Testing vocabulary

Answer

1. Correct Answer: b. frequency constitutes a reliable index of difficulty
   Explanation: This statement is not a shortcoming of frequency word lists; rather, it suggests that frequency can be a reliable indicator of how difficult a word might be for learners, which is often considered a benefit.
2. Correct Answer: b. frequency constitutes a reliable index of difficulty
   Explanation: Similar to the previous question, this statement indicates that frequency can help gauge word difficulty, making it an advantage rather than a shortcoming.
3. Correct Answer: d. an elementary learner's dictionary
   Explanation: Lexical items for an achievement test should be selected from relevant course materials or student errors, but not from a dictionary, as it may include words that are too advanced or not covered in the course.
4. Correct Answer: c. content words
   Explanation: At the advanced level, vocabulary tests should focus on content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) as they carry significant meaning and are crucial for comprehension and expression in more complex language use.
5. Correct Answer: a. beginners
   Explanation: Vocabulary tests for beginners should emphasize words commonly used in speaking and oral communication to support foundational language skills.
6. Correct Answer: a. proficiency
   Explanation: Proficiency tests typically assess overall language ability and can draw from a broad range of vocabulary, making item selection easier compared to other test types.
7. Correct Answer: a. they have a good listening and reading vocabulary
   Explanation: A strong listening and reading vocabulary aids in spelling retention as students are more familiar with word structures and patterns through exposure.
8. Correct Answer: d. a sight word approach
   Explanation: Given the student's excellent visual memory but poor auditory processing skills, a sight word approach would leverage their strengths by focusing on visual recognition of words.
9. Correct Answer: b. difficult to construct but easy to score
   Explanation: Short-answer items require careful crafting to ensure clarity and relevance, making them challenging to construct; however, they are straightforward to score based on specific answers.
10. Correct Answer: a. structure and vocabulary
    Explanation: Structure (grammar) and vocabulary are fundamental components across all language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), forming the basis for effective communication.
11. Correct Answer: b. is replaced by a picture
    Explanation: For elementary levels, using pictures can help convey meaning without relying heavily on text, making it more accessible for young learners.
12. Correct Answer: d. not informative
    Explanation: Limited-response items may not provide detailed insights into student understanding or knowledge since they restrict responses to predefined options.
13. Correct Answer: d. Multiple-choice items
    Explanation: While multiple-choice items can assess knowledge of spelling indirectly, they do not effectively measure spelling ability directly like omission or dictation items do.
14. Correct Answer: d. measure production rather than recognition
    Explanation: Completion items require students to produce language actively rather than merely recognize correct answers as in multiple-choice formats.
15. Correct Answer: a. the use of context often restricts the number of possible answers
    Explanation: Using continuous prose provides context that helps narrow down potential answers, making it easier for students to deduce the correct responses.
16. Correct Answer: d. testing the students' active or passive vocabulary
    Explanation: Determining whether to focus on active (productive) or passive (receptive) vocabulary is crucial for aligning the test with learning objectives and student needs.
17. Correct Answer: a. some well-known word lists
    Explanation: When students have followed different syllabuses, using established word lists allows for consistency and comparability across varied educational backgrounds.
18. Correct Answer: b. take no account of the difficulty levels
    Explanation: Word lists may not adequately reflect varying difficulty levels among lexical items, making careful selection necessary for effective teaching and assessment.
19. Correct Answer: d. content
    Explanation: Vocabulary tests typically focus on content words because they convey essential meanings critical for comprehension and communication.
20. Correct Answer: c. 60
    Explanation: Allowing about 60 seconds per item is generally recommended for supply item types in vocabulary testing to give students adequate time to think and respond accurately.

