Effectiveness of using the testing method in teaching English

This article provided a comprehensive description of testing method as one of the forms of control of students' knowledge of a foreign language. The article dedicated to the need to use testing as an effective way to assess knowledge in teaching English to students.

Keywords: English, testing, effectiveness, students, method, education.

The test (from English means «trial» and investigation») is a system of tasks that are performed and allow you to characterize the level of English language proficiency on a special results scale.

In the world, testing the quality and level of education through tests is considered a high technology. In many developed countries, the method of testing is used as an effective tool for predicting the level of training of young people and the quality of general education, which has become an integral part of modern education.

One of the ways to organize the control of students` compliance with the requirements of state standards is a test control system. It enhances students` ability to work independently, achieves effective teaching, and stimulates thinking and creativity. Textbooks identify students` education and allow them to use their time more effectively. Test tasks are created by the teacher at will, according to the topic, section. However, it is not possible to monitor the creativity of students with the help of tests. In order to achieve a full pedagogical purpose, we can see the real level of readiness of students in the learning process through all other types of testing and the development of practical, seminar lessons, abstracts, reports.

According to Bogatyrskaya, V.A., Sergushina, E.S., & Khamidullova, D.R: «Testing should not replace traditional control methods, it should only add to the existing system to solve existing problems. One of the disadvantages of the test control method is that students have the ability to guess the correct answer. Since students provide only answer numbers, the teacher will not be able to assess the depth of knowledge and the chosen solution method. Note that this drawback covers only those tests that contain tasks for choosing the correct answer from among the proposed ones» [1].

The purpose of the article is to determine the effectiveness of the use of testing method as a tool for assessing students in foreign language teaching.

Depending on the purpose of this article, the following objectives are set:

– identify the benefits of testing as a tool for assessing knowledge;

– to determine whether the use of different types of tests helps to comprehensively assess the student`s progress in learning English throughout the learning process;

Phuong V. V. (2021): Testing plays a very important role in the teaching and learning process. It is considered as an integral part of any teaching process. If teaching is a process of helping learners discover «new» ideas and «new» ways of organizing what they learn, testing is an important tool to measure what learners achieve through process of teaching. Therefore, testing makes a remarkable contribution to the success of teaching and learning activities. Furthermore, tests are used not only to evaluate teaching and learning results but also to promote teaching and learning activities in such a way that it helps teacher understand his/her students’ ability, interest, attitudes and needs in order to teach and motivate them [2].

Ibad (2019): Teaching and testing are interrelated. Teachers are obliged not only to teach their students well, but also to measure their achievements accurately. Additionally, the pace of development of knowledge and skills in the language are also to be observed. In view of these facts, tests become a natural extension of classroom work providing both teachers and students with beneficial information that serves as a basis for improvement. This establishes that testing is an important part of every teaching and learning experience with advantages for both students and teachers. As far as students are concerned, tests help to create a positive attitude to learning by providing a sense of accomplishment [3].

Ramadan (2014): There are six different types of tests. They are as follow:

1. Placement test. It is used to place new students in the right class in a school. It assesses students’ productive and receptive skills. It is designed to show how good a student is in English in relation to a previously agreed system of levels.
2. Diagnostic test. It is used to discover student problems, difficulties or deficiencies in a course. We use this type of tests to know students’ strengths and weaknesses so as to be able to do something about them.
3. Progress/Achievement test. It is designed to measure students’ language and their skill progress in relation to the syllabus they have been following. This type is directly related to language courses and done during the course.
4. Final progress/achievement test. It is done at the end of the course to measure students’ achievement of the course objectives or goals.
5. Proficiency test. It is not necessarily based on certain courses that students may have previously taken. Most students take this type of tests to admit to a foreign university, get a job or obtain some kind of certificate. It is designed to measure students’ knowledge and ability in a language.
6. Aptitude test. It is designed to discover whether a student has a talent or basic ability for learning a new language or not» [4].

Such a control method as testing can be successfully applied for the current, intermediate and final testing of knowledge. With the help of tests, you can test the knowledge of students, both selectively and in general. Testing is important to consolidate, improve the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities, identify gaps in knowledge. Students of higher educational institutions are more conscious and thorough in testing their knowledge, since their training makes higher demands on their mental activity and independence.

The work was carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of education and science of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the framework of the scientific project *AP08052329*

References:

1. Богатырская В. А, Сергушина Е. С, Хамидуллова Д. Р. Особенности применения тестирования как метода педагогического контроля знаний студентов в образовательном процессе //Концепт. — 2019. — №. V1. — С. 7–12. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/osobennosti-primeneniya-testirovaniya-kak-metoda-pedagogicheskogo-kontrolya-znaniy-studentov-v-obrazovatelnom-protsesse
2. Phuong V. V. THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF TESTING IN ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS IN VIETNAM // International Journal of Innovation Scientific Research and Review. — 2021. Vol. 03, Issue, 01, pp.688–694
3. Ibad F. Testing in English Language Teaching. — 2019. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332353298_Testing_in_English_Language_Teaching
4. Ramadan M. Recognize The 8 Kinds Of Language Testing & The 6 Types Of Tests // English Language Teaching & Testing Guide. — 2020. URL: https://elttguide.com/8-kinds-of-testing-6-types-of-tests/