Hi! My name is Malin and my intention is to write about advantages and disadvantages of written tests in junior high school (13-16 year-old-students). On the one hand written tests can be positive for many students that are shy and don´t speak much during class. Many students feel that it´s fair to have tests since they can influence the result themselves by working and studying hard. Tests also work as stimulus; if you don´t have tests in school, students get lazy and don´t study as much as they should. It´s also good for teachers that seldom are facing their students in class.
On the other hand written tests put a lot of pressure on the students. They feel streesed because there are too many tests in school and because they have to accomplish good results at a certain time. Written tests can also be devastating for students that are poor at several subjects in school. These students often experience a failure and therefore they lose interest and self-confidence. Written tests work in favour for students that are visual i.e. they easily learn by reading and they have the capability of memorizing. Furthermore it´s interesting to discuss what students actually learn through written tests. Many students don´t plan their time well enough so they have to study hard the days just before the test. When they have had the written test they forget all about it.
I work as a teacher in Sweden and to me it´s clear that teenagers today have a hectic life. Much is expected of them; they should educate well, study hard, take part in different activities outside school, learn to be responsible and always be easy to reach through cellphones. Altogether this means that children of today get much input from society. For example, many students spend many hours in front of their computers or TV. They also stay up late playing computer games or ”chating” on the Internet. In other words some students don´t do their homework and are tired in school. This in turns means that they have problems concentrating in school. The most important misson of the Swedish school is to individualize the teaching to every single student. The teacher simply have to plan lessons carefully and see ALL students´ needs and possibilities, but at the same time teachers have to compete with input from society. Since I started working 8 years ago I have been forced to cut down on the demands. Is this the same in Italy?
In Response to Malin. Hi! I'm Debora, I had experiences in the teaching field and I would like to express my opinion. I agree with you, this topic is very interesting but also not easy to solve. In Italy kids have to face a lot of written and difficult tests. Every teacher thinks that his subject is the most important and interesting on the earth. So students are stressed and demoralised: if they want to have good marks, they don't have time to relax or to go out with friends. On the other hand if there were not periodical tests children wouldn't study and at the end of the school they wouldn't be ready for an final exam or for a right choice for their future. My experience as teacher was very difficult: my students were young workers. The most of them quit the school early and started to work at fourteen. I tried to teach english and computer. At the beginning they didn't look to be interested but then we became a great work team. During this experience I used a lot of written tests to understand their comprehnsion.
I can say, even if I'm better in oral tests, that also in my life as student written tests are very important. During the University I had only oral tests: five years "without" writing! So when I started writing my thesis I was afraid to be no more able to write in a correct way. I'm lucky because my previous clasical study help me in every situation. But a large number of my friends find a lot of troubles writing an official letter or a thesis. So I think that written tests are very important for students and also for teachers!
Dear Malin, could you repeat your question about Italy? I would like to answer if possible!
We agree that the written test is positive for shy or emotional students and it's a stimulus for students to improve themselves. Hectic life is only a parent's excuse to justify laziness of their children. In fact we remember when we were children we spent 5 hours a day playing with our friends, but if the day after we had a written test, we would study instead of playing.
It's true that written tests put a lot of pressure on the students, but it's also true that teachers should reassure their students. However, a bit of pressure doesn't hurt anyone :-) !!!
Written tests are a way for students to show their hard study and to improve. For teachers is an objective evaluation of the student and makes testing all classes at the same time possible.
In Italy, teachers often aren't able to manage class because sometimes students are very rude. The Italian school is sinking and at the moment written tests are a way to control and educate students about good behaviour.
Hi! We're Gerardo and Gianni from Pisa. We think that written tests are most helpful for teachers in evaluating their students. In fact, if oral tests are fundamental for developing specific language use, they take a lot of time. Written tests, instead, allow teachers to save time and do something else i.e. lab works, trips and lessons. In our opinion both written and oral tests should be done!!! Obviously teachers should be able to give their students the intellectual means to do tests as best as they can. On the other hand, students should apply themselves to studying. The words "stressed" and "devastating" you used seem stronger than they should be. In fact we think that students who don't want to apply themselves to their studies can't be stressed by test (both oral and written) otherwise they wouldn't spend many hours in front of their computer or TV. Similarly other diligent students can't be stressed because they have done their job. A little fear is normal because knowledge will be tested and judjed with a mark. In Italy written test work well also because they're accompanied with oral tests. At the end of the year teacher compute the average that isn't only a mathematical one but a total average of the entire trend for that year. So if student gets a bad mark, he shouldn't lose self-confidence but he should increase his efforts to improve his evaluation.
