15 Recommendations for improving Test Scores

1.    When a test is announced well in advance, do not wait until the day before to begin studying. Spaced practice is more effective than massed practice.

2.    Ask the instructor for old copies of the examination to practice with.

3.    Ask other students what kinds of tests the instructor usually gives.

4.    Don't turn study session into social occasion, isolated studying is usually more effective.

5.    Don't be too comfortable when studying. Lying down is a physical cue for your body to sleep.

6.    Study for the type of test which was announced.

7.    If you do not know the type((style)) of test, study for a free recall exam.

8.    Use SurveyQ3R technique when studying. Survey material, ask yourself questions about the subject material, read for detail, recite the material to yourself, and review material just prior to test.

9.    Try to form material you are studying into test questions.

10.  Read test directions carefully before beginning exam. Ask administrator if unclear or some details are not included

11.  If essay test, think about question and mentally formulate answer before you begin writing.

12. Pace yourself while taking test. Do not try to be first person finished. Allow enough time to review answers at end of session.

13.  If you can rule out one wrong answer choice, guess, even if there is a penalty for wrong answers.

14. Skip more difficult items and return to them later, particularly if there are a lot of questions. It is better to leave two difficult questions unanswered than 10 to 15 easy questions.

15. When time permits, review your answer. Don't be overly eager to hand in your test paper before all the available time has elapsed.

Administrator's Post-Test Duties :

Collecting all exam material and ensuring :

1.       All tests have been handed in

2.       All answer sheets have been handed in with names or other identification indicating whose test paper was whose.

3.       Examinees know when grades or test papers can be collected or will be posted.

4.       Return the test room to its pre-test set up.

21. The Content of Teaching Grammar. The Content of Teaching grammar. Before speaking about the selection of grammar material it is necessary to consider the concept grammar, i.e what it meant by grammar. By grammar one can mean adequate comprehension and correct usage of words in the act of communication, that is, intuitive knowledge of the grammar of the language. It is a set of reflexes enabling a person to communicate with his associates. Such knowledge is acquired by a child in the mother tongue before he goes to schools. This grammar functions without the individuals awareness of technical nomenclature in other words, he has no idea of the system of the language, and to use all the word-endings for singular and plural, for tense, and all the other grammar rules without special grammar lessons only due to the abundance of auding and speaking.

For example, -s es The selection of grammar material involves choosing the appropriate kind of linguistic description, i.e the grammar which constitutes the best base for developing speech habits. Thus the school syllabus reflect a traditional approach to determining grammar material for foreign language teaching, pupils are given sentences patterns or structures, and through these structures they assimilate the English language, acquire grammar mechanisms of speech The content of grammar teaching is disputable among teachers and methodologists, and there are various approaches to the problem, pupils should, whatever the content of the course, assimilate the ways of fitting words together to form sentences and be able to easily recognize grammar forms and structures while hearing and reading, to reproduce phrases and sentences stored up in their memory and say or write sentences of their own, using grammar items appropriate to the situation.

22. Content of Teaching Pronunciation. How to Teach Pronunciation? Teaching pronunciation is of great importance in the developing of pupils’ listening and speaking habits and skills. It is of no less importance in the development of reading and writing habits and skills since writing is the graphic representation of sound sequences. In reading the visual images become acoustic images. These are combined with kinesthetic images, resulting in inner speech.

The content of teaching pronunciation

Proceeding from the aims and objectives the FL syllabus sets out, pupils must assimilate.

1.The sounds of the English language, its vowels and consonants. They should be able to articulate these sounds both separately and in different phonetic contexts.

2.Some peculiarities of the English language in comparison with those of the Russian language (length of vowels, palatalization (dark L, light L).

3.Stress in a word and in a sentence, and melody (fall and rise). Pupils must be able to divide a sentence into groups and intone it properly.

Thus, when we teach the vowels of the English language we can pay learners’ attention to vowel length:

• Vowel Length You can demonstrate varying vowel lengths within a word by stretching rubber bands on the longer vowels and letting them contract on shorter ones. Then let the students try it. For example, the word 'fifteen' would have the rubber band stretched for the 'ee' vowel, but the word 'fifty' would not have the band stretched because both of its vowels are spoken quickly.

To illustrate syllable stress teachers can clap softly and loudly corresponding to the syllables of a word. For example, the word 'beautiful' would be loud-soft-soft. Practice with short lists of words with the same syllabic stress pattern ('beautiful,' 'telephone,' 'Florida') and then see if your learners can list other words with that pattern.

How to teach pronunciation

Pupils assimilate English pronunciation through 1) the acquisition of new sounds, stress, tone-patterns 2) drill in recognition and reproduction of new material to acquire pronunciation habits and 3) making use of the pronunciation habits in language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing).

In teaching pronunciation there are at least two methodological problems the teacher faces:

To determine the cases where conscious manipulation of the speech organs is required and the cases where simple imitation can or must be used.

To decide on types of exercises and the techniques of using them.

Since imitation can and must take place in FL teaching the teacher’s pronunciation should set the standard for the class and the use of native speakers whose voices are recorded on cassettes is quite indispensable.

Teaching a FL in schools begins with teaching pupils to listen to it and speak it that is with the oral introductory course, or the oral approach. The teacher’s task is to determine which sound the pupils will find hard to pronounce, which sounds they can assimilate through imitation and which sounds require explanations of the position of the organs of speech while producing them.

Exercises used for developing pronunciation habits may be of two groups: recognition exercises and reproduction exercises. Recognition exercises are designed for developing pupil’s ability to discriminate sounds and sound sequences.

Pupils should have ample practice in listening to be able to acquire the phonic aspect of the language. It can be done:

By listening to the teacherpronouncing a sound, a sound combination and sensible sound sequences. Thus, a teacher can provide activity for practicing specific sounds.

Specific Sounds

Minimal pairs, or words such as 'bit/bat' that differ by only one sound, are useful for helping students distinguish similar sounds. They can be used to illustrate voicing ('curl/girl') or commonly confused sounds ('play/pray'). Remember that it's the sound and not the spelling you are focusing on.

Tongue twisters are useful for practicing specific target sounds, plus they're fun. Make sure the vocabulary isn't too difficult.

By listening to the speaker on the recording. It is impossible to overestimate the role that can be played by recording. They:

Allow speech to be reproduced with correct pronunciation and intonation in particular.

Permit the same text to be repeated several times for pupils to have an opportunity to listen to it again and again.

Make it possible for the teacher to develop his pupils’ abilities to understand English spoken at various speeds.

Help the teacher in developing his pupils’ ability to speak.

Give pupils an opportunity to listen to texts read by native speakers.