Testing for language teachers

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The main objective of this text is to assist language teachers in writing better tests. The author defines a good test as one that contains validity, reliability, practicality and a positive reaction. Hughes offers practical and realistic guidance on how to create a good test. The author pays special attention to the effect of testing on teaching - a test should not only be reliable and valid but should also have a positive effect on teaching. Chapters on the testing of writing, oral ability, reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary, and test administration are included. Also included are testing techniques that have been proven to be useful for teachers, and statistics that enable teachers to interpret test results. Reader activities can be found at the end of each chapter.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Acknowledgements (p. ix)
• Preface (p. xi)
• 1 Teaching and testing (p. 1)
• 2 Testing as problem solving: an overview of the book (p. 8)
• 3 Kinds of tests and testing (p. 11)
• 4 Validity (p. 26)
• 5 Reliability (p. 36)
• 6 Achieving beneficial backwash (p. 53)
• 7 Stages of test development (p. 58)
• 8 Common test techniques (p. 75)
• 9 Testing writing (p. 83)
• 10 Testing oral ability (p. 113)
• 11 Testing reading (p. 136)
• 12 Testing listening (p. 160)
• 13 Testing grammar and vocabulary (p. 172)
• 14 Testing overall ability (p. 186)
• 15 Tests for young learners (p. 199)
• 16 Test administration (p. 215)
• Appendix 1 The statistical analysis of test data (p. 218)
• Appendix 2 Item banking (p. 234)
• Appendix 3 Questions on the New Zealand youth hostels passage (p. 236)
• Bibliography (p. 237)
• Subject Index (p. 246)
• Author Index (p. 250)