The written test, I have been reading all your comments and I must say that I do agree with all of you. Both written and oral exams are good in order to measure student performance. I think a variety would be the best.
BUT: The question I think should be, is every test giving the student the same chance to produce their best?
What I mean is; Is one test measuring all students equally? No I think students need different tests. I say this because I have a reading and writing disability myself and for me life at school is a vast struggle. I have extra time on tests because my reading is slow and I have to have time in order to correct my writing. Because of that I get tired very fast and I lose focus and you could just imagine what effect that has on an exam. I have hardly ever had an oral test in Sweden but would prefer that because expressing myself with words are not my biggest gift.
I went to study in the US and actually could do half of the final exam orally because they thought that it would get a better and justify picture of my knowledge of the subject. I am not stupid I just don’t read like everyone else and that effects my writing.
I think students would benefit by being assessed differently, in order to prove their real knowledge. Sometimes it is not possible but, especially in Sweden, we have to change.
My name is Camilla and I’m going to write an essay about dictation as a test method in second language acquisition.
Children and adults learning a second language are most likely performing different tests that are supposed to measure different variables in their second language acquisition. One of these tests is dictation. I will try to decide what dictation measures and if the results are reliable. My focus will be mainly on dictation in Swedish as a second language, but I think learning a second language follows the same process no matter what language you are supposed to learn. One purpose of testing students is to get valid information of what the student knows about a certain issue or to what level the student has reached. I have chosen to look into dictation, and I’m interested in what one wants to test with dictation, and whether dictation measures what it is meant to measure, or if it measures something else. The first question must therefore be: What do you want to test? The next question must be: Do you test what you want to test and nothing else?
After getting answers to the questions above, I would like to look into reliability. If dictation has high reliability, one can say that the test is done the way it is supposed to be done and that the result would be the same with another reader of the dictation text.
So, do you have any thoughts about this? What do you want to measure with dictation? What is possible to measure? Is dictation a good or bad way of testing?
Hi and thanks for your comments. I agree with you when you say both written tests and oral tests are important. However, I think it´s important how the tests are worked out and as a teacher you can test knowledge in so many ways. I teach Swedish and then I have no tests but a lot of handing in assignments. I correct and then the students have to rewrite, improve and hand the assignment in again.
I also teach German. The students have to learn new words every week and I always test what they have learned in different ways. We also have written tests in German- to see what the students have learned, especially when it´s about grammar, wordknowledge, listening comprehension and reading comprehension. But being able to speak a language is just as important as being able to write. I always say to my students: When you are in a foregin country you don't write down what you want to say, you say it out loud!
I don´t feel that written tests allow teachers to save time---instead I feel stressed because I have to teach the students a lot of things before the test. For example all teachers in the ninth grade have the same tests, so if I haven´t been able to prepare my students for the test, it´s possible they will fail. And since it's my responsibility as a teacher to teach the students, I have to give the tests over and over again until they pass. Even though they aren't interested to pass the test I still have to give them extra lessons and make new tests.
Hi Deborah! I can understand that you had to use a lot of written tests because you didn´t know your students from the start. After a while, when you get to know them better, it´s easier to test different ways of teaching.
I agree with you when you say it´s a problem that every teacher thinks that his subject is the most important and interesting. Teachers have to talk with each other, so they know what they can expect from the students!
What was the purpose of you only having oral tests at the University? Did they tell you why? When I studied at the University we only had written tests!! I quess that was because we often were in big classes and the teachers didn´t actually know us by name.
The question about Italy was if things have changed in school during the last years? Teachers in Sweden have been forced to cut down on the demands. Changes in society influence the school.
I think your question is very important! Since the Swedish school has to individualize the teaching to every student we also have to individualize what kind of tests we give the students.I have a boy in my class who has "dyslexi" and he always does his tests and homework oral with me. He is a bright boy and he must be given the chance to succeed!
