Assessing listening

Assessing listening

1. Basic types of listening

   • four types
     • Intensive for perception of components
       • such as
         • phonemes, words, intonation, etc.
     • Responsive listening to a greeting, question, command, etc.
       • to
         • make an equally short response
     • Selective
       • processing stretches of discourse
         • such as
           • short monologues for several minutes
             • to
               • scan certain information and comprehend it in a context of longer stretches
     • Extensive
       • to
         • develop a top-down, global understanding of spoken language

2. Process in your brain while listening

   • first we
     • recognize speech sounds and hold a temporary “imprint” of them
       • then
         • determine the type of speech, context and the content of the message
           • and
             • interpretate the message and assign a literal and intended meaning to the it.
             • retain the most important information

3. Designing assessment task

   • Intensive listening
     • Recognizing phonological and morphological elements
       • gives
         • Spoken stimulus and asks test- takers to identify the stimulus in choices
     • Paraphrase recognition
       • by
         • Providing a stimulus sentence and asking the test taker to choose the correct paraphrase.
   • Responsive listening
     • Appropriate response to a question
   • Selective listening
     • in which
       • The test taker listens to a limited input and must determine some specific information
     • Techniques used in selective listening:
       • Listening cloze
         • they
           • Require the test taker to listen to a story, monologue or conversation while reading the written text
             • where
               • words or phrases have been deleted
                 • so
                   • test takers try to fill the blanks that they hear
       • Information transfer
         • in which
           • Information must be transferred to a visual representation
             • such as
               • A diagram, identify an element in a picture, completing a form or showing routes on a map.
       • Sentence repetition
         • where
           • the test taker must retain a stretch of language to reproduce it and then respond with an oral repetition of that stimulus.
   • Extensive listening
     • Dictation
       • where
         • Test takers hear a passage (50-100 words) recited three times
           • while
             • writing down what they just heard and check their work
     • Communicative stimulus response tasks
       • in which
         • The test taker is presented with a stimulus monologue or conversation
           • then
             • Is asked to respond to a set of comprehension questions
   • Authentic listening tasks
     • Note taking
       • using
         • A lecture as a stimulus and note taking from the test takers that are later evaluated by a 30-point system
           • where you get
             • • 0-15 points for visual representation • 0-10 points for accuracy • 0-5 points for symbols and abbreviations
     • Editing
       • Provides both written and spoken stimulus
         • it
           • Requires the test taker to listen for discrepancies
     • Interpretive tasks
       • it
         • Forces the test taker to infer a response to the stimulus.
           • Test-taker interpret the stimulus
             • by
               • Answering a few open-ended questions
     • Retelling
       • where
         • Test-takers listen to a story or news event and summarize it orally or in writing
           • and
             • identify the main idea, purpose, supporting points and a conclusion
               • to
                 • Show full comprehension