The use of computer testing for future interpreters’ self-assessment of English listening competence

For self-assessment of English listening competence, we have chosen test tasks because we consider they are objective in checking and assessing listening skills and abilities. Besides, each student can individually check, analyze, assess and evaluate his or her English listening competence. As far as we know, the evaluation problem may engender a conflict between a teacher and a student. Therefore, computer testing trains students to check and assess their listening skills on their own. Moreover, computer testing is interactive. As soon as a student enters an answer, they will receive an instant replay or points for the test and even comments like “Sorry. Try again” or “Excellent. Your score is 100”.

Furthermore, while working out computer tests we paid attention to face validity of the test. Face validity refers to the degree to which an assessment or test subjectively appears to measure the variable or construct that it is supposed to measure. In other words, face validity is when an assessment or test appears to do what it claims to do [11].

We have taken into consideration a lot of software programmes. Mainly all of them can be used to check and assess any knowledge or skills.

Among the variety of software programs, we can highlight CyberTester - a web-based application that allows teachers to create tests, exams, assignments and assign them to students to conduct online tests [12].

Online Quiz Creator is a multiple choice test maker, which offers six different multiple- choice tests including multiple-choice questions with pictures. It is also freeware [13].

We have chosen Hot Potatoes freeware because it contains a variety of tasks: a multiple choice exercise, a multi select exercise, a jumbled-word exercise, a crossword, a matching exercise and a gap-filling exercise. Moreover, an access to the Internet is not necessary. Students can do the tests offline either at university or at home. Any teacher can download the software from the Internet and then create tests offline [5].

We are going to consider the test tasks in details. The multiple-choice exercise is the task, which offers four possible answers and learners should choose the correct one. This type of tests is one of the most common. Such tests are difficult to work out, but the results are easily estimated. While creating the multiple-choice tests it is essential to avoid questions, which learners can answer without listening to the text. The disadvantage of this test is that a learner can simply guess a correct answer. If there are four alternatives, the probability of guessing the right answer is 25%, if three - 33%. The multiple-choice test tasks must meet the following requirements: 1) be understandable; 2) relate to one fact, which was mentioned in the text for listening; 3) we should develop the questions that have only one correct answer while the other questions are probable but not right. The multiple-choice exercises should be used to check the comprehensive understanding of the gist, the details and the specific information. They can also be useful for checking lexical, grammatical and background knowledge [1, pp. 56-57].

Example 1. You are going to listen to a story about freshers ' week at Great Britain's universities. For questions 1-2 decide which of the choices A, B, C or D is the correct answer.

We can also offer the multi-select exercise in which learners should select a few correct answers out of the list of options, while in the multiple-choice exercise they choose only one. A multi-select exercise can be used to check the comprehensive understanding of the details or the specific information.

Figure 1. Fragment of a multiple choice exercise used for assessing a student's understanding of the gist while listening

Example 2. Listen to the story about first year students' life at college and select the right answers. Remember, there should be more than one answer.

Here are some top tips from past students on how to survive Freshers' Week:

a I be hospitable

b be curious. It is the fastest way to find out everything around you.

с. I be sociable.

The more active you are. the more likely you'll be to meet new people than if you're someone who never leaves their room

d --¹ ask the others about their private life

e bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you're in

f. I help others with their homework

g blend in. Make sure you are aware of British social etiquette

Check I

Figure 2. Fragment of a multi-select exercise used for assessing a student's understanding of the specific information while listening

The matching or ordering exercise is another type of computer exercises, which can be used for assessing mainly the lexical or grammatical skills as well as the details or the specific information of the text. These exercises are used to match a word with its synonym, a word with an opposite one, a definition with a term, a phrase with its translation or image, an object with a part of the object, a person with his or her action, etc. We also used matching exercises for assessing linguistic or semantic anticipation.

Example 3. You are going to listen to the story about London's Mayor. Based on the sentences given in the context, match the words with their definitions.

1. After he had won the election, he became a London's new mayor.

2. The Labour Party declared the rights of minorities to be taken care of.

3. The Conservative Party voted for tax concessions again.

4. Her self-deprecating humour attracted the rest of the audience.

5. His reputation for gaffes and blunders annoys everybody.

6. He's been a colourful figure in British politics for many years.

7. She is famous for her energy and charisma.

8. His opponents were surprised by his narrow victory.

9. Her remarks have often caused controversy among her colleagues.

10. This news made the headlines all around the country.

11. Bumbling characters are often made fun of.

12. She has had an ambitious streak since her childhood.

13. The Prime Minister suggested the congestion charge to reduce pollution in the capital.

14. The Home Secretary promised to be tough on crime after the murder.

Figure 2. Fragment of a matching exercise used for assessing a student's linguistic anticipation before listening

Gap-filling exercise or open gap-filling is another test task, which is used for checking and assessing the receptive lexical and grammatical skills, understanding of the details or the specific information of the text and compensatory skills. Students should do such test tasks while listening to the text. When creating such exercises a teacher may use some tips or prompts like the initial letter of the necessary word, the synonym, the antonym, the definition or just the correct variant.