So Camilla, I really hope the Swedish school will be better to take care of all students, so they don't get to experience what you have done!
I’m looking forward to reading your essay when it’s done. This is interesting!
At my school we have two classes for asylum seekers. I have asked the teachers how they work with dictation. One of the teachers says that she didn’t work with dictation before she started teaching Swedish as a second language (before she only taught Swedish students). But now she does.
The students have to practise on writing and hearing Swedish words. According to her dictation is good for learning new words even though it doesn’t measure if they can use the words in their right context. Dictation is good for learning and practising on endings/suffix (plural), definite/indefinite article. In the beginner class they have dictation every day. The students will hopefully get the feeling they actually know some Swedish words through dictation. With time they will also learn the context of the words. Dictation is also good for learning pronunciation, intonation and rhythm.
Dictation can be seen as a tool to express oneself: to memorize and spell words correctly. Many of the students from other countries see dictation as a proper way to test knowledge. It’s the way they have been tested by their former teachers in their native countries.
I never have dictation in my German classes, but maybe I should? That probably depends on that the students and I have the same mother tongue, so I can use Swedish if I have to explain something they don’t understand.
HI! You are right, when you don't know students you have to test their knowledge before starting a work with them. School's situation in Italy is mainly critical: teachers have to deal with students only interested in internet and in Mtv but at the same time they seem not to try to understand them. Teenagers are not only stupid and bored people the teacher's new purpose is to catch their attention! The great problem is that teachers keep on with their educational programs even if students don't understand them. I'm helping an 18 years old boy studying english:when I started he wasn't able to conjugate to be in english!So we worked all summer long about grammar basics and now he can understand his teacher and he can do written and oral tests. It's unbelieveble: after 4 years at Highschool nobody seemed to know his deficiency in english. In general Italian teachers don't care about each student they just want to finish the educational program. This is because a lot of people complete their Highschol diploma even if they are not sufficiently prepared in various subject. You are a great teacher because you think about your students's future and not only about your career!
Thank you for commenting on my contribution! I think you and I have chosen subjects that are pretty close to each other, so I’m looking forward to read your final essay as well.
It’s interesting that your colleague said that dictation is good for learning new words and practising on morphology. I never thought about it like that, so that gives me another aspect of why teachers use dictation. The reason to what I was thinking changes a bit though, since I want to focus on dictation as a test method. But if my conclusion is that dictation is not a good test method, at least we can use dictation to learn new words! I’m more uncertain about morphology when having beginners, though, but that’s another thing…
Thank you for reminding me about the prosody (pronunciation, intonation and rhythm). I also think that students can learn something about that by dictation, but then again – is it a test or an exercise? Maybe I should have chosen another angle of approach to my essay…
I think you have some very good points about dictation, and you have contributed a lot to my thoughts about dictation in general, and to my essay in particular.
Interesting that you have experience from both teaching and being a student.
You describe a typical phenomenon when there are a lot of tests at the same time, typically at the end of the course, and each teacher thinks his or hers subject is the most important. I personally believe that it leads to a lot of stress and the students only learns for the moment, then quickly forgets after the test is taken.
In my experience it is good to have written tests, but it is even better if there are several minor tests or quizzes during the course. Those tests should add points to the actual final test so that some pressure is taken of the student then. Chances are they have actually studied harder and learnt more along the way.
I can't even remember if I had an oral test in school - I don't think so. Not ever. But I thought it was interesting what you said about students studying for a test and then forgetting all about it once the test is over. I was never much of a "studier" so to say. I was among those who would study, say three days before a test and then have it over and done with. Granted, I don't remember much, but I do remember keyfacts. For instance, in 8th grade we had this huge test about the States. And when I wrote the test for the last module I actually rememberd stuff I lernt for the test in 8:th grade. Again, granted, I rememberd but I didn't remember exact details. But still. I remember this kid in my class though. He was a straight A, kind of student, when it came to tests. If he was to get a question during class, he never had the answer. And I rememberd thinking, even back then, what kind of knowledge he actually did have. Anyone can study for a test, no matter if it is two weeks in advance or three days - what's important is what you remember.And that's where the system need to change I think.
