Contents

1 What is involved in assessing listening? 1

1.1 What the listening process involves 2

1.2 How listening differs between contexts and listeners 5

1.3 How listening input varies 7

1.4 How the spoken and written forms of the language differ 8

1.5 What makes listening difficult? 11

1.6 Why is assessing listening important? 19

1.7 Summary 20

2 How can test specifications help? 27

2.1 What are test specifications? 27

2.2 Purpose of the test 28

2.3 Target test population 28

2.4 The construct 29

2.5 Performance conditions 34

2.6 Why do we need test specifications? 49

2.7 Summary 51

3 How do we exploit sound files? 55

3.1 Identifying the potential use of a sound file 55

3.2 A procedure for exploiting sound files: Textmapping 57

3.3 Textmapping for gist 59

3.4 Textmapping for specific information and important details (SIID) 68

3.5 Textmapping for main ideas and supporting details (MISD) 76

3.6 Re-textmapping 82

3.7 Useful by-products 82

3.8 Summary 83

4 How do we develop a listening task? 85

4.1 Task identifier (TI) 85

4.2 Task instructions 88

4.3 Task issues 90

4.4 Guidelines for developing listening items 98

4.5 Peer review and revision 107

4.6 Summary 112

5 What makes a good listening task? 115

Introduction 115

Part 1: Multiple matching tasks 116

5.1 Task 1: Reading habits (MM) 116

5.2 Task 2: School class (MM) 118

5.3 Task 3: A diplomat speaks (MM) 122

Part 2: Short answer tasks 127

5.4 Task 4: Winter holidays (SAQ) 127

5.5 Task 5: Message (SAQ) 129

5.6 Task 6: Oxfam Walk (SAQ) 131

Part 3: Multiple choice tasks 133

5.7 Task 7: Hospital (MCQ) 133

5.8 Task 8: Tourism in Paris 135

5.9 Summary 139

5.10 Keys to the sample tasks 141

6 How do we know if the listening task works? 145

Introduction 145

6.1 Why do we trial? 146

6.2 How do we trial? 154

6.3 Trial results 160

6.4 Conclusions 172

7 How do we report scores and set pass marks? 175

7.1 Reporting test scores 175

7.2 Standard setting 182

7.3 Stakeholder meetings 195

7.4 Sample tasks and test website 195

7.5 Post-test reports 197

DLT Bibliography 203

Index 205