Example 4. Listen to the BBC program about laughter yoga and while listening fill in the gaps with the words you can hear.

Another option of a gap-filling exercise is a banked gap-filling one. It means that this test task has a bank or a list of words out of which a student must choose the correct option and insert it in the right gap. This test task is used for checking and assessing the receptive lexical and grammatical skills as well as the understanding of details or specific information. The banked gap-filling exercise should be done after listening.

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Figure 3. Fragment of an open gap-filling exercise used for assessing receptive lexical skills while listening

Example 5. Listen to the BBC program about laughter yoga and fill in the gaps with the words from the list after listening to the text.

I know from personal experience that you always feel better alter a good laugh-it just gives you a natural high П [>] I.

If we have a strong[?] we are able to fight off illnesses and remain ft and healthy most of the lime Dr Gore Bredan Getaria believes that laughter can [?], it's a good exercise, it's a muscle relaxant, it also at silly and trivial things.

Our reporter says: "It's amazing, when you have a group of thirty or forty other people all looking you in the eye and laughing. And it's incredibly

Figure 5. Fragment of a banked gap-filling exercise used for assessing a student's receptive lexical skills after listening

The other type of exercises that can be used for estimating learners' listening skills is the mixed- or jumbled-sentence exercise. We mostly use it to assess grammatical knowledge as well as grammatical skills. The words in the sentences are jumbled and a listener must put them into the right order after listening. This type of exercises is also used for ordering the sentences into the correct chronological sequence according to the text they can hear. Therefore, we call it a jumble-text. The jumbled-text exercise is relevant for assessing the comprehensive understanding of the details.

Example 6. Listen to the story and after listening put the words in the correct order according to the ideas of the text.

Figure 4. Fragment of a jumbled-sentence exercise used for assessing a student's grammatical skills after listening

One more type of a computer exercise is a crossword. It is used for assessing receptive lexical skills, the understanding of details and specific information. The developer of such an exercise should write down the definitions of the words, which are supposed to be checked. Synonyms, antonyms or the Ukrainian equivalents can be used instead of definitions.

Example 7. Listen to the text and after listening fill in the crossword with the words based on the given definitions.

Figure 5. Fragment of a crossword exercise used for assessing a student's lexical skills after listening

Each exercise had a communicative task and was used to check a certain component of the English listening competence on a particular segment of the experiment and tracked the dynamics of its development by comparing current results with the previous ones.

Self-assessment was done by students at three stages of listening during one lesson: prelistening, while-listening and post-listening. At pre-listening stage students did a computer exercise for improving their language anticipation skills and semantic anticipation skills. Usually, it was a matching exercise. At while-listening stage students did computer exercises for improving mostly their lexical and grammatical skills and abilities of global listening. Mainly, it was a gap-filling exercise or a multiple choice or a multi-select exercise, sometimes a crossword. At post-listening stage students did a computer exercise for improving abilities of listening for details and specific information. Students did banked gap-filling exercises, jumbled words or sentences as well as crosswords.

The experimental studying was held at Kyiv National Linguistic University during one semester of the 2011-2012 academic year for the second-year students whose level of English was vantage B2.1. 54 sophomores took part who were trained to be translators (Speciality 7.030507 “Translation”). We had four experimental groups (EG): EG1 - 15 students, EG2 - 13 students, EG3 - 15 students, EG4 - 11 students. All four groups were experimental. Two groups were studying according to variant A. Two other groups were studying according to variant B.

The model of experiment was based on three cycles of studying during the semester: preparatory, main and concluding. The aim of these three cycles was to improve students' self-assessment skills with the help of self-assessing tools like computer exercises, tips for listening, heuristic discussion and self-assessment checklists. At the end of the experiment students were supposed to adequately and accurately assess their level of English, see their progress and drawbacks and analyze both of them especially the latter one. The three cycles of study were held in the process of learning three topics during the semester according to the curriculum: Mass Media, Theatre, Health and Medical Care.

Table 2 The Model of Experimental Studying