task 14 -- Communicative approach

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Date Posted: 17:39:52 08/05/03 Tue
Author: Andr�a Maria da Silva
Subject: task 14

How to test communicative competence

Communicative competence is basically the ability to use language appropriately, both receptively and productively, in real situations. Therefore, the best way to test it would be using communicative language tests. In those tests, the major focus lays on the appropriateness and understanding rather than on the production of grammatically correct sentences. Grammar errors should only be consider when they represent a real problem to communication. Since language skills are not used on isolation in real-life situations, communicative language tests usually combine them. �Few tests are completely communicative; many tests have some element of communicativeness.�
Communicative test have a defined context. When the language is being learned with an specific purpose, that context must be used on the test. When that is not the case, real-life situation should be used instead. It is important that students are not asked, in a test, to do something they are not familiar with. 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�. Another point about communicative test is the subjectivity of it evaluation. As real-life situations does not have a right or wrong answer, the testees response must be evaluated based on quality, and sometimes quantity, of the answer.
Information gap and role play are two kinds of tasks that could be used on a communicative test.

Information gap : a task in which two testees work together. Each one is given a certain amount of information, which they have to share in order to complete the task. For example, one of the testees is given a map. The other testee is given a map with the no identification of the streets or building and is supposed to ask for instructions of how to get to the bank. Both maps have the same starting point marked. As the first testee gives direction, the second one is supposed to trace the route on her/his map

Role play : the testee is given a situation to play out with another person. The testee is given in advance information about what his/her role is , what he/she is supposed to accomplishes, etc. For example, you have just moved to Mr. Len Shaw�s apartment. He had gone away for a short trip. You a supposed to answer a telephone call asking to speak to Mr. Len.

Combined skills tests may also be giving. Reading and writing may be combined in a test where the testees are asked to write a letter or a memo based on the information that they are given. Another kind of combined task would be to ask the testees to summarized a given passage. It is important that the testees are given the purpose of the summary they are supposed to write.

Listening and writing may also be combined. The testees may listen to a text, for example, and be asked to write down certain information from the text. It is important that this task simulate real life situations. A example would be listening to airplane�s departures schedules from London to New York. The testee is supposed to take notes so he/she can decide on the best time to travel.

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Re: task 14 -- Vera, 08:20:17 08/07/03 Thu