Reading comprehension is a key skill for any language learner, but how can you measure it in a second language? There are different types of reading comprehension tests, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, you will learn about some common methods of assessing reading comprehension in a second language, and how to choose the best one for your purpose.
A cloze test is a type of fill-in-the-blank test, where you have to complete a text with missing words. The words can be deleted randomly, or based on a certain criterion, such as grammar or vocabulary. Cloze tests can measure your overall understanding of a text, as well as your knowledge of specific linguistic features. However, they can also be influenced by your guessing ability, and they may not reflect your natural reading process.
A cloze test aims to assess an individual's comprehension and understanding of a given text. By creating gaps or blanks in the text, the test aims to measure the participant's ability to fill in those blanks with appropriate words. This helps evaluate their grasp of the language, including grammar, vocabulary, and overall contextual understanding. While cloze tests have their merits in assessing language skills, it's important to consider their limitations, such as the potential influence of guessing and the fact that they may not perfectly mirror natural reading processes.
I consider this type of activity very useful when preparing students for English tests. It is a quick task that can be done individually or in a group where students collaborate. It is true that sometimes, learners will try to guess the answers, so it is essential to remind them about the importance of such a task to improve their reading skills. It also demands a great deal of concentration, which is very important when testing reading skills.
I think, it depends on your definition of reading comprehension. In other words, what is the construct of reading in your mind. Then you can decide over the assessment type.
In my PhD thesis at Aston University back in the 1990's, I used Cloze Procedure as a tool to assess reading comprehension and that was in a comparative study between native and nonnative English speakers. I found it very effective in assessing reading comprehension. I benefitted greatly from the work of scholars who published extensively in the area of Cloze Procedure such as JC Alderson and JW Oller Jr.
Reading comprehension in a second language involves evaluating a learner's ability to understand, interpret, and apply written texts. Methods include comprehension questions, vocabulary proficiency, close tests, summarization, paraphrasing, reading aloud, critical analysis, prediction exercises, graphic organizers, jigsaw reading, authentic texts, and timed reading assessments. These methods consider the complexity of the text, the learner's proficiency level, and specific language skills. Combining these methods can provide a more comprehensive understanding of a learner's reading abilities.
A multiple-choice test is a type of test where you have to choose the correct answer from a list of options. The options can be related to the main idea, the details, the inference, or the vocabulary of a text. Multiple-choice tests can measure your comprehension of different aspects of a text, and they are easy to score and compare. However, they can also be affected by your test-taking strategies, and they may not capture your personal interpretation of a text.
Testes de múltipla escolha s?o uma alternativa simples e prática de verificar se o aluno compreendeu o texto. Um dos maiores benefícios desse tipo de pergunta é que o aluno pode acessar a resposta facilmente após fazer a atividade.
Testes de múltipla escolha tem a vantagem de serem rápidos de aplicar e fáceis de corrigir, com uma alta confiabilidade já que existe um número pré-definido de respostas corretas. Ao mesmo tempo, existem desvantagens: num teste com 3 respostas incorretas e uma correta, os alunos est?o expostos a respostas incorretas 75% do tempo, o que pode, por exemplo, refor?ar entendimentos incorretos ou incompletos. Também é necessário muito cuidado na confec??o do teste: distratores devem ter mesmo tamanho aproximado para evitar que o aluno deduza a resposta correta por ela ser mais longa ou mais curta. Op??es obviamente erradas e aburdas também devem ser evitadas.
Absolutely! A multiple-choice test is a form of assessment where individuals select the correct answer from a set of options. These choices often pertain to various elements within a text, such as the main idea, details, inferences, or vocabulary. Multiple-choice tests serve as a tool to evaluate one's understanding of diverse aspects of a text, offering the advantage of easy scoring and comparison. However, it's important to note that these tests can be influenced by test-taking strategies and may not fully reflect an individual's unique interpretation of a text.
