1. Testing writing.

When testing productive skills the test-developer or the teacher that chooses test formats must bear in mind advantages and limitations of the test formats, for example:

• the degree of control or freedom;

• the kind and amount of context/stimulus provided;

• whether task reflects real-life purpose.

Writing is a skill and it should be tested as such, not just grammar or vocabulary tasks in a written form. So we shall not speak about pre-writing (sentence combining, sentence expansion, sentence reduction, training specialized skills: spelling, punctuation, capitalization, building paragraphs from outlines, supplying grounds to topical sentences, supplying illustrative examples etc). We shall discuss testing of guided writing and free writing.

Students’ ability to handle guided writing tasks is tested with the help of different formats the difference depending on the form and amount of input provided by the teacher or test-developer. The input may be provided in visual form (pictures, photos, diagrams etc), or in verbal form (separate words and collocations, notes, a text for reading), or in visual and verbal form combined (photos with notes etc.). Input can create reason for communication. It gives help which is especially important for lower level students. Besides, it is easier to mark than free writing. The danger that exists is connected with the amount of input: on the one hand, it should be sufficient to provide help and on the other hand, not so detailed as to deprive students of creativity making them just copy the stimulus.

In case of integrative testing, e.g. Continue a story – first few sentences or paragraph is given or Read the letter and write a reply, which is realistic and very good for developing writing skill, it is difficult to mark written works as it is difficult to distinguish between problems in reading and writing. Another example of integrative testing is a dictation. But often it checks just listening and spelling. And a very clear marking scheme is to be established. The same is true about writing a summary (Read the text and summarise it in 20 lines). It is realistic but difficult to mark. Besides what is important in the text can be subjective.

Free writing, e.g. writing essays (Write about a day when everything went wrong), is very easy to set. It is better for higher levels. It is very difficult and time consuming to mark. Demands well developed schemes (holistic and different bands). It lacks objectivity and consistency. Often essays test imagination and general knowledge. Should take into account test-takers’ age, level of proficiency and realm of life experience.

Holistic marking schemes include description of different levels – marks. For example? TOEFL Writing test is marked from 6 to zero. Explanation may be as follows.

6. An essay at this level:

- effectively addresses the writing task,

- is well-organised and well-developed,

- uses appropriate details to support a thesis or illustrate ideas,

- displays consistent facility in use of language

- demonstrates syntactic variety and appropriate word choice though it may

have occasional errors.

3. An essay at this level may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses:

   • inadequate organization or development;

   • inappropriate or insufficient details to support or illustrate generalizations;

   • a noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms;

   • an accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage.

0. A paper is rated 0 if it contains no response, merely copies the topic, is off-

topic, is written in a foreign language.

In case of different bands each parameter is estimated separately, so there are 6 bands for the content, text-organisation, accuracy, range of vocabulary and variety of structures etc.