Hi! I agree with all of you but most to Camillas comments. I think the students should be able to choose if they want oral or written tests due to what’s works best for them. I’m not a teacher so I don’t know if that would be possible to give them that choice but you can always dream. I also think that more discussions between students about what they are reading would make it easier for them to pass the written tests.
To get around the problem that students have so much to do after school nowadays, I think it would be better if they had more time to do there homework in school instead so the pressure at home would reduce.
Hi! We are Fabio and Giusy. We find your post very interesting, partly because we have seen you are a teacher. The Italian school system doesn't have any tests for admission to every level. On the other hand, during the school year students must cope with written tests on which teachers give a grade. Anyway, these tests aren't like multiple choice tests, but they consist of essays and mathematical exercises. At the end of the year all these grades determine the admission of students to the next level. In particular, the range of grades is from 1 to 10; anyway teachers usually give the grades from 3 for a bad test to 8 for an excellent test. A student is passed if the average of written tests and oral texts is at least 6. We think that these tests are difficult but useful. Besides in Italian schools there are oral texts that value better student's knowledge and give possibility to make up for bad grades in the written texts.
Hi!… I would like to talk about written tests… I think that tests are important not only for teachers to evaluate students but also for students to evaluate themselves. Written tests and oral tests are complementary because they involve different aspects of students’ training. With oral tests students can train and test their ability to espouse their knowledge and to organize it to make teachers understanding what they are talking about; at the same time they can learn to interact with others, to carry a conversation, to be master of the situation. With written tests students can learn to be concise but exhaustive at the same time, to organize and to optimise their work and to put attention on what the exercise is exactly asking them to do, to answer without digressions. Written tests can really train students to write and to create something which is suitable for being showed, read and judged. One of the most important differences between written and oral tests is that during oral tests students have little time to reflect before answering but at the same time mistakes can be often corrected, clarified or better explained; on the contrary during written tests they can reflect on what they are writing but after the delivery mistakes or inaccuracies cannot be corrected or explained any more so if teachers will read something wrong or not clear students will be marked down. This is the reason why I don’t think that written tests are more suitable for emotional students and that anxious students prefer these kind of tests, because it very difficult to morally get over fear to perceive that mistakes cannot be corrected anymore and that after the delivery there is nothing to do any more. It is very important to learn to write especially nowadays, because most part of documents, forms and applications are to be drawn up and sent by mail often also in other languages, without the opportunity of applying to someone for further information about what to do. It is very important to be clear and to write right things in the right place and to use right terms to give all information which is required. School is a good training for life to make us confronting with ourselves and our emotionality but also with other people. At work, moreover, both writing and speaking are important: speaking is important to interact with colleagues, employers, seniors, purchasers, common people, during meetings or not. Writing is importance in projects, which are to be examined by purchasers and employers, so as written tests are corrected by teachers. There are two different languages, that is a spoken one and a written one. Posting comments on the blog I put attention on the right word to use and to write phrases without mistakes, so I spend more time than expressing the same concepts speaking, also if I would probably commit lots of mistakes. But it is important, in my opinion, to potentiate the use of both languages.
I think that written tests are a good way to value preparation of students during the year, but they must be supported by individual oral tests. Students must accustom theirself to these two important methods, because they learn to control their emotionalism during exams. Same methods are used in university too, so is important to learn them!!
Hi, I would like to express my opinion on written tests in school. I have a little experience in teaching Italian, History and Philosophy, so my opinion concerns written test in humanities. In my view, written tests not only are useful to the teacher's evaluation, but they are also helpful for the students. Students who have the habit of writting, are often also able to drafting outlines. I think that outlines or schemas are useful to give a kind of order or structure to students's thoughts. So, I'm agree with Mari, who's saying that written tests requiere more reflection and oraganization than oral tests. That's why, in my opinion, italian school has to develop written tests in humanities.
20 comments:
Hi!
My name is Malin and my intention is to write about advantages and disadvantages of written tests in junior high school (13-16 year-old-students). On the one hand written tests can be positive for many students that are shy and don´t speak much during class. Many students feel that it´s fair to have tests since they can influence the result themselves by working and studying hard. Tests also work as stimulus; if you don´t have tests in school, students get lazy and don´t study as much as they should. It´s also good for teachers that seldom are facing their students in class.
