[etni] Re: CLOZE
- From: "Yoheved Menashe" <yo_menashe@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: greenelt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 14:48:01 +0300
**** ETNI on the web http://www.etni.org.il http://www.etni.org ****
To add to what Mr. Green said and includes dictation as well:
From The Communicative Approach to Language Teaching, C.J. Brumfit and K.
Johnson, Ed., 1979: Oxford University Press:
". . . cloze and dictation are fundamentally tests of language competence.
Both have their uses in determining the basic level of language proficiency
of a given candidate. . . . (More accurately, they enable the level of
language proficiency to be assessed relative to that of other people who
takeexactly the same test under the same conditions.) . . . [b]oth sample a
wide range of structural and lexical items in a meaningful context. But
neither gives any convincing proof of the candidate's ability to actually
usethe language, to translate the competence (or lack of it) which he is
demonstrating into actual performance 'in ordinary situations', i.e.,
actually using the language to read, write, speak or listen in ways and
contexts which correspond to real life." (Emphasis added.)
That is not to say that they are not a good teaching tools, nor not good
skills to have. It just does not test anything measureable with regard to
communicative skills.
Yo Menashe
If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. - Katherine Hepburn
-----Original Message Follows---- From: Ronald Green
<greenelt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Reply-To: greenelt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To:
etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [etni] CLOZE Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 09:58:17
+0200 **** ETNI on the web http://www.etni.org.il http://www.etni.org ****
Asfar as I understand it, the Cloze was eliminated from teaching and testing
because it was not considered to be a communicative activity and had nothing
to do with what one does as a user of English. Very true, but symptomatic of
the movement from basics to a politically correct information-gathering
method of "learning" English. I agree that if one believes that English in
anEFL environment can be learnt without getting into basics such as grammar
(and please excuse the 'G' word), then Cloze is out. But for those who would
like English in Israel to be more on a par with that in, say, Holland, the
Cloze is a wonderful way of teaching and testing - if, of course, the Cloze
is built properly. Here are a few examples: When ____ you going shopping?
I'dlike to go with you. I can't see Jane. Where ____ she gone? When I walked
into the room, I knew someone ____ been smoking. Or for weaker pupils. For
teaching as well as testing: When is/are/have you going shopping? I'd like
togo with you. I can't see Jane. Where has/is/did/ she gone? When I walked
into the room, I knew someone is/has/had/ been smoking. Word formation: You
need to decide soon ... [text] I need your _____ by this evening. There are
countless examples of where the Cloze is a good teaching and testing tool.
And for those who will ask: "But does it show that they know English?", I
canbut point to this summer's Bagrut exam, which showed how well pupils
couldcope with what was considered to be knowledge of English. Ronald Green
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