Answer

21. The best kind of vocabulary test at the elementary level is the limited response. This type of test allows students to demonstrate their understanding of vocabulary in a simple and direct manner, which is suitable for their developmental stage and language proficiency. It encourages active engagement without overwhelming them with choices, making it ideal for elementary learners.
22. Multiple-choice completion is a good vocabulary test for students with the reading ability in the foreign language. This format requires students to comprehend the text and select the correct word based on context, which aligns well with developing reading skills.
23. Which of the following is NOT a good source for the selection of vocabulary items? The answer is random lists of words. Effective vocabulary instruction should be based on relevant and contextualized sources that support learning objectives, rather than arbitrary lists which may not align with students' needs or experiences.
24. Sentence completion vocabulary items are not used to test function words. Function words (like prepositions, conjunctions, etc.) serve grammatical purposes rather than conveying specific meanings, making them less suitable for vocabulary testing focused on content words.
25. Choosing words or phrases such as "Laundromat, sunny side up, and three credit hours" reflects the problem of cultural bias. These terms may not be universally understood across different cultures, potentially disadvantaging students unfamiliar with these concepts.
26. A good set of distracters for the stem "Mary is very .......... . She is always late." would be inconsiderate, senseless, thoughtless. These options align closely in meaning and context to the sentence's implication about Mary's behavior.
27. In multiple-choice paraphrase tests of vocabulary, choosing the right word depends mostly on finding meaning in the sentence. This requires students to understand context and nuances rather than simply recalling definitions.
28. One of the advantages of the inflectional cloze type of simple completion vocabulary items is to allow for spelling changes when required. This flexibility accommodates variations in word forms that may be necessary in different contexts.
29. The emphasis in simple completion vocabulary tests is on supplying the missing words. This type of test assesses students’ ability to recall and apply vocabulary knowledge directly.
30. Simple completion vocabulary tests are similar to multiple-choice items in that both make use of context. They require students to understand how words function within sentences to select or provide appropriate responses.
31. When testing by means of simple completion items, it is recommended to embed the blank in a dialogue context. This approach provides meaningful context that can aid comprehension and recall for students.
32. The purpose of vocabulary tests is to measure the comprehension and production of words used in speaking or writing. This assessment helps educators understand students' language abilities and areas needing improvement.
33. The limited-response kind of vocabulary tests are used for elementary students. These tests are designed to match their cognitive and linguistic capabilities effectively.
34. One of the advantages of limited-response vocabulary items is that they cause less stress and nervousness. This format can be less intimidating than more complex testing methods, encouraging student participation.
35. A good vocabulary test type for students who can read in the foreign language is multiple-choice completion. This format allows them to demonstrate understanding through reading comprehension while still providing structured choices.
36. Vocabulary tests are mostly concerned with word meanings, word formation, and usage. Understanding how words are used in different contexts is crucial for effective communication.
37. In constructing the item "The old woman was always courteous when anyone spoke to her," the guideline that has been violated is that no two distracters should be synonymous. Options like "polite" and "courteous" are synonyms and can confuse test-takers regarding which answer is correct.
38. Matching tests are commonly used for assessing the students' knowledge of vocabulary. These tests require students to connect terms with their definitions or related concepts effectively.
39. Having difficulty in avoiding ambiguous contexts is a limitation of multiple choice completion vocabulary tests. Ambiguities can lead to confusion about what a question is asking or what an answer might mean.
40. Directed physical response tests of vocabulary are useful for beginning levels. These tests engage learners through actions that reinforce their understanding of vocabulary in a practical manner suitable for early stages of language acquisition.

41. When developing a test of vocabulary, care must be taken to ...........

Correct Answer: b. use distracters of the same level of difficulty
Explanation: Using distracters (incorrect options) that are of the same level of difficulty as the correct answer ensures that the test effectively assesses the students' knowledge without unintentionally favoring or disadvantaging them based on the distracters' difficulty.

42. Teachers who create their own distracters for multiple choice vocabulary items should make sure ...........

Correct Answer: d. not to give away the right answer through grammatical cues
Explanation: It's important to avoid grammatical cues that could hint at the correct answer. This maintains the integrity of the test and ensures that students are relying on their vocabulary knowledge rather than grammatical structure.

43. Vocabulary tests on an intermediate level usually concentrate on the words needed in ..........

Correct Answer: b. reading comprehension
Explanation: At an intermediate level, vocabulary tests often focus on words that are essential for understanding reading materials, as reading comprehension is a critical skill at this stage.

44. Early tests of reading are often limited to reading subskills, the most common being ..........

Correct Answer: b. comprehension
Explanation: Comprehension is a fundamental subskill in early reading tests, as it assesses a student's ability to understand and interpret text.

45. The ability of students to tell the difference fairly rapidly between various combinations of letters in words is called the .......... skill.

Correct Answer: d. word-attack
Explanation: The word-attack skill refers to a student's ability to decode and recognize words quickly, which is essential for effective reading.

46. The most typical test of the word-attack skill is the .......... technique.

Correct Answer: c. same-different
Explanation: The same-different technique assesses students' ability to recognize and differentiate between words, which is central to developing word-attack skills.

47. Which one of the following statements is true regarding multiple-choice vocabulary items?

Correct Answer: b. In paraphrase-type items, the choices should be as difficult as the underlined word.
Explanation: In paraphrase-type items, it’s crucial that all choices present a similar level of challenge to ensure that students are truly tested on their understanding of vocabulary rather than being led by easier distracters.

48. Which one of the following is NOT a shortcoming of the word lists used for the selection of test words in a vocabulary test?

Correct Answer: a. Word lists are based on very recent surveys of frequency.
Explanation: Recent surveys provide updated and relevant data for word frequency, making this option not a shortcoming but rather a strength of using word lists.