On the other hand written tests put a lot of pressure on the students. They feel streesed because there are too many tests in school and because they have to accomplish good results at a certain time. Written tests can also be devastating for students that are poor at several subjects in school. These students often experience a failure and therefore they lose interest and self-confidence. Written tests work in favour for students that are visual i.e. they easily learn by reading and they have the capability of memorizing. Furthermore it´s interesting to discuss what students actually learn through written tests. Many students don´t plan their time well enough so they have to study hard the days just before the test. When they have had the written test they forget all about it.
I work as a teacher in Sweden and to me it´s clear that teenagers today have a hectic life. Much is expected of them; they should educate well, study hard, take part in different activities outside school, learn to be responsible and always be easy to reach through cellphones. Altogether this means that children of today get much input from society. For example, many students spend many hours in front of their computers or TV. They also stay up late playing computer games or ”chating” on the Internet. In other words some students don´t do their homework and are tired in school. This in turns means that they have problems concentrating in school. The most important misson of the Swedish school is to individualize the teaching to every single student. The teacher simply have to plan lessons carefully and see ALL students´ needs and possibilities, but at the same time teachers have to compete with input from society. Since I started working 8 years ago I have been forced to cut down on the demands. Is this the same in Italy?
In Response to Malin.
Hi!
I'm Debora, I had experiences in the teaching field and I would like to express my opinion.
I agree with you, this topic is very interesting but also not easy to solve.
In Italy kids have to face a lot of written and difficult tests. Every teacher thinks that his subject is the most important and interesting on the earth. So students are stressed and demoralised: if they want to have good marks, they don't have time to relax or to go out with friends.
On the other hand if there were not periodical tests children wouldn't study and at the end of the school they wouldn't be ready for an final exam or for a right choice for their future.
My experience as teacher was very difficult: my students were young workers. The most of them quit the school early and started to work at fourteen. I tried to teach english and computer. At the beginning they didn't look to be interested but then we became a great work team. During this experience I used a lot of written tests to understand their comprehnsion.
I can say, even if I'm better in oral tests, that also in my life as student written tests are very important. During the University I had only oral tests: five years "without" writing!
So when I started writing my thesis I was afraid to be no more able to write in a correct way. I'm lucky because my previous clasical study help me in every situation. But a large number of my friends find a lot of troubles writing an official letter or a thesis.
So I think that written tests are very important for students and also for teachers!
Dear Malin, could you repeat your question about Italy?
I would like to answer if possible!
In response to Malin
We agree that the written test is positive for shy or emotional students and it's a stimulus for students to improve themselves.
Hectic life is only a parent's excuse to justify laziness of their children. In fact we remember when we were children we spent 5 hours a day playing with our friends, but if the day after we had a written test, we would study instead of playing.
It's true that written tests put a lot of pressure on the students, but it's also true that teachers should reassure their students. However, a bit of pressure doesn't hurt anyone :-) !!!
Written tests are a way for students to show their hard study and to improve. For teachers is an objective evaluation of the student and makes testing all classes at the same time possible.
In Italy, teachers often aren't able to manage class because sometimes students are very rude. The Italian school is sinking and at the moment written tests are a way to control and educate students about good behaviour.
Diego and Margherita.
In response to Malin
Hi! We're Gerardo and Gianni from Pisa. We think that written tests are most helpful for teachers in evaluating their students.
In fact, if oral tests are fundamental for developing specific language use, they take a lot of time.
Written tests, instead, allow teachers to save time and do something else i.e. lab works, trips and lessons.
In our opinion both written and oral tests should be done!!!
Obviously teachers should be able to give their students the intellectual means to do tests as best as they can.
On the other hand, students should apply themselves to studying.
The words "stressed" and "devastating" you used seem stronger than they should be. In fact we think that students who don't want to apply themselves to their studies can't be stressed by test (both oral and written) otherwise they wouldn't spend many hours in front of their computer or TV.
Similarly other diligent students can't be stressed because they have done their job. A little fear is normal because knowledge will be tested and judjed with a mark.
