1

Vietnam national university, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
ĐẶNG THỊ HƯƠNG

Designing COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TESTS FOR
GRADE 10
TH
NON-English MAJORS AT BAC GIANG
GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL

THIẾT KẾ BÀI KIỂM TRA GIAO TIẾP CHO HỌC SINH LỚP 10 KHÔNG
CHUYÊN ANH Ở TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYÊN BẮC GIANG M.A. MINOR THESIS
Major: Methodology
Code: 60.14.10

HANOI, 12/2010


HANOI, 12/2010
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract
i
Acknowledgements
ii
Table of contents
iii
PART I- INTRODUCTION
1
1. Rationale
1
2. Aims of the study
2
3. Research questions
2
4. Significance of the study
2
5. Scope of the study
3
6. Method of the study
3
7. Design of the study
3
PART II-DEVELOPMENT
1.2.1. Communicative language teaching and learning
8
1.2.2. Communicative language competence in testing
9
1.2.3. Communicative language tests
11
1.2.3.1. What is communicative language test?
11
1.2.3.2. Characteristics of communicative test
12
1.2.3.3. The needs for communicative tests
13
1. 2.3.4. Challenges in Communicative Testing
14
1.3. The design of communicative tests
15
1.3.1. Principles of designing communicative test
15
1. 3.2. Communicative Test Tasks
16
1.4. Conclusion
17
Chapter II. Results and discussion
18
2.1. Practical situation of teaching and testing English at Bac Giang gifted
high school
18
2.1.1. Students of 10th form and their English ability

28
2.2.3.2.2. Students' attitude towards difficulties in taking the
communicative tests
29
Chapter III: Designing Communicative Language Tests for Grade
10
th
non-English Majors at Bac Giang Gifted High School
31
3.1. Test objectives
31
3.2. Drawing up table of specification
31
3.3. The Sample of the communicative test
32
3.4. Description of the test design
32
3. 4.1. Listening comprehension
32
3.4.2. Grammar and vocabulary
33
3.4.3. Reading comprehension
33
3.4.4. Written expression
33
3.5. Test administration
34
3.6. Scoring procedure
34
3.7. Plans for validation

VIII
APPENDIX 5: A sample of communicative test
X
APPENDIX 6: Answer keys and marking scheme
XVII
APPENDIX 7: Transcript
XXII

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PART I- INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
English is a compulsory subject in Vietnamese high schools. Thanks to the
implementation of the new national English High School curriculum in the school year 2006-
2007, new textbooks of English have been introduced for grades 10 to 12, this series of new
textbooks focus more on such four communication skills as Reading, Speaking, Listening,
Writing and language focus. Since then the practice of developing students‟ communication
competence has been required in any lessons, which is an obligatory criterion to evaluate an
English lesson, so the purpose of communication is obviously shown off in the English
classrooms.
We know quite well that in teaching and learning a foreign language testing
plays an important role. "Both teaching and testing are so closely interrelated that it is virtually
impossible to work in either field without being constantly concerned with the other" (Heaton,
1990). To make it simple, testing is rarely separated from teaching. A test may either be
designed as a device to reinforce learning and to motivate students or as a means of assessing
students' performance in the language. Therefore, tests are constructed based on the teaching
contents. However, until now most of the exams, even high-school leaving examination, are
administered in the written form in which only Pronunciation, Reading and Grammar are
tested.
Among other subjects, English is a barrier to most of the students at Bac Giang

th
non- English majors at
Bac Giang gifted high school and a sample test will be designed based on the proposed test
construction.
- To offer some practical recommendation for improvement of testing at Bac Giang
gifted high school.
3. The research questions.
To achieve the above aims and objectives, the following questions are raised:
1. To what extent is communicative language testing used at BG gifted high
school?
2. What language skills and areas can be tested communicatively?
3. How can a test be designed to measure students‟ communicative abilities?
4. How do students feel about communicative language testing?
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4. Significance of the Study
This study has been conducted with the hope that it could enhance teachers'
understanding of the importance of testing students' language ability communicatively.
Moreover, it would help teachers to grasp useful knowledge to design communicative tests.
Also, it is hoped that the findings will assist in raising educational administrators' awareness of
teachers' difficulties in conducting communicative tests.
5. Scope of the study
Because of knowledge, experience and time limitation, the researcher only
intends to overview a brief of current situation of testing English of 10
th
form students, to
identify teachers' difficulties in conducting communicative language tests. Then, basing on the
characteristics of the level and the situation background of the school, a sample of
communicative test was designed to assess students' communicative competence. In addition,
teachers' and students' comments on the tests and their suggestion for its improvement will be