Las multiple choice pueden funcionar para evaluar la comprensión en una segunda lengua, pero son un recurso que no consideraría de los predilectos, en mi opinión. Funcionan bien cuando la nota mínima para superar la prueba es exigente (por ejemplo, un 70 % de respuestas correctas), pero pueden estar demasiado bazadas en el azar cuando el rango es el convencional, es decir, del 50 %.
Ein zentraler Aspekt von Multiple-Choice-Tests liegt in der Kunst der effektiven Auswahl, die oft mehr als nur das reine Wissen erfordert. Sie sind wie R?tsel, bei denen nicht nur die offensichtliche Antwort, sondern auch die geschickteste Auswahl gefragt ist. W?hrend sie zweifellos effiziente Mittel zur objektiven Bewertung bieten, k?nnen sie dennoch DIE NUANCEN INDIVIDUELLER INTERPRETATIONEN üBERSEHEN. Wie ein Künstler vor einer Palette von Farben stehen die Prüflinge vor einer Auswahl von Optionen, wobei die wahre Kunst oft nicht darin liegt, die richtige Antwort zu kennen, sondern die falschen ausschlie?en zu k?nnen, um letztendlich eine m?glichst kluge Wahl zu treffen.
An open-ended question is a type of question that requires you to write a short answer in your own words. The question can be about the content, the structure, the purpose, or the evaluation of a text. Open-ended questions can measure your comprehension of a text, as well as your ability to express yourself in a second language. However, they can also be difficult to write and grade, and they may not cover all the aspects of a text.
Based on my experience, there are three aspects of assessing a student’s reading comprehension. First, choose a short passage from an appropriate book, say, two or three paragraphs, and have students read it silently to familiarize themselves with the passage, and then have them read it a second time out loud. The examiner should note pronunciation and how smoothly the student gets through the passage. Then, ask the student to summarize the main point or idea of the passage, sometimes referred to as the gist of the passage. Finally, zero in on a few phrases and ask the student to explain what those phrases mean, which is checking for details. This technique tends to give a useful assessment of the student’s reading comprehension.
Perguntas abertas s?o mais interessantes quando há a possibilidade de um feedback personalizado por um professor ou por inteligência artificial, visto que é difícil criar um gabarito que contemple todos os tipos de resposta para uma ques?o aberta.
A compreens?o e através do listening n?o tem jeito vejo muito Ted Talk e outros na internet com legenda sem legenda minha compreens?o é de 60%. Estou no curso de inglês intermediário mas com certeza apenas escutar é muito importante .
Assessing reading comprehension in a second language involves applying linguistic theoretical principles. Utilize comprehension tasks that measure understanding of syntax, semantics, and discourse structures. For example, design reading exercises that require interpreting complex sentence structures or identifying nuances in meaning. Implementing comprehension assessments aligned with linguistic theories ensures a comprehensive evaluation of second language reading skills.
This is a highly effective task for all learners of English regardless of their level. It helps them focus on specific chunks of information, as well as understanding a more general idea of the context. You can use this activity to focus on reading or even specific grammar points, depending on the type of questions you ask. For lower levels, the best option would be to ask yes/no questions as it is the most effective technique to check the learner's understanding. Something I often do is ask them to justify their answers by highlighting the text.
A summary writing task is a type of task where you have to write a brief summary of a text. The summary should include the main points, the supporting details, and the conclusion of a text. Summary writing can measure your comprehension of a text, as well as your ability to synthesize and organize information in a second language. However, they can also be challenging to write and evaluate, and they may not reflect your original thoughts on a text.
Resumir oq ue está lendo ou estudando é uma tarefa incrível tanto para reter o conteúdo quanto para retornar a ele posteriormente para revis?o.