In Italy written test work well also because they're accompanied with oral tests. At the end of the year teacher compute the average that isn't only a mathematical one but a total average of the entire trend for that year.
So if student gets a bad mark, he shouldn't lose self-confidence but he should increase his efforts to improve his evaluation.
The written test,
I have been reading all your comments and I must say that I do agree with all of you. Both written and oral exams are good in order to measure student performance. I think a variety would be the best.
BUT:
The question I think should be, is every test giving the student the same chance to produce their best?
What I mean is; Is one test measuring all students equally? No I think students need different tests. I say this because I have a reading and writing disability myself and for me life at school is a vast struggle. I have extra time on tests because my reading is slow and I have to have time in order to correct my writing. Because of that I get tired very fast and I lose focus and you could just imagine what effect that has on an exam.
I have hardly ever had an oral test in Sweden but would prefer that because expressing myself with words are not my biggest gift.
I went to study in the US and actually could do half of the final exam orally because they thought that it would get a better and justify picture of my knowledge of the subject.
I am not stupid I just don’t read like everyone else and that effects my writing.
I think students would benefit by being assessed differently, in order to prove their real knowledge. Sometimes it is not possible but, especially in Sweden, we have to change.
Hi,
My name is Camilla and I’m going to write an essay about dictation as a test method in second language acquisition.
Children and adults learning a second language are most likely performing different tests that are supposed to measure different variables in their second language acquisition. One of these tests is dictation. I will try to decide what dictation measures and if the results are reliable. My focus will be mainly on dictation in Swedish as a second language, but I think learning a second language follows the same process no matter what language you are supposed to learn.
One purpose of testing students is to get valid information of what the student knows about a certain issue or to what level the student has reached. I have chosen to look into dictation, and I’m interested in what one wants to test with dictation, and whether dictation measures what it is meant to measure, or if it measures something else. The first question must therefore be: What do you want to test? The next question must be: Do you test what you want to test and nothing else?
After getting answers to the questions above, I would like to look into reliability. If dictation has high reliability, one can say that the test is done the way it is supposed to be done and that the result would be the same with another reader of the dictation text.
So, do you have any thoughts about this? What do you want to measure with dictation? What is possible to measure? Is dictation a good or bad way of testing?
In response to Gerardo and Gianni
Hi and thanks for your comments. I agree with you when you say both written tests and oral tests are important. However, I think it´s important how the tests are worked out and as a teacher you can test knowledge in so many ways. I teach Swedish and then I have no tests but a lot of handing in assignments. I correct and then the students have to rewrite, improve and hand the assignment in again.
I also teach German. The students have to learn new words every week and I always test what they have learned in different ways. We also have written tests in German- to see what the students have learned, especially when it´s about grammar, wordknowledge, listening comprehension and reading comprehension. But being able to speak a language is just as important as being able to write. I always say to my students: When you are in a foregin country you don't write down what you want to say, you say it out loud!
I don´t feel that written tests allow teachers to save time---instead I feel stressed because I have to teach the students a lot of things before the test. For example all teachers in the ninth grade have the same tests, so if I haven´t been able to prepare my students for the test, it´s possible they will fail. And since it's my responsibility as a teacher to teach the students, I have to give the tests over and over again until they pass. Even though they aren't interested to pass the test I still have to give them extra lessons and make new tests.
Malin
In response to Debora
Hi Deborah!
I can understand that you had to use a lot of written tests because you didn´t know your students from the start. After a while, when you get to know them better, it´s easier to test different ways of teaching.
I agree with you when you say it´s a problem that every teacher thinks that his subject is the most important and interesting. Teachers have to talk with each other, so they know what they can expect from the students!
What was the purpose of you only having oral tests at the University? Did they tell you why? When I studied at the University we only had written tests!! I quess that was because we often were in big classes and the teachers didn´t actually know us by name.
The question about Italy was if things have changed in school during the last years? Teachers in Sweden have been forced to cut down on the demands. Changes in society influence the school.
Malin
In response to Camilla
I think your question is very important! Since the Swedish school has to individualize the teaching to every student we also have to individualize what kind of tests we give the students.I have a boy in my class who has "dyslexi" and he always does his tests and homework oral with me. He is a bright boy and he must be given the chance to succeed!