1.1. Language testing
1.1.1 Definitions of language testing
Up to now, there have been many books written about issues of language
testing, so a number of definitions of testing have been given out.
According to Brown (1994, p.252), a test is considered as "a method of
measuring a person's ability or knowledge in a given area." In his book (1994, p.373), he also
stresses that tests are seen by learners as dark clouds hanging over their heads, upsetting them
with thunderous anxiety as they anticipate the lightning bolts of questions they do not know
and worst of all a flood disappointed if they do not make the grade.
Read (1983, p.3) who shares the idea says that a language test is a sample of
linguistic performance or a demonstration of language proficiency. In other words, a test is not
simply a set of items that can be objectively marked; it can also involve a "subject"
educational of spoken and written performance with the assistance of a checklist, a rating
scale, or a set of performance criteria.
In Heaton's point of view (1990, p.5) a test should be considered, first, as
a device to reinforce learning and motivate the student" and then "a means of assessing the
students' performance in the language". In the former case, the test can determine the kind of
teaching before that, meanwhile, in the latter case the content of the test should depend on the
teaching that has taken place before. In his view, testing and teaching are closely "interrelate"
(p5).
From the above-mentioned definitions, we can understand a test is an effective
means of measuring and assessing students' language knowledge and skills. Moreover, it also
helps the teachers to find out whether or not the materials used, their teaching methods and
techniques are suitable to their learners' ability, needs, and expectations.
1.1.2. Fundamental criteria of language tests
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In order to make a well-designed test, teachers have to take into consideration
the various factors such as the purpose of a test, the content of the syllabus, the students'
background and so on. In addition to these factors, test characteristics play very important role

it is, however, crucial for the validity of the test. Therefore, subjectivity should not imply
insignificance. It is just the only that way the content validity of a test can be determined. 1.1.2.2. Reliability
Though validity is the quality that most affects the value of a test, it is
dependent on reliability (Davies, et al. 1999, p9). Reliability is a necessary characteristic of
any good test. For it to be valid at all, a test must be reliable as a measuring instrument.
Henning (1987, p.73) defines the reliability of a test as being related to the accuracy,
consistency, dependability, and fairness of measurement. This is judged from whether the
measurement gives similar results when it is taken on different occasions, or with different
instruments or by different persons.
A reliable test is assessed in terms of following factors:
 Test organization
 Time allocation
 Instructions
 Nature of language
 The extent to which the tests represent the syllabus
 The test item level of difficulty
1.1.2.3. Practicality
A test must be practicable, in other words, it must be fairly straight-forward to
administer. The most obvious practical considerations concerning the tests are the length of
time available for the administration of the test, the answer sheets, the stationary used, the tape
recorder and the presentation of the test paper itself.
1.1.2.4. Discrimination
Discrimination is another important feature of a test. According to Harrison
(1994, p.14) discrimination is "the extent to which a test separates the students from each
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other". However, the extent of the need to discriminate will vary depending on the purpose of

