Chapter 1 Fundamentals and types of tests 1
Ⅰ．Fundamentals of tests 1
Ⅱ．Types of tests 9
Chapter 2 The psychometric-structuralist approach to language testing 24
Ⅰ．Introduction 24
Ⅱ．A graphic and verbal presentation of the psychometric-structuralist approach to language testing 30
Ⅲ．Evaluating this approach 43
Chapter 3 The integrative approach to language testing 51
Ⅰ．The background 51
Ⅱ．The unitary competence hypothesis 54
Ⅲ．A graphic and verbal presentation of the approach 58
Ⅳ．Cloze tests 59
Ⅴ．Dictation 73
Ⅵ．The evaluation of this approach 81
Chapter 4 Communicative performance testing 85
Ⅰ．The background 85
Ⅱ．Carroll's model 87
Ⅲ．McNamara's model 103
Ⅳ．Evaluating communicative performance testing 115
Chapter 5 Bachman's language testing model 119
Ⅰ．The background 119
Ⅱ．Communicative language ability 122
Ⅲ．Test methods 132
Ⅳ．Comments on Bachman's model 153
Chapter 6 Testing vocabulary 160
Ⅰ．Some terms 160
Ⅱ．Selection of test words 163
Ⅲ．Item types 165
Ⅳ．Advice on the writing of multiple-choice items 173
Ⅴ．Some new trends in vocabulary testing 175
Chapter 7 Testing grammatical structures 180
Ⅰ．General nature of the ESL structure tests 180
Ⅱ．Determination of test content 181
Ⅲ．Item types 182
Ⅳ．Advice on item writing 190
Chapter 8 Testing listening skills 192
Ⅰ．A general introduction 192
Ⅱ．Use of recordings versus live voice 194
Ⅲ．Tests of auditory discrimination 194
Ⅳ．Auditory comprehension 199
Ⅴ．Suggestions for writing items 206
Chapter 9 Testing reading comprehension 208
Ⅰ．An introduction 208
Ⅱ．The selection of the test stimulus material 210
Ⅲ．Item types occurring in tests of reading comprehension 212
Chapter 10 Testing speaking skills 226
Ⅰ．The nature of and the difficulties in the testing of speaking skills 226
Ⅱ．Types of oral production tests 228
Chapter 11 Testing writing skills 245
Ⅰ．The nature of the test of writing 245
Ⅱ．Comparison of composition and objective tests of writing 247
Ⅲ．The construction and scoring of the composition tests of writing 250
Ⅳ．Objective tests of writing 260
Chapter 12 The construction and administration of tests 267
Ⅰ．The construction of tests 267
Ⅱ．Pretesting and item analysis 269
Ⅲ．The administration of tests 276
Chapter 13 Interpreting test results 280
Ⅰ．Interpretation of test scores 280
Ⅱ．Some special factors affecting test scores 295
Chapter 14 Reliability 299
Ⅰ．Introduction 299
Ⅱ．Methods of reliability estimate 303
Ⅲ．Using reliability information 312
Ⅳ．Factors influencing score reliability 315
Ⅴ．Criterion-referenced score reliability 320
Chapter 15 Validity 327
Ⅰ．Validity and validation 327
Ⅱ．Content validation 328
Ⅲ．Criterion-related validation 332
Ⅳ．Construct validation 338
Bibliography 342