Multiple-Choice Test Items of Foreign Language Vocabulary

Year 2007, Volume: 20 Issue: 2, 399 - 426, 01.08.2007

Meral Öztürk

Abstract

This paper reviews the various multiple-choice formats used in testing foreign language vocabulary with special reference to the underlying constructs of vocabulary competence. While all formats are argued to categorically measure recognition of second language word meaning, they are claimed to differ with respect to whether they measure receptive recognition or productive recognition, following a distinction drawn by Nation (2001). A further distinction is made between those formats that measure abstract knowledge of vocabulary and those that measure lexical ability. The paper also discusses problems associated with the contextualization of the target items in the receptive recognition ability formats and considers three proposals for ensuring the processing of the context by the test-taker. It further discusses how receptive formats could be transformed into productive formats by manipulating the relative difficulty of the target and the choice words using word frequency as an index of difficulty. 

Keywords

Foreign language, vocabulary tests, multiple-choice tests, test formats, contextualization

Multiple-Choice Test Items of Foreign Language Vocabulary

Abstract

Bu makalede yabancı dilde sözcük bilgisinin ölçülmesinde kullanılan
çoktan seçmeli soru tipleri incelenmekte ve bu soru tipleriyle sözcük
bilgisinin hangi yönlerinin ölçüldüğü irdelenmektedir. Söz konusu soru
tiplerinin tümünde sözcük anlamlarını tanıma becerisinin ölçüldüğü öne
sürülerek, bu soru tipleri çeşitli kriterler kullanılarak gruplandırılmaktadır.
Makalede ayrıca ölçülmek istenen sözcüklerin bir metin içerisinde
sunulmasına ilişkin problemler ve soruların metne dayalı olarak
cevaplandırılmasını gerekli kılacak öneriler tartışılmaktadır. Bunun yanısıra,
seçeneklerdeki sözcüklerin farklı kullanım sıklığı düzeylerinden seçilmesi
suretiyle soru tiplerinin birbirine nasıl dönüştürüleceği açıklanmaktadır.

Keywords

Yabancı dil, sözcük testleri, çoktan seçmeli testler, soru tipleri, metin içerisinde ölçme

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