So Camilla, I really hope the Swedish school will be better to take care of all students, so they don't get to experience what you have done!
In response to Camilla Edvall
Hi Camilla!
I’m looking forward to reading your essay when it’s done. This is interesting!
At my school we have two classes for asylum seekers. I have asked the teachers how they work with dictation. One of the teachers says that she didn’t work with dictation before she started teaching Swedish as a second language (before she only taught Swedish students). But now she does.
The students have to practise on writing and hearing Swedish words. According to her dictation is good for learning new words even though it doesn’t measure if they can use the words in their right context. Dictation is good for learning and practising on endings/suffix (plural), definite/indefinite article. In the beginner class they have dictation every day. The students will hopefully get the feeling they actually know some Swedish words through dictation. With time they will also learn the context of the words. Dictation is also good for learning pronunciation, intonation and rhythm.
Dictation can be seen as a tool to express oneself: to memorize and spell words correctly.
Many of the students from other countries see dictation as a proper way to test knowledge. It’s the way they have been tested by their former teachers in their native countries.
I never have dictation in my German classes, but maybe I should? That probably depends on that the students and I have the same mother tongue, so I can use Swedish if I have to explain something they don’t understand.
I hope I have answered your questions…
Malin
in response to Malin.
HI!
You are right, when you don't know students you have to test their knowledge before starting a work with them.
School's situation in Italy is mainly critical: teachers have to deal with students only interested in internet and in Mtv but at the same time they seem not to try to understand them.
Teenagers are not only stupid and bored people the teacher's new purpose is to catch their attention!
The great problem is that teachers keep on with their educational programs even if students don't understand them.
I'm helping an 18 years old boy studying english:when I started he wasn't able to conjugate to be in english!So we worked all summer long about grammar basics and now he can understand his teacher and he can do written and oral tests.
It's unbelieveble: after 4 years at Highschool nobody seemed to know his deficiency in english.
In general Italian teachers don't care about each student they just want to finish the educational program. This is because a lot of people complete their Highschol diploma even if they are not sufficiently prepared in various subject.
You are a great teacher because you think about your students's future and not only about your career!
Debby
In response to Malin
Hi Malin!
Thank you for commenting on my contribution! I think you and I have chosen subjects that are pretty close to each other, so I’m looking forward to read your final essay as well.
It’s interesting that your colleague said that dictation is good for learning new words and practising on morphology. I never thought about it like that, so that gives me another aspect of why teachers use dictation. The reason to what I was thinking changes a bit though, since I want to focus on dictation as a test method. But if my conclusion is that dictation is not a good test method, at least we can use dictation to learn new words! I’m more uncertain about morphology when having beginners, though, but that’s another thing…
Thank you for reminding me about the prosody (pronunciation, intonation and rhythm). I also think that students can learn something about that by dictation, but then again – is it a test or an exercise? Maybe I should have chosen another angle of approach to my essay…
I think you have some very good points about dictation, and you have contributed a lot to my thoughts about dictation in general, and to my essay in particular.
Thank you!
Camilla Edvall
In response to Debora
Interesting that you have experience from both teaching and being a student.
You describe a typical phenomenon when there are a lot of tests at the same time, typically at the end of the course, and each teacher thinks his or hers subject is the most important. I personally believe that it leads to a lot of stress and the students only learns for the moment, then quickly forgets after the test is taken.
In my experience it is good to have written tests, but it is even better if there are several minor tests or quizzes during the course. Those tests should add points to the actual final test so that some pressure is taken of the student then. Chances are they have actually studied harder and learnt more along the way.
In respons to Malin
I can't even remember if I had an oral test in school - I don't think so. Not ever. But I thought it was interesting what you said about students studying for a test and then forgetting all about it once the test is over. I was never much of a "studier" so to say. I was among those who would study, say three days before a test and then have it over and done with. Granted, I don't remember much, but I do remember keyfacts. For instance, in 8th grade we had this huge test about the States. And when I wrote the test for the last module I actually rememberd stuff I lernt for the test in 8:th grade. Again, granted, I rememberd but I didn't remember exact details. But still.