La escritura es una gran forma de evaluar los procesos cognitivos de los alumnos. Importante, eso sí, es dar espacio para que los estudiantes puedan expresarse sin miedo a la corrección. Es imposible que un estudiante no se equivoque, independiente de si es nativo o no. Por lo tanto, en un contexto de L2 o LE, enfocarse en el contenido más que en la forma es una manera demostrada de incentivar la escritura y con ello las estrategias de análisis crítico de textos. Si se preguntan cómo puede los alumnos entonces mejorar la forma (la gramática y la ortografía), en palabras cortas la respuesta sería a través de historias (escuchándolas y/o leyéndolas, contándolas y/o escribiéndolas). Más que mal, la práctica hace al maestro.
By doing a summary, the learners can retell the plot on the basis of their own mental structure. It will help them to be more creative and enjoy learning a second language better.
Summary writing can be effective when students' level is higher than B1, although it may not be as practical when testing reading skills for lower levels. This is a combined task since it focuses both on reading and writing, so the learner's ability to write a composition may affect the content. Depending on the writing skills of the learner, this task could be difficult as some of them may not have enough knowledge to transmit the reading's summary.
Summary writing is a way to improve not only writing skills but also reading ones. I believe that considering what the important points in the text leads to activating their awareness of reading and they try to understand the content or message in the text more actively. Also, they can learn how to paraphrase sentences or texts while summarizing, which is absolutely effective to expand expressions they can use in written communication.
An integrated task is a type of task where you have to use more than one skill to complete it. For example, you may have to read a text and listen to a lecture, and then write an essay or answer questions based on both sources. Integrated tasks can measure your comprehension of multiple texts, as well as your ability to combine and analyze information in a second language. However, they can also be complex and demanding, and they may require more time and resources to administer and score.
Pedir que o aluno apresente oralmente o que leu pode ser uma oportunidade de integrar leitura e prática oral. Sobretudo para alunos básicos, o professor pode fazer um roteiro de aspectos do texto que considere importantes, para que o aluno se atente a eles e n?o esque?a de mencionar.
Junto con las anteriores, las tareas integradas tampoco se tratan con la intensidad que sería necesaria para sacarles un verdadero provecho. Creo que una oportunidad consistiría en trabajar el "multitasking", algo similar a lo que hacemos los intérpretes, por ejemplo, pidiéndole a un alumno o alumna que escuche un discurso sencillo y lo reproduzca al mismo tiempo.
While tests and questions provide a quick evaluation of reading comprehension, I think it would be more practical, for real life, to have learners comment on the reading. This will require the learner to pay more attention to the reading task holistically, try to understand the author’s perspective, and activate critical thinking to address various points in the text. This activates various cognitive processes which also happens in real life. When commenting on the piece, the learner needs to address the topic, author’s perspective, and details; this can show whether they have actually understood the text, and not simply sentences, words, or grammar. Their comments can indicate how accurately they have understood the author, the reading.
When assessing reading comprehension in a second language, you can use comprehension questions to test students' understanding of the text. These questions can be multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, or short answer. Another method is using cloze exercises, where students fill in the missing words in a passage. This helps assess their ability to understand context and vocabulary. Lastly, you can have students summarize the text in their own words to gauge their overall comprehension. These methods provide a well-rounded assessment of reading skills in a second language.
Another method I can think of would be assessment rubrics. This rubric is designed to assess reading comprehension in a second language. It provides clear criteria for evaluating students' understanding of the main idea, identification of supporting details, application of critical thinking, and demonstration of language proficiency.
If learner and teacher share a common First Language (L1), passage read for comprehension in the Second Language (L2) may be retold in the L1 for assessment on veral comprehension. Assessment on other aspects of comprehension (like sentence, phrase, vocabulary, ronunciation idioms, and grammar) can also be treated likewise, and visa-versa.
Cela dépend du niveau de l'apprenant ainsi que la longueur du texte. Pour les débutants lisant un texte de 40-50 mots où il n'y a pas beaucoup d'information, on peut donner des questions vrai-ou-faux, ou même des questions ouvertes. En revanche, pour les intermédiaires et avancés qui doivent comprendre des textes plus longs (100-200 mots), on peut leur demander de rédiger un résumer.