000). Secondly, the communicative approach is one of the main approaches to testing( Heaton, 2000, pp.15-19). Communicative tests are concerned primarily with content authenticity and how language is used in communication (Zou, 2005, p.276). Thirdly, an awareness of the ways in which the spoken language differs from the written language is of crucial importance in the testing of the listening skills (Heaton, 2000, p.64). For instance, spoken language is much more complex than the written language in certain ways, as a result of the large element of redundancy that it contains, such as conversational features: repetition, hesitation and grammatical repatterning (Zou, 2005, p.277-279). Consequently, when designing the IELTS litening test, it is important to concentrate on content authenticity, it is necessary to choose test items which appear directly relevant to the ability to use language for real-life communication.
On one hand, redundancy, colloqural language and environmental noise should be included in IELTS recording. Firstly, Listening is special because spoken language has a number of unique features including the use of incomplete utterances, repetitions, hesitation and so on (Harmer, 2000, p.99). Secondly, most heard discourse in real-life is spontaneous and differ from extremely formal speech in the amount of redundancy, noise and colloquialisms (Ur, 2000, pp.6-7). Besides, the real-life listening situation is normally rich in aural environmental clues that can provide information about the situation, speakers and general atmosphere (Ur, 2000, p.5). For example, if we are in an airport and hear an announcement over the loudspeaker, we may expect it to announce the arrival or departure of a flight.
On the other hand, different manner of spoken language and a wide range of topics should be used in IELTS listening test. Firstly, in today's world we are exposed to different varieties and accents, such as Britain English, American English, Australian English, or Indian English (Harmer, 2000, p.97). A range of native-speaker English accents should be used in the recordings in order to reflect the real language context. Secondly, task set should relate to real-life situations (Heaton, 2000, p.20), a wide range of authentic topics should be contained in the recording. For example, listening to both informal talk and formal lectures is important for IELTS tset takers.
6、Conclusion
It is essential to keep test validity in order to get a successful outcome. There are many considerations at IELTS litening design stage. The purpose of the test, test specifications; and content authenticity are three main considerations in the process of designing an IELTS listening test. Test writers should analyze the purpose of the test carefully to ensure content and construct validity; a clear test specifications should be made at a very early stage in IELTS listening test construction; it is important to concentrate on content authenticity when designing the test. Every effort should be made in designing the IELTS listening test to ensure the test measures accurately what it intended to measure.
References:
[1]Adams,G. & Peck,T.101 Helpful hints for IELTS (Academic Module).北京:外文出版社,2001.
[2]Alderson,J.C.Clapham,C.& Wall,D.著.楊慧中导读.Language testing construction and evaluation.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000.
[3]Arthur,H.著.林立导读.Testing for Language Teacher.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000.
[4]Harmer,J.著.田贵森导读.How to teach English.北京:外语教学与研究社,2000.
[5]Heaton,J.B.著.韩宝成导读.Writing English language tests.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000.
[6]Henning,G.A Guide to Language Testing.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,1987.
[7]Jakeman,V.& McDowell,C.Insight into IELTS.北京:外语教学与研究出社,2002.
[8]Jakeman,V.& McDowell,C.Action plan for IELTS (Academic Module).北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2007.
Designing an IELTS listening test is complex and demanding. It is essential for test designers to consider test validity during the design process in order to get a successful outcome. This paper focuses on how to make an IELTS listening test valid at the test design stage. This article begins with a brief introduction to validity and IELTS; then it provides the analysis and discussion on three validity considerations in the process of test construct: the purpose of the test, test specifications; and content authenticity; last it arrives at the conclusion. The paper points out that making clear of the purpose of the test is the essential step in designing an IELTS listening test, content and construct validity depands on a careful analysis of the purpose of the test; test specifications should be made at a very early stage in IELTS listening test construction, test specifications are important to ensure content and construct validity; it is important to concentrate on content authenticity when designing the IELTS litening test.
2、Validity and IELTS
It is essential to keep test validity in mind when designing an ITLTS listening test in order to get a successful outcome. The validity of test is the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to measure (Heaton, 2000, p.157). A test is said to be valid to the extent that it measures accurately what it is supposed to measure (Arthur, 2000, p.22). Any test may be valid for some purposes, but not for others (Henning, 1987, p.89). IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia (Jakeman & McDowell, 2002, p.5). IELTS is available in Academic and General Training formats, in both formats, candidates are tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking (The British Council, 2001, pp.4-5). All candidates take the same Listening modules. Designing an IELTS listening test is complex and demanding. There are many considerations to ensure test validity in designing an IELTS listening test, this paper focuses on three mian considerations: the purpose of the test, test specifications, and content authenticity.
3、The purpose of IELTS listening test
Making clear of the purpose of the test is the essential step in designing an IELTS listening test. The prime consideration for the development of any test is that of purpose (Spaan, 2006), Validity can be established in a number of different ways (Alderson, Clapham & Wall, 2000, p.171). Content validity and construct validity are more important than other aspects of validity, every effort should be made in constructing the test to ensure content validity (Arthur, 2000, pp.26-27). A test would have content validity only if it included a proper sample of the relevant structures, while relevant structures depend upon the purpose of the test (Arthur, 2000, p.22). Content validity depends on a careful analysis of the language being tested and of the particular objectives (Heaton, 2000, p.160).
Specific characteristics of IELTS shape the purpose of IELTS listening test. Firstly,
IELTS is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication; the academic module assesses whether a candidate is ready to study or train in the medium of English at an undergraduate or postgraduate level, while the general training module emphasizes basic survival skills in a broad social and educational context (Adams & Peck, 2001, pp.5-7). Secondly, IELTS is a proficiency test, which is not based on a particular language program, it is designed to test ability of students with different language training backgrounds (Alderson et al, 2000, p.12). When designing an IELTS litening test, test writer need to take all these characteristics into account carefully.