1.1.3.3. The integrative approach
This approach is aimed at testing the language in context. It is, therefore,
"concerned primary with meaning and the total communicative effect of discourse" (Heaton,
1989). Consequently, integrative tests do not seek to separate language skills into neat division
in order to improve test reliability. Such integrative tests are often designed to assess the
students' ability to use more than one skill at the same time. In other words, the main concern
of this approach is the students' global proficiency, not the mastery of a separate element or
skill. The typical types of tests following this approach are close tests, dictation, oral
interview, translation, and essay writing.
1.1.3.4. The communicative approach
The communicative approach to language testing is based on the assumption
that language is learned to express different kinds of functions, and emphasizes the need of
testing language by using processes of communication such as using language appropriately in
different types of situations to interact with people and perform on a wide range of tasks.
Communicative test concerns primarily with how language is actually used in
communication. It considers language to be interactive, purposive, authentic, contextualized,
and should be assessed in terms of behavioral outcomes (Morrow, 1979, as cited in Weir,
1990, p.79). Therefore, in order to deal with communicative language tests, the learners should
have good language performance linguistically and communicatively. That is, they must have
a good command of the components involved in communication. Madson (1983) comments
that the best exams in this communicative era are those that combine the various sub-skills
necessary for the exchange of oral and written ideas. He asserts that communicative tests need
to measure more than isolated language skills, to comprehensively indicate how well a person
can function in another language.
Obviously, communicative language testing is attracting more and more
advocates and it is also the main concern of this study. Further details of the communicative
language testing will be discussed in the following section.
1. 2. Communicative language teaching and testing
1.2.1. Communicative language teaching and learning
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It is known that the need of communicative competence in language testing
emerged from the requirements for better criteria in assessing communicative competence and
for catching up with new trends in language teaching. Canale and Swain (1980, p.48) broadly
viewed communicative competence as an integration of linguistic competence and
sociolinguistic competence including discourse and strategic competence as well. In other
words, both knowledge of the rules of grammar and knowledge of the rules of language use
are required in their communicative competence concept as it is stated:
"Communicative competence is composed minimally of grammatical
competence, sociolinguistics competence, and strategic competence. There is no strong
theoretical and empirical motivation for the view that grammatical competence is any more or
less crucial to successful communication that is sociolinguistic competence or strategic
competence. The primary goal of communicative approach must be to facilitate the integration
of these types of knowledge for the learners, an outcome that is not likely to result from
overemphasis on one form of competence over the other throughout a second language
program" (Canale & Swain, 1980, p.27).
As a result, in assessing communicative competence, it is not just assessing
knowledge of language rules but also knowledge of rules of language use including many
factors. In order to put Canale and Swain's concept of communicative competence into
practice, the design of communicative tests will employ their communicative competence
model as follows:
Canale and Swain's communicative competence model: in their model, there are four
main models like these (1983, p. 34)
* Grammar competence: Mastery of the language code: lexical items, rules of words
formation, sentence transformation, literal meaning, pronunciation, and spelling.
* Sociolinguistic competence: Mastery of appropriate use and understanding of
language in different sociolinguistic contexts, with emphasis on appropriateness of both
meaning (eg. topic function) and form (eg: register, formulaic expression).
* Discourse competence: Mastery of how to combine and interpret meaning and forms

such tests, we evaluate samples of performance in a certain specific context of language use,
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created under particular test constraints, for what they can tell us about a candidate's
communicative capacity or language ability".
A communicative test has to meet some other strict criteria. It has to test for
grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic, and illocutionary competence as well strategic
competence. It requires the learner to use language naturally for real communication and to
put authentic language to use within a context. And it should test the learner in a variety of
language functions. A communicative test takes into account performance tasks related to the
testee's practical activities, that is, to the communicative context in which he would find
himself.
In the early 1970s thanks to Hymes' theory of communicative competence,
communicative language tests developed and came to have the two following features:
+ They are performance tests which require assessment to be carried out when
the candidate is engaged in communication, either receptive or productive, or both.
+ They see language as a sociological phenomenon, focusing on the external,
social functions of language while integrative and pragmatic tests see language as an internal
phenomenon. With this test, the use of authentic texts and real world tasks may be developed.
(Mc Namara, 2000, p.16). One of those distinguishing features that supersede other types of
tests is that besides systemic features of language, it requires students' careful study of the
communicative roles and tasks.
To conclude, a test which is communicative in nature must make it possible to
find out "not only what the learner knows about the second language and how to use it
(competence) but also to what extent the learner is able to actually demonstrate this knowledge
in a meaningful communication situation". Canale and Swain (1980, p.66)
1.2.3.2. Characteristics of communicative test
Communicative language tests also have some core characteristics that test
makers should follow to create a successful test. They are distinguished by four
characteristics:

