Delphi module

10.7
Practising and reviewing vocabulary

10.7.1
Testing

There are times when we might wish to test vocabulary formally. One such situation would be at the beginning of a course, when learners need to be placed into classes at appropriate levels. Such placement tests do not sample a particular syllabus, but test a candidate's general range of vocabulary. Another common situation occurs at the end of a course, or at the end of a number of units in a course, when we wish to gauge the progress that learners have made in their vocabulary acquisition. Such tests of progress or achievement can be specific, and can sample discrete items of vocabulary that we have taught thus far (see Module 14, section 14.1.1 on these different purposes of testing).

Schmitt (2000: 163-80) has a readable chapter on test factors that are relevant to language teachers. He divides test types into two camps: those that seek to test how 'broad' a learner's vocabulary knowledge is, in terms of the 'size' of vocabulary; and those that test how 'deep' a learner's vocabulary knowledge is. Here are two test items of the 'breadth' type:

Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of firm:
a) deep b) hard c) warm d) clean

Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of illegible:
a) handwritten in ink b) written in large letters c) difficult to read d) written in many colours

And here are two test items of the 'depth' type:

(i) Rate your knowledge of the target word. If you choose (d) compose a sentence:

I don't know this word;
I have seen this word but am not sure of the meaning;
I understand the word when I see or hear it but I don't know how to use it in my own speaking or writing;
I can use the word in a sentence.

(ii) Fill in the blank with the appropriate word:
He has an ………………mind (analyze, analysis, analytical, analytically)

(Examples from Schmitt, 2000: 168, 170, 172)

Schmitt refers to Henrickson (1999), who gives three dimensions of vocabulary development that are relevant to vocabulary testing:

the degree of mastery that the test attempts to measure, on a continuum from partial to precise;
the degree to which the various word-knowledge aspects are captured;
whether to focus on receptive or productive knowledge.

We might also add whether to test by written or oral means, whether to test using contextualized or decontextualized language, and whether to test formally or informally.

There has also been a lot of work done recently on online vocabulary testing, of which DIALANG (2002) is perhaps the most interesting.