49. The item (To inflict great anguish. precede, resent, adorn, torment) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: c. all the choices are not related to the same general area or domain
Explanation: The correct answer "torment" relates specifically to inflicting anguish, while other options do not share this semantic field, making it confusing for test-takers.

50. The item (Very evil. nefarious, delicious, prosperous, courageous) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: c. all the choices are not related to the same general area or domain
Explanation: Only "nefarious" relates directly to "very evil," while other options describe positive or neutral attributes unrelated to evilness.

51. The item (A small branch. twig, frog, doom, plum) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: a. all the choices are not related to the same general area or domain
Explanation: Only "twig" fits as a synonym for "small branch," while other options do not relate at all.

52. The item (To think deeply about. vex, poll, tug, contemplate) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: c. all the alternatives are not on the same level of difficulty
Explanation: "Contemplate" fits well with "to think deeply about," while other options do not match in meaning or complexity.

53. The item (John .......... Mary's book. borrowed, sold, lent, returned) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: a. the context is not clear enough to provide the testees with a clear meaning
Explanation: Without additional context about what John did with Mary's book, any choice could potentially fit; therefore, it's ambiguous.

54. The item (Being unfortunate to have been bereaved of his belonging, Jack .......... lucky John's book.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: a. the item is more difficult than the choices
Explanation: The complexity of the stem makes it challenging compared to simpler answer choices.

55. The item (We can raise sugar cane in Khuzestan because cane needs a .......... climate.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: a. it tests a knowledge beyond the mastery of lexical items
Explanation: This question requires knowledge about agricultural conditions rather than just vocabulary understanding.

56. This item (The child was frightened of being left alone in the dark room.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: d. a and b

• a: The choices are more difficult than the word being tested.
• b: The choices are not of the same grammatical form as "frightened."
  This combination indicates that both issues affect clarity and appropriateness.

57. The item (The child was frightened of being left alone in the dark room.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: d. two choices are syntactically inappropriate

• Only one option ("filled with fear") appropriately fits syntactically within context.

58. The item (The detective is investigating a hideous crime.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: a. only one of the four choices makes sense in the context

• "Detestable" fits contextually; others do not relate logically to "hideous crime."

59. The item (John says he would write an English course book if he could find a .......... to deal with the less interesting parts.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: d. a and b

• a: The distracters and tested word differ in difficulty.
• b: Some distracters may not fit syntactically within context.

60. The item (I got up so late that I .......... had time for breakfast.) is defective because ...........

Correct Answer: d. all the alternatives are not on the same level of difficulty

• Options like "hardly" fit well while others don't match in terms of meaning or usage within context.

• Item: She came to the party in a .......... dress. (capable, sincere, lunatic, hideous)Correct Answer: c. all the choices are not related to the same general area or domain

• In this sentence, "dress" typically requires an adjective that describes its appearance or style. The word "hideous" fits this context as it describes something ugly. However, "capable," "sincere," and "lunatic" do not relate to the description of a dress. Therefore, the choices are not related to the same general area (adjectives describing clothing).

• Item: Bob says he would write an English course book if he could find .......... to deal with the less interesting parts. (a vet, an idiot, an ace, a collaborator)Correct Answer: b. all the choices are not related to the same general area or domain

• In this context, Bob is looking for someone to help him with writing a course book. The term "collaborator" is appropriate as it refers to someone who works together with another. The other options—"a vet," "an idiot," and "an ace"—do not fit this context as they do not relate to collaboration in writing or educational contexts.

• Item: "She came to the party in a hideous dress." (a nice, an old, a very large, a very ugly)Correct Answer: b. a defective item

• This item is defective because it tests two things at once: it requires both an understanding of adjectives and their comparative forms. While "very ugly" is synonymous with "hideous," the other options do not provide a suitable comparison or description that aligns with the original adjective's meaning. Thus, it does not effectively test vocabulary in isolation.

• Item: At the advanced level, vocabulary test items should contain ........... words.Correct Answer: b. content

• At advanced levels of language proficiency, vocabulary tests should focus on content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) that convey meaning and are essential for understanding complex texts. Function words (like prepositions and conjunctions) are less critical for vocabulary assessment at this level.

• Item: For testing vocabulary in context, .......... items are more appropriate.Correct Answer: d. paraphrase multiple-choice

• Paraphrase multiple-choice items are particularly effective for testing vocabulary in context because they require students to understand synonyms and contextual meanings rather than just memorizing definitions. This method assesses comprehension and application of vocabulary within varied contexts. These explanations clarify why each answer is correct based on the context and requirements of effective vocabulary testing.