I remember this kid in my class though. He was a straight A, kind of student, when it came to tests. If he was to get a question during class, he never had the answer. And I rememberd thinking, even back then, what kind of knowledge he actually did have. Anyone can study for a test, no matter if it is two weeks in advance or three days - what's important is what you remember.And that's where the system need to change I think.
/Susanne Borgström
In respons to Malin
Hi!
I agree with all of you but most to Camillas comments. I think the students should be able to choose if they want oral or written tests due to what’s works best for them. I’m not a teacher so I don’t know if that would be possible to give them that choice but you can always dream. I also think that more discussions between students about what they are reading would make it easier for them to pass the written tests.
To get around the problem that students have so much to do after school nowadays, I think it would be better if they had more time to do there homework in school instead so the pressure at home would reduce.
In response to Malin.
Hi!
We are Fabio and Giusy. We find your post very interesting, partly because we have seen you are a teacher. The Italian school system doesn't have any tests for admission to every level. On the other hand, during the school year students must cope with written tests on which teachers give a grade. Anyway, these tests aren't like multiple choice tests, but they consist of essays and mathematical exercises. At the end of the year all these grades determine the admission of students to the next level.
In particular, the range of grades is from 1 to 10; anyway teachers usually give the grades from 3 for a bad test to 8 for an excellent test. A student is passed if the average of written tests and oral texts is at least 6.
We think that these tests are difficult but useful. Besides in Italian schools there are oral texts that value better student's knowledge and give possibility to make up for bad grades in the written texts.
Fabio and Giusy.
Hi!… I would like to talk about written tests… I think that tests are important not only for teachers to evaluate students but also for students to evaluate themselves. Written tests and oral tests are complementary because they involve different aspects of students’ training. With oral tests students can train and test their ability to espouse their knowledge and to organize it to make teachers understanding what they are talking about; at the same time they can learn to interact with others, to carry a conversation, to be master of the situation. With written tests students can learn to be concise but exhaustive at the same time, to organize and to optimise their work and to put attention on what the exercise is exactly asking them to do, to answer without digressions. Written tests can really train students to write and to create something which is suitable for being showed, read and judged. One of the most important differences between written and oral tests is that during oral tests students have little time to reflect before answering but at the same time mistakes can be often corrected, clarified or better explained; on the contrary during written tests they can reflect on what they are writing but after the delivery mistakes or inaccuracies cannot be corrected or explained any more so if teachers will read something wrong or not clear students will be marked down. This is the reason why I don’t think that written tests are more suitable for emotional students and that anxious students prefer these kind of tests, because it very difficult to morally get over fear to perceive that mistakes cannot be corrected anymore and that after the delivery there is nothing to do any more. It is very important to learn to write especially nowadays, because most part of documents, forms and applications are to be drawn up and sent by mail often also in other languages, without the opportunity of applying to someone for further information about what to do. It is very important to be clear and to write right things in the right place and to use right terms to give all information which is required.
School is a good training for life to make us confronting with ourselves and our emotionality but also with other people.
At work, moreover, both writing and speaking are important: speaking is important to interact with colleagues, employers, seniors, purchasers, common people, during meetings or not. Writing is importance in projects, which are to be examined by purchasers and employers, so as written tests are corrected by teachers. There are two different languages, that is a spoken one and a written one. Posting comments on the blog I put attention on the right word to use and to write phrases without mistakes, so I spend more time than expressing the same concepts speaking, also if I would probably commit lots of mistakes. But it is important, in my opinion, to potentiate the use of both languages.
I think that written tests are a good way to value preparation of students during the year, but they must be supported by individual oral tests.
Students must accustom theirself to these two important methods, because they learn to control their emotionalism during exams. Same methods are used in university too, so is important to learn them!!
Hi, I would like to express my opinion on written tests in school. I have a little
experience in teaching Italian, History and Philosophy, so my opinion concerns written test in humanities. In my view,
written tests not only are useful to the teacher's evaluation, but they are also
helpful for the students. Students who have the habit of writting, are often also able to
drafting outlines. I think that outlines or schemas are useful to give a kind of
order or structure to students's thoughts. So, I'm agree with Mari, who's saying
that written tests requiere more reflection and oraganization than oral tests.
That's why, in my opinion, italian school has to develop written tests in humanities.
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