4、Test specifications
Test specifications should be made at a very early stage in IELTS listening test construction. Test specifications are the blueprint to be followed by test writers, the development and publication of test specifications is a central and crucial part ofthe test construction and evaluation process (Alderson et al, 2000, p.9). Test specifications are important to ensure content and construct validity. On one hand, to write full test specifications and to ensure that the test content is a fair reflection of these are important to test (Arthur, 2000, pp.22-23), every effort should be made in constructing tests to ensure content validity (Arthur, 2000, p.27). In order to judge whether or not a test has content validity, we need a specifications of the skills or structures (Arthur, 2000, p.22). On the other hand, test specifications provide the statement about what the test tests and how it tests it, they are essential in the establishment of the test's construct validity (Alderson et al, 2000, p.9). When embarking on the construction of a test, the test writer should first draw up the test specifications, describing in very clear and precise terms the particular language skills and area to be included in the test (Heaton, 2000, p.160).
Test specifications should include the information on language skills to be measured, content, format and timing, criteria levels of performance, scoring and reporting system (Arthur, 2000, pp.48-49). More attention should be paid to the first two aspects when designing IELTS listening test. Firstly, according to the purpose of IELTS, skills assessed in listening test should cover the skills used both in social and academic situation. Secondly, the content of IELTS listening test should be designed according to the purpose of the test and skills to be assessed. Candidates need to listen to a number of recorded texts including a mixture of monologues and conversations. Recording should cover passages concerned with social needs, for example, the dialogue between two speakers about travel arrangements or decisions on a night out, the recording monologue about student services on a university campus or arrangements for meals during a conference (Adams & Peck, 2001, p.6); meanwhile, as academic module aims to assess test takers' ability of studying abroad, test recording should include passages concerned with situations related more closely to educational or training contexts, for example, a conversation between up to four people and then a further monologue, a conversation between a tutor and a student about an assignment or between three students planning a research project, and a lecture or talk of general academic interest (Jakeman & McDowell, 2007, pp.6-7).
5、Content authenticity
Content authenticity is believed important in IELTS listening test. Firstly, there was a grow interests in teaching and testing real-life language in the late 1970s and authenticity has evolved in language testing and more recently in general education (Lewkowicz, 2000). Although the debate on authenticity is still moved forward, the use of text taken from real-life situations is believed important in language testing (Lewkowicz, 2000). Secondly, the communicative approach is one of the main approaches to testing( Heaton, 2000, pp.15-19). Communicative tests are concerned primarily with content authenticity and how language is used in communication (Zou, 2005, p.276). Thirdly, an awareness of the ways in which the spoken language differs from the written language is of crucial importance in the testing of the listening skills (Heaton, 2000, p.64). For instance, spoken language is much more complex than the written language in certain ways, as a result of the large element of redundancy that it contains, such as conversational features: repetition, hesitation and grammatical repatterning (Zou, 2005, p.277-279). Consequently, when designing the IELTS litening test, it is important to concentrate on content authenticity, it is necessary to choose test items which appear directly relevant to the ability to use language for real-life communication.
On one hand, redundancy, colloqural language and environmental noise should be included in IELTS recording. Firstly, Listening is special because spoken language has a number of unique features including the use of incomplete utterances, repetitions, hesitation and so on (Harmer, 2000, p.99). Secondly, most heard discourse in real-life is spontaneous and differ from extremely formal speech in the amount of redundancy, noise and colloquialisms (Ur, 2000, pp.6-7). Besides, the real-life listening situation is normally rich in aural environmental clues that can provide information about the situation, speakers and general atmosphere (Ur, 2000, p.5). For example, if we are in an airport and hear an announcement over the loudspeaker, we may expect it to announce the arrival or departure of a flight.
On the other hand, different manner of spoken language and a wide range of topics should be used in IELTS listening test. Firstly, in today's world we are exposed to different varieties and accents, such as Britain English, American English, Australian English, or Indian English (Harmer, 2000, p.97). A range of native-speaker English accents should be used in the recordings in order to reflect the real language context. Secondly, task set should relate to real-life situations (Heaton, 2000, p.20), a wide range of authentic topics should be contained in the recording. For example, listening to both informal talk and formal lectures is important for IELTS tset takers.
6、Conclusion
It is essential to keep test validity in order to get a successful outcome. There are many considerations at IELTS litening design stage. The purpose of the test, test specifications; and content authenticity are three main considerations in the process of designing an IELTS listening test. Test writers should analyze the purpose of the test carefully to ensure content and construct validity; a clear test specifications should be made at a very early stage in IELTS listening test construction; it is important to concentrate on content authenticity when designing the test. Every effort should be made in designing the IELTS listening test to ensure the test measures accurately what it intended to measure.
References:
[1]Adams,G. & Peck,T.101 Helpful hints for IELTS (Academic Module).北京:外文出版社,2001.
[2]Alderson,J.C.Clapham,C.& Wall,D.著.楊慧中导读.Language testing construction and evaluation.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000.
[3]Arthur,H.著.林立导读.Testing for Language Teacher.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000.
[4]Harmer,J.著.田贵森导读.How to teach English.北京:外语教学与研究社,2000.
[5]Heaton,J.B.著.韩宝成导读.Writing English language tests.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000.
[6]Henning,G.A Guide to Language Testing.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,1987.
[7]Jakeman,V.& McDowell,C.Insight into IELTS.北京:外语教学与研究出社,2002.
[8]Jakeman,V.& McDowell,C.Action plan for IELTS (Academic Module).北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2007.