Abstract:

This paper describes the construction and small-scale implementation of a computer program which can be used on a self-access basis to assess secondary school students' ESL listening proficiency. The test involves an extended dictation which is in the form of a dialogue. Subjects both hear and see on the screen (to provide context) the first speaker's utterances, but only hear the second speaker's utterances. After each exchange, subjects have to type in the second speaker's utterance, and the match between their input and the utterance is scored. Results indicate a good correlation with traditional pen-and-paper tests, suggesting that the concept has the potential to assess listening other than by administering a test to a group of subjects via a taped recording at a single sitting.

Author: David Coniam