grammatically correct sentences. Receptive skills tests focus on understanding the
communicative meanings of the speaker or writer rather than on picking out specific details.
As a matter of fact, the two are often combined in communicative tests, so that the candidates
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must both comprehend and respond in real time. In real life, the different skills are not often
used entirely in isolation. Students in a class may listen to a lecture, but they later need to use
information from the lecture in a paper. In taking part in a group discussion, they need to use
both listening and speaking skills. Even reading a book for pleasure may be followed by
recommending it to a friend and telling the friend why you liked it.
In short, these features help us understand the reasons for the supreme role of
communicative language tests in the field of testing students' communicative competence.
1.2.3.3. The needs for communicative tests
The reasons why communicative tests are needed will be stated:
It started from the limitation of the traditional tests for example, translation and
discrete-point tests e.g. a multiple choice test for only one point of grammar or phonology etc
at a time. It is argued that those can access some parts of students' competence. According to
this point, there are many evidences to support as follows:
Firstly, testing language has traditionally taken the form of testing knowledge
about language, usually the testing of knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Nevertheless,
there is much more to being able to use language than knowledge about it. Dell Hymes (1972)
proposed the concept of communicative competence. He argued that a speaker can be able to
produce grammatical sentences that are completely inappropriate. In communicative
competence, he included not only the ability to form correct sentences but to use them at
appropriate times. Since Hymes proposed the idea in the early 1970s, it has been expanded
considerably, and various types of competencies have been proposed. However, the basic idea
of communicative competence remains the ability to use language appropriately, both
receptively and productively, in real situations
And the other reason for the need of communicative tests is due to the new
trend of teaching. The new trend of teaching which is closely related to the trend of testing has

1.3.1. Principles of designing communicative test
Communicative language tests are used with the goal of measuring language
learners‟ ability to take part in acts of communication or to use language in real life situations.
Communicative tests, which cover the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and
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writing, are designed on the basis of communicative competence. According to Canale and
Swain (1980), communicative competence involves linguistic competence (knowledge of
linguistic forms), sociolinguistic competence (the ability to use language appropriately in
contexts), discourse competence (coherence and cohesion), and strategic competence
(knowledge of verbal and non-verbal communicative strategies) (p. 4). Understanding the
model of communicative competence is necessary and helpful for developing communicative
language tests, which involves formulating test objectives and considering the effects of the
test on teaching and learning. Following the model of communicative competence, several
authors constructed the principles of communicative language tests. Swain (1985, p.36-44)
precisely presents principles of communicative test design.
Principle 1: Start from somewhere: This means it is intended to suggest that
from both a theoretical and practical viewpoint, test development should be built from existing
knowledge and examples. When designing the test, test makers should state carefully what
they expect test takers to perform when they use the target language in a specific context,
which means that test writers must know what they want to test. After that, test makers can
establish scales and criteria in assessment procedures to measure exactly the stated features of
testees‟ performance.
Principle 2: Concentrate on content. It refers both to the content of materials
used as basis of communicative language activities and the tasks used to elicit communicative
language behaviors. The content of the materials used for generating communicative activities
must be sufficient to generate each component of communicative performance. Appropriate
content matches or fits learners‟ or test takers‟ age, proficiency level, interests, and
goals/needs. For instance, some tasks for students at grade 10th may include introducing
themselves and others, giving instructions, making a complaint and so forth. The tasks should

Though communicative testing is not limited to English for Specific Purposes situations, the
test should reflect the communicative situation in which the testees are likely to find
themselves. In cases where the testees do not have a specific purpose, the language that they
are tested on can be directed toward general social situations where they might be in a position
to use English.
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This basic assumption influences the tasks chosen to test language in
communicative situations. A communicative test of listening, then, would test not whether the
testee could understand what the utterance, "Would you mind putting the groceries away
before you leave" means, but place it in a context and see if the testee can respond
appropriately to it.
If students are going to be tested over communicative tasks in an achievement
test situation, it is necessary that they be prepared for that kind of test, that is, that the course
material covers the sorts of tasks they are being asked to perform. For example, you cannot
expect testees to correctly perform such functions as requests and apologies appropriately and
evaluate them on it if they have been studying from a structural syllabus. Similarly, if they
have not been studying writing business letters, you cannot expect them to write a business
letter for a test.
Tests intended to test communicative language are judged, then, on the extent
to which they simulate real life communicative situations rather than on how reliable the
results are. In fact, there is an almost inevitable loss of reliability as a result of the loss of
control in a communicative testing situation. If, for example, a test is intended to test the
ability to participate in a group discussion for students who are going to a British university, it
is impossible to control what the other participants in the discussion will say, so not every
testee will be observed in the same situation, which would be ideal for test reliability.
However, according to the basic assumptions of communicative language testing, this is
compensated for by the realism of the situation.
1.4. Conclusion
For the theoretical base of the study, this chapter has reviewed essential issues