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Standardized Tests

Learn English with this Tests English Lesson

Date: Nov 16 2012

Themes: School

Grammar: Adverbs

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Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Taking a test is always a challenge, whether it’s a test your teacher wrote for her class, or a standardized test that thousands of people will take. Some tests, such as those that qualify you for school or a profession, can be the most nerve-wracking. A standardized test is one that is created and scored the same way for a large group of people.

Schools and organizations use standardized tests to compare individuals and establish their level of knowledge about a topic. Some famous standardized tests are the TOEFL and the SAT. Standardized tests can be useful for admissions, but some teachers believe focusing too much on preparing for them is not the best way to help people learn. Find out what Mason and Jason think.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Jason

Mason: Jason, you’re in the educational sort of profession.

Jason: Yeah.

Mason: My wife just had to do a bunch of tests for grad school and stuff, and I get super bummed out about the idea of standardized testing.

Jason: Really? I mean, you need some way of comparing all these people objectively. I mean, you’re a school, and you have ten thousand applicants and you can only admit a thousand of them. How are you going to evaluate those ten thousand people, if you can’t put a number on them?

Mason: Ah…. subjectively? The negative effect of these sort of objective standards that we create I think are actually worse, because it then becomes the thing that people are focusing on. Like, for example, there was the kid in class who always asked how many points something was worth, rather than caring about the knowledge that was happening. Everything about that, in the long run, feels bad to me.

Jason: I see. So you think maybe standardized tests ultimately decrease the quality of whatever it is that they’re supposed to be detecting.

Mason: I’d say that, yes, overall, my stance: standardized tests lower the quality of education and learning in the pursuit of an easy way to hold up apples to apples.

Jason: I guess I can see that point, but from a logistical point of view…

Mason: It’s a nightmare.

Jason: The idea of just interviewing ten thousand people, with no numbers attached, sounds really hard.

Mason: Touche.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

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Mason knows that Jason works in education, so he wants to get Jason’s opinion on a controversial topic: standardized tests. Mason really doesn’t like them.

Jason, on the other hand, thinks that schools need a way to sort through thousands of applicants. Standardized tests create a “standard,” in the form of test scores, that schools can use to compare people.

Mason knows that’s true, but he still thinks that the tests have a negative effect. For example, students might try to just learn how to succeed on a test. They might not pursue deeper knowledge about a topic. He thinks they lower the overall quality of education.

Jason gets Mason’s point, but he still thinks the efficiency of standardized tests makes them worthwhile. Mason can’t argue with that.

Do you think standardized tests are good or bad for education? Do you like or dislike taking these tests? What are some strategies you use when you take them?

Comments

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DarknessLight

Germany

Well, they have advantages and disadvantages, it depends on the honesty of the students. One of the disadvantages is what Mason said, that students would just try to succeed in the test, without a slight consideration to the objective of it. However, it’s really a sufficient strategy to maintain the aim of the test, whether it was to evaluate something or test the students’ knowledge about it.

princessanika

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

when at my school my teachers give me a test for quese i wanna kill my self i hate that,becuse that was awful

candy1012_yaya

China

In China,there are a lot exma like that.we just need to remember something then we can get high score.i have regarded it as usual.

marwa89

Syrian Arab Republic

i m against this kind of tests

ola33

Japan

I don’t like tests, especially the ones where the answer is not clear. Both ways are correct, but one should be chosen. It’s usually essays where the examinor thinks the topic is not fully developed or the thesis is wrong. Or the multiple choice in Toefl where two choices among 4 are almost identical. But it’s good to take a test for developing your memory, intellectual skills. It boosts your confidence, even if you failed, it’s a nice experience.

The only test that was quite successful with me was a driving test. Both on the road and on the highway. Here is clear, what you’re doing. :) At least the test is fair. That’s what I like!