Task 14 -- Communicative approach

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Date Posted: 19:57:01 08/06/03 Wed
Author: J�nia Resende de Freitas
Subject: Task 14

Task 14

Read the text below and say how we can test communicative competence.
Testing Communicative competence http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kitao-Testing.html

In this task, I am going to talk about how we can test communicative competence based on the text called �Testing Communicative competence� from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kitao-Testing.html.
First of all, �the basic idea of communicative competence remains the ability to use language appropriately, both receptively and productively, in real situations.� So, in order to test a person or a group, I can say �communicative language tests are intended to be a measure of how the testees are able to use language in real life situations. In testing productive skills, emphasis is placed on appropriateness rather than on ability to form grammatically correct sentences. In testing receptive skills, emphasis is placed on understanding the communicative intent of the speaker or writer rather than on picking out specific details. And, in fact, the two are often combined in communicative testing, so that the testee 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.� And, the author of this text gives us examples about communicative language tests such as �a test in which testees listen to an utterance on a tape and then choose from among three choices the most appropriate response is more communicative than one in which the testees answer a question about the meaning of the utterance. However, it is less communicative than one in which the testees are face- to-face with the interlocutor (rather than listening to a tape) and are required to produce an appropriate response.�
Secondly, the author continuous saying, �Communicative tests are often very context-specific� and �If at all possible, a communicative language test should be based on a description of the language that the testees need to use. 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. 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. And more, �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 cover the sorts of tasks they are being asked to perform.�
Thirdly, about tests we have that �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. Listening and writing may also be tested in combination. In this case, testees are given a listening text and they are instructed to write down certain information from the text. Again, although this is not interactive, it should somehow simulate a situation where information would be written down from a spoken text� Similarly, we have the topic evaluation where the author says, �real life situations don't always have objectively right or wrong answers, and so band scales need to be developed to evaluate the results.�
To sum up, I can say that teachers or somebody who wants to test someone can test communicative competence simulating or creating an environment of real situations, as I proved above.

J�nia Resende de Freitas

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Replies:

Re: Task 14 -- Vera, 08:04:24 08/07/03 Thu