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Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

Abstruse and Figures

This study attempts to shed light on the concept of assessment every bit an essential pedagogical practice for the improvement of the teaching-learning process. Especially, information technology stresses the strategies and the techniques that should exist used in assessing reading comprehension with reference to EFL classrooms. It describes the kinds of tasks that actually reveal students' reading comprehension abilities and needs. Moreover, this paper aims to illustrate the types and the advantages of assessment for both teachers and learners. More chiefly, this written report tries to bring equitable evidence of how reading comprehension can exist adequately assessed. The findings showed that cess of reading comprehension is cardinal to English educational activity as it provides teachers with essential information most students' weaknesses, needs, obstacles, and deficits. Thus, teachers can implement the appropriate techniques and apply the cess results to ameliorate their classroom teaching and raise the learning abilities.

Classroom Assessment Cycle (Susan et al, 2005: 3)

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Revista Românească pentru

Educaţie

Multidimensională

2016, Volume 8, Issue 1, June, pp. 125-i47

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

Doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.0viii

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How to cite: Habib, M. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension . Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie

Multidimensionala, eight(1), 125 -one47 . doi: KWWSG[GRLRUJ10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

DOI: 10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

125

Cess of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB1

Abstract

This written report attempts to shed light on the concept of assessment as an essential

pedagogical practice for the comeback of the teaching-learning procedure. Especially,

it stresses the strategies and the techniques that should exist used in assessing reading

comprehension with reference to EFL classrooms. It describes the kinds of tasks that

actually reveal students' reading comprehension abilities and needs. Moreover, this

newspaper aims to illustrate the types and the advantages of assessment for both teachers

and learners. More than importantly, this study tries to bring equitable evidence of how

reading comprehension can be adequately assessed. The findings showed that

assessment of reading comprehension is central to English language language teaching equally it

provides teachers with essential information nearly students' weaknesses, needs,

obstacles, and deficits. Thus, teachers can implement the appropriate techniques and

utilize the cess results to improve their classroom teaching and enhance the

learning abilities.

Keywords

assessment, reading comprehension, EFL classrooms.

ane Assistant Professor PhD, section of English language, University of Tiaret, Algeria.

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Revista Romaneasca pentru

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126

1. Introduction

Assessment is viewed as one of the vital pedagogical practices to

both teaching and learning. It entails a sum of instruments and

techniques which are used in classrooms and aid teachers accurately

ascertain their learners‟ needs and competencies. In other words, information technology is a

pedagogical and instructive activity needed to gather information almost

learners so as to properly identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Broadly speaking, assessment offers opportunities for teachers to

pinpoint their teaching goals and to know the extent to which the

expected goals are attained. Essentially, it renders the teaching-learning

procedure more effective and reliable as teachers tin can adjust their

pedagogy and link information technology to the assessment results and educatee‟southward needs. In

other words, cess is an essential component of classroom

instruction that is designed to detect students‟ weaknesses and demands

in whatever learning subject. Accordingly, teachers can make the right

decisions and provide constructive feedback to their learners.

More importantly, classroom assessment should entail constructive

techniques and tools that vary co-ordinate to the teaching subjects and

grades. Certainly, it needs to chronicle to the previously offered courses

because information technology should aim to maximize and raise students‟ skills and

abilities. Actually, it is aimed to reveal what students have grasped and

what they still demand to learn.

Equally for the cess of reading comprehension, it involves

several methods and procedures that are intended to display how

fairly leaners are able to read, comprehend, interpret, and analyze

dissimilar types of texts. In this respect, specific reading comprehension

activities can be introduced in the EFL classrooms in gild to know how

well students are able to build a sound text‟s understanding. Certainly,

reading comprehension assessment should be based on rational criteria

and useful measures.

2. Assessment Divers

Assessment is seen as the exercise of detecting and defining the

students‟ noesis, understandings, abilities, and skills. It is a

classroom activeness used to stimulate learning by collecting data and

offering constructive feedback (Black &William, 1998). In other words,

assessment is the process of knowing most how students are

progressing in their learning to make the correct determination in designing and

Habib, Grand. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(one), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ten.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

127

planning classroom instruction. In this sense, it is divers past Palomba

and Banta equally followsouth:

Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information

virtually educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving learning

and development.

(Palomba and Banta , 1999 : 4)

Definitely, collecting data nearly students, analysing evidence, and

refining instruction are assessment stages by which teachers can increment

the learning outcomes.

More often than not speaking, assessment is considered as a task which

consists of a set of activities that teachers and learners carry out to go

information that tin can exist used diagnostically to correct both education and

learning (Black & William, 1998). According to Carr and Harris

(2001:35): "

Assessment is an integral function of instruction…effective

classroom cess is relevant to firsthand learning."

Cer tainly , classroom assessment is connected to teaching and

learning for it heightens the quality of teaching and raises the students

„attainments. In do, assessment depends on different ways to

make the students truly reveal what they have caused and what they

notwithstanding need to develop. This can exist washed through gathering information

through tests and exercises, providing useful feedback, setting sound

classroom activities, and weaving the instruction according to students‟

needs. The post-obit figure describes the process of assessment:

Figure 1. Classroom Assessment Bike (Susan et al, 2005: three)

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(i), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ten.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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This cycle shapes the classroom assessment process which

focuses on enhancing students‟ performance. It denotes that assessment

comprises four key steps: clarifying the learning objectives, gathering

information in a diversity of ways, scrutinizing assessment information, and

adjusting pedagogy. Indeed, teachers should use the evidence to

monitor progress, increase functioning, and amend instruction.

Besides, cess involves the process of evaluating, mark,

and grading students‟ performance. Information technology is viewed as a method of

collecting, synthesising, and interpreting data in order to

diagnose students‟ problems, to guess their academic functioning, to

plan classroom pedagogy, and to respond to students‟ needs (Airasian,

1994). In brief, assessment is defined as being diagnostic, formative, and

summative. These three components are used together to help both

teachers and learners determine what should be done to heighten the

pedagogy input and the learning outcomes.

3. Assessment VS Evaluation

Assessment is a classroom action conducted to proceeds data

and to offer a valuable feedback so as to amend teachers‟ instruction

and students‟ learning achievements. Information technology includes learners‟ response which

helps the instructor know about their learning needs and abilities.

In dissimilarity, evaluation is understood as a process of using tests‟

techniques and other measures to judge the students‟ attainments for the

purpose of grading, ranking, and reporting. In other words, it is a

summative activity which occurs through exams or quizzes at the terminate of

a term or a year and ends upwards with ranks and marks.

iv. Types of Assessment

Assessment can be conducted for different purposes. In fact,

there are three principal types of cess which occur in different times,

at different levels, and in different forms to attain multiple

purposes.

4.1. Diagnostic Assessment

Diagnostic assessment is the procedure of diagnosing learners‟

strengths and weaknesses in the very starting time of a strange language

course. Information technology greatly facilitates teachers‟ chore to tailor instructions, meet the

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(i), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/x.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

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learners needs, and helps them plan classroom activities appropriate for

their level.

Certainly, teachers use this type of assessment to reveal students‟

abilities in a particular skill or a plan. It identifies for both

teachers and learners the needs and demands that should exist met in any

area of knowledge. The strengths lead to a formal consideration and

should be explored in addressing the weaknesses.

Generally, diagnostic cess occurs when learners move to a

new learning plan. It happens at the beginning of a form or a

programme in club to develop plans and brand links then as to set up the

next steps. Information technology is, in some other sense, a holistic procedure during which a

picture should be built up well-nigh the individual‟south achievements, interests,

skills, and wants. This evidence can be translated to instruction practices

and used for planning the courses that best suit the learners. Moreover, it

helps teachers to identify the goals and to choose the techniques and the

strategies that enable them to attain these goals.

Additionally, diagnostic assessment deeply looks at the specific

needs of learners as the diagnostic feedback needs to be descriptive and

interpretable so that it can help learners accept actions to close the gap

between their current competency level and their desired learning goals

(Blackness & William 1998).

In short, diagnostic assessment is an educational strategy used by

teachers to determine the learning and the instructional goals. It paves

the mode to a continuous determinative assessment.

four.2. Formative Assessment

Formative assessment can be referred to as continuous,

interactive, and dynamic. It occurs and should exist carried out in ways that

help learners make a real progress in their learning. It is also an ongoing

generative process which is designed to back up learning. Therefore, this

process includes several strategies such as sharing the learning goals and

the assessment criteria with learners.

The distinguishing characteristic of formative assessment is that