This is a simpe yet detailed sample test for Pronunciation

1. English 506: Evaluation of Language Learning
TESTING LANGUAGE SUB-SKILLS
-Testing on Pronunciation
Argie N. Mauricio
December 05, 2020

2. What are we trying to measure?
It is supported by the fact that the purpose of testing
pronunciation is not only to evaluate knowledge and award
grades, but also, and probably more importantly, to
motivate students to be sensitive to this aspect of English.
Given that the motivation of many students for learning
English is instrumental rather than integrative,
pronunciation tends to be neglected by many learners as
long as they know they will not be tested on it.

3. Why is it difficult to test pronunciation?
It is possible for people to produce practically all
the correct sounds but still be unable to communicate
their ideas appropriately and effectively. On the other
hand, people can make numerous errors in both
phonology and syntax and yet succeed in expressing
themselves fairly clearly. (Heaton 1988:88)

4. Why is it difficult to test pronunciation?
It is often impossible to manage the large number of
students to be tested. Testing equipment, like laboratories
or tape recorders, is scarce in many countries where English
is taught. Even when such material is available, testing may
be rendered impossible by the lack of even more basic
facilities such as electricity.

5. How should we test pronunciation?
The ideal way of testing pronunciation is to actually
listen to the learner. But since this is not always possible
or suitable, the alternatives discussed here can be used
for testing segments and word stress.

6. Dictation
Given that speaking and listening skills are
interrelated; dictation remains one of the ways of
testing the learner’s pronunciation. This testing
method is based on the assumption that, most
often, if the learner has a deviant pronunciation of
a word, he will not understand it when it is read
with a different pronunciation.

7. A dictation exercise may appear in
different forms. First, a whole passage
incorporating target words to be tested.
It may also consist of a set of individual
words incorporating the segmental or
stress features being tested.

8. DICTATION TEST
Similar to cloze test
Both dictation and cloze test are able to predict overall language ability.
Dictation has the ability of assessing listening. (Hughes, 1972)
Teacher begins by selecting an appropriate passage:
· Short and not longer than one paragraph.
· Appropriate to the students language ability and cultural background.

9. Dictation Structure
a) Read out at least three times
b) First time, normal rate of reading.
c) Second reading, little slower and expect
students to write down what is read.
d) Teacher pauses to break the passage into
meaningful chunks referred to as bursts.
f) Third reading, students are expected to check
their work, editing it for errors.

10. What makes a dictation difficult?
a)The length of the phrase or burst
– Longer burst, more difficult.
– Students will have to retain more in short term
memory while taking down burst.
b) The length of the pauses between bursts
– Longer pause, easier for students.
– How long to pause? As long as the burst itself.

11. What makes a dictation difficult?
c) The content of the dictation passage
– Familiar content makes the dictation easier.
– Jargon and highly technical words are difficult for
some people.
d) The syntactic and structural properties of the sentences
in the passage
Complex structures make dictation more difficult.
(1) Ali caught the woman who stole the money
(2) The woman that Ali caught stole the money

12. What makes a dictation difficult?
e) Clarity of voice, expression and pace or tempo.
– Clarity of voice is important in dictations.
– Include facial expressions.
– The more animated the person dictating, the
more cues are provided to the students.

13. Scoring a dictation
Two general methods.
1. Traditional method
2. Pragmatic method
Both differ in treatment of spelling error.

14. Let’s consider the sentences “The boy is a pessimist.
He never sees the silver lining in a dark cloud” which

15. According to pragmatic method, the student will not be
penalized for sentence A, but will have points deducted for
producing sentence B.
The reasoning:
– Sentence A is merely a spelling error which at least retains
phonetics similarity to the original.
– Sentence B introduces a new word which makes the entire
sentence inaccurate and in this case, unacceptable as well.
Argument:
– Sentence B, there is a clear mistake which should be treated
as such is a test.
– Sentence A, the absence of the letter “t”may well be due to
the student’s haste to note down what he has heard and is
therefore not as serious an error in a test.

16. Sound Discrimination
The testees listen to one word or sentence
and circle the one they hear.
a. suck - sock He loves to suck all the time.
b. but - bought I bought a watch yesterday at
SM.
c. sit – seat Please have a seat.
d. hut - hurt I was hurt when he told me
that he didn’t love me.
e. Is that my (pen/pan)?
f. He was severely (beaten/bitten) by his wife.

17. Sound Definition
A word is heard, and several different definitions,
including one that is correct for the word, are given.
Testees are asked to select the correct definition for
the word they heard. It implies lexis and grammar
knowledge.
1. bought
a. a vehicle that moves in the sea
b. past participle of buy
c. coordinating conjunction

18. Same Sound
The testees listen to a list of words and mark the ones that
are the same
1. a. pot b. pot c. port (he answers: a and b)
2. 2. a. bid b. bit c. bid (he answers: a and c)

19. Odd Man Out
The testees listen to a list of words and mark the
one that is different.
1. a. pot b. pot c. port (he answers: c)
2. 2. a. bid b. bit c. bid (he answers: b)

20. Gap-Filling
Testees listen to a sentence and select from a set
of words the one they hear.
1. Did you see the _______you were looking
for?
d. people b. pupil c. purple
2. He died at the age of ________.
a. forty b. fourteen c. four

21. Sound Recognition
Testees receive a set of cards with words, the tester
pronounces them and asks the students to show the
corresponding card. Testees may also pronounce
some forms. [s], [z] or [Iz]?
books, schools, cats, churches, students’, plays,
James’s
[t], [d] or [Id]? wanted, added, jumped, robbed,
increased, showed, carved

22. Silent Letters
Testees are asked to circle silent letters (silent letters abound in
English words, and the importance of such an exercise cannot be
overemphasized)
Circle letters that are not pronounced in the following words:
aren’t, weren’t, sword, debt, bombing Greenwich, Parliament,
evening, climbing, Christmas, Knickers, Wrinkles, Match

24. Online Sources
https://www2.slideshare.net/khanhminhlala/testing-
language-areas-and-skills
https://www2.slideshare.net/songoten77/testing-
pronunciation?qid=717a72d1-1dee-41e4-83e2-
e04a18d0b6df&v=&b=&from_search=1
http://item-writing.blogspot.com/p/dictation-test.html