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Standardized Tests
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Standardized Tests
标准化测试

Learn English with this Tests English Lesson

Date: Nov 16 2012

Themes: School

Grammar: Adverbs

Intro

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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.

参加测试始终是种挑战,无论是老师出的班级测验题,还是数千人将参加的标准化测试都是如此。某些测试,例如学业或专业资格测试可能最令人紧张。标准化测试是针对广大人群,以相同方式进行管理并评分的测试。
学校和组织使用标准化测试比较个体间的优劣,并确定他们就某一课题的知识水平。一些著名的标准化测试有 TOEFLSAT。标准化测试可能会对招生有所帮助,但一些老师认为,过于注重准备标准化测试并不是帮助人们学习的最佳方法。看看梅森和詹森是如何认为的。

Dialog

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

Mason

Mason

Jason

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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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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La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Standardized tests are necessary, of course.. But who does like tests! 

03:10 PM Dec 14 2012 |

SANG891

SANG891

Hong Kong

Like

08:40 AM Nov 26 2012 |

Orchestra

Orchestra

Russian Federation

I ran into a standardized test of english approximately a year ago. It then was needed for a sort of student international experience that was supposed to be offered the following year.


So, I enrolled the preparation courses and in a blink detected that my level of english was truly insufficient (btw, concurrently I registered at Ebaby hoping to get trained better). Afterwards, not only eventually did I pass the test, but also all this experience inspired and pushed me not to stop and to carry on developing.


And yet this offer has called off, I don’t regret I got through these nerve-wracking experience as my english, I dare say, progressed and is still progressing. In other words, it wasn’t just all about points and all the stuff. Instead, it made me tremendously interested and focused on learning english.


Therefore, I wouldn’t generilize so emphatically that such tests make education worse. 

06:43 PM Nov 18 2012 |

1 person likes this

jasmine40

jasmine40

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I think some of these tests are very useful for example talent tests for the people who want to study in a particular field is required because they understand that they can be successful in that field or not

02:54 PM Nov 18 2012 |

1 person likes this

jossef 002010

Morocco

obviously nobody likes “standardized teste” including me, but let’s agree that it’s the only way that looks fair to evaluate students, because all the students do the same test at the same time, also it’s a big motivation when students know that the only way to succeed or to graduate is to pass that exam so, they’d work hard to get that, Yeah LUCK is a part of everything but is not EVERYTHING! who succeed in the test doesn’t mean he deserved that or he’s the top, everybody has strategy, legal or even illegal (which is the bad side of these tests, “the end justiffies the means”!).


  we all know that “standardized testes” are everywhere so, we have to used to them, because when you graduate, you’ll apply for a job and then you’ll be tested ! or you’d say “oh plz no need to just look at my certificates i’m quilified” !!! how would he know about your potentials then !?! . 

02:32 PM Nov 18 2012 |

1 person likes this

tomenjoy

tomenjoy

China

TEST is not the  final goals, I enjoy the process of every test.English test Band six for example ,I have took eight times ,but I enjoy it.

11:22 AM Nov 18 2012 |

m.aster

m.aster

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

every test only is a game for me even entrance exam.


all of the world = a test


all of the tests = a game    so


all of the word= a game


playing this uneternal world lovely and happily.

08:37 AM Nov 18 2012 |

luvik palestine

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

standardized tests im our country is forced ,, no one can pass it easily


and it is so expensive so i think it is not good for our education ,, poeple here are hate it so much

07:10 AM Nov 18 2012 |

Moriza

Moriza

Ukraine

Nowadays testing is an integral part of our education.So,want we or not,we should be ready for it.Language is a wide branch and it is just impossible to know everything that is why tests shouldn,t be too complex.They should be close to a real life.It is better for checking speaking in such a way- just 2 people communicating- an examiner and an applicant.Furthermore,applicants should lack any fear in the process of examination,feel free to express themselves in any kind of production and interaction.


One more important point that we get if successfully pass a test- it,s a certificate.It builds our confidence and it is the reason of beeing proud of ourselves and our accomplishments.

06:33 AM Nov 18 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

standardized   tests  proves nothing, the real test is  one to one with the teacher, besides how we know that  the individual hasn´t been  cheating on the test , and this happens more often than we think of.Undecided

Mari-yam

Mari-yam

Mali

if tests here were standardized , i think nobody would fail in exams lol ! i’m against the standardized ones! it’s too easy ! i just think the same way as Mason Innocent

12:56 PM Nov 17 2012 |

ali O

ali O

Saudi Arabia

I hate this style of exams . it is not nice for one waste time and study hard for long time  . it is show who have bad luck and never study at the same grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

10:28 AM Nov 17 2012 |

Levi3262

Levi3262

Brazil

I must agree with AlexsSilva, an interview after the standardized test is the best way… even the standartized test seems unfair , this is the first way to know if people got basic knowledge about the subject..

09:56 AM Nov 17 2012 |

Nikkis

Nikkis

India

Yes standardized test helps to evaluate individual knowledge.It would be better if you first learn how to perfectly speak,write english and then evaluate with tests.I will certainly prefer to take test when i learn english. I am learning english online with videos like this one http://youtu.be/s6Ris80-QdY

06:20 AM Nov 17 2012 |

AlexisSilva

Mexico

Interviewing the person after taking the standardized test would be something suitable. 
I personally support those kind of tests, as long as they interview the people who get the best score. 
Although, it would be convenient to do a survey on this topic, so that we constitute an appropriate criterion.
:) 

08:30 PM Nov 16 2012 |

korhansaresimge

Turkey

standardize something(not everything) make the process efficient and easier.as long as keep it in check otherwise you’re little confused how to react(tests should be prepared by genius team and all geniuses should be teacher)  :)

08:01 PM Nov 16 2012 |

Irene Forever

Ukraine

I  think  standardized tests are not a perfect attempt for checking knowledge. Such a  sistem often leads to false results because of random guesses as there are a few answers  similar in meanings which make a student dizzy.:)


I prefer the old system of examinations when there is  a close contact a teacher with a student. It gives an opportunity to define the level of knowledge more exactly as a teacher knows how the student worked during an academy ( school) year and can estimate his/her work rightly.


“Standardized tests equal standardized students” – Amanda Parsons, a sophomore from Boulder, Colorado was  wearing red arm bands and a student ID sticker number 142337 at a protest of nearly 200 students.


That’s how strongly some students react to Standardized Tests.

golsa

golsa

Russian Federation

ooh my god,nooo i dont like itCry

07:11 PM Nov 16 2012 |

bellaboo2422

Pakistan


i am not in the favour of standrized test system. i think its a mishmash of questions and people even attempt it mindlessly. its so fishy if its taken seriously and makes anyone upset at the time of exam. on the other hand detailed study of the topic and command on it with the quest around makes a thing more clear and understandable for the long run.

07:09 PM Nov 16 2012 |

ale_serrat

ale_serrat

Brazil

I think they are the best way to evaluate the knowledge. I don’t agree with it bacause if you want to pass on a test for example you will only study what is going to have at the test. These kind of tests limit the knowledge but unfortunately are the best way for everybody ( not only the ones who really wants to learn something) to study something.

06:34 PM Nov 16 2012 |

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