Rethinking the Second Language Listening Test argues that the key to
more valid testing of second language listening lies in a better
understanding of the nature of the skill and of the signal that
listeners have to decode. Using this information as a point of
departure, it takes a critical look at many of the myths and conventions
behind listening tests and provides practical suggestions as to the ways
in which they might be rethought.
The book begins with an account of the various processes that contribute
to listening in order to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by
second language learners. The information feeds in to a new set of
descriptors of listening behaviour across proficiency levels and informs
much of the discussion in later chapters. The main body of the book
critically examines the various components of a listening test,
challenging some of the false assumptions behind them and proposing
practical alternatives. The discussion covers: the recording-as-text,
the recording-as-speech, conventions of test delivery, standard task
formats and item design. Major themes are the critical role played by
the recorded material and the degree to which tests impose demands that
go beyond those of real-world listening. The following section focuses
on two types of listener with different needs from the general
candidate: those aiming to demonstrate academic or professional
proficiency in English and young language learners, where level of
cognitive development is an issue for test design. There is a brief
reflection on the extent to which integrated listening tests reflect the
reality of listening events. The book concludes with a report of a study
into how feasible it is to identify the information load of a listening
text, a factor potentially contributing to difficulty.
