1. ITEM WRITING FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN LANGUAGES

2. Goals Improve item writing skills of all participants Begin training of writers for national assessments Enhance assessment literacy

4. Key Skills Text selection and leveling Item writing

5. TEXT SELECTION Authenticity (soft definition) Plausibly written by a proficient writer to a proficient reader If a text is not authentic, it cannot be related to the ILR/ACTFL scales Authentic texts represent the goal of instruction Authentic texts enhance critical thinking, cultural acquisition, and motivation Authenticity (hard definition) Written by a native speaker for a native speaker

6. TEXT SELECTION LEVELING: Placing a text on the ILR scale Purpose GuidelinesLinguistic features What is the writers purpose? What can the reader do with the text? How difficult is the language to a native speaker?

7. Text leveling: Purpose Orientation: Formatted info, simple instructions menus, weather reports, directions = 0-1 (novice-intermediate) Instructive: making comments, expressing opinion news article, diary, summaries = 2 (advanced) Evaluative: arguing, supporting, justifying editorials, political positions, book reviews = 3 (superior) Projective: theorizing, innovating, alluding creative works, satires = 4 (distinguished)

8. Text leveling: Guidelines 0 = Can read isolated words/phrases to identify 1= Can read simple connected discourse to understand basic meaning 2= Can read organized discourse to understand main ideas and details 3= Can read extended discourse to read between the lines

9. Text Leveling: Linguistic features Lexical, syntactic, and discourse features Based on the difficulty for a native speaker Examples: An airline pilots checklist Contracts Ulysses These are language specific

10. Text selection and leveling Group activity: Women in the military Purpose GuidelinesLinguistic features What is the writers purpose? How difficult is the language to a native speaker? What can the reader do with the text?

11. Language-specific activity Sharing texts that you have brought, go through two or three as a group and determine the level. Remember: purpose, guidelines, linguistic features

12. Item Writing Why are you including this item? - Assess knowledge of a topic? A text type? A grammar point? Vocab? Who will get this wrong? Students who are sloppy? Cant read well? Didnt read the question carefully? Non-native speakers of English? Non-proficient students? Who will get it right? Good guessers? Good memorizers? Good readers?

13. Components of a reading item Context Why and when are you reading this? Authentic text Appropriately selected and leveled Question(s) Direct, clear, relevant, never tricky Four options All plausible, only one correct

14. Why are context, questions, and options written in English? ILR Guidelines describe what readers can do with an authentic text. Who would get this wrong? The purpose of summative testing is to measure, not to teach.

15. Context is realistic, purposeful, concise, and does not give away the answer Concise, relevant, specific, and does not depend on a single word Options are plausible, simple, balanced, equal, and one one is correct Text is authentic, appropriate to the level (novice) and clear

16. Activity Using Women in the Military as the text, create a context, question, and options for students learning English overseas.

17. Context: Question Text: Women in the Military …………………………………………… Options

18. Activity Using one of the texts selected in your language, create an item following the principles of item writing we have learned.

19. Goals Improve item writing skills of all participants Begin training of writers for national assessments Enhance assessment literacy

20. Carl Falsgraf Center for Applied Second Language Studies University of Oregon falsgraf@uoregon.edu 541-346-5715

21. Zimbabwe's HIV Prevalence Rate In Further Decline To 15.6% The Zimbabwean Health Ministry said Wednesday that the national HIV prevalence rate reflecting the number of adults infected with the virus that causes AIDS has fallen to 15.6% this year compared with 18.1% in 2005 and 24.6% in 2003. Which of the following statements about the decline in the AIDS infection rate is true? a) It has dropped 15.6% this year b) It has been declining for several years c) It has been declining because of Health Ministry policies d) It is expected to decline further You are preparing for a trip to Zimbabwe and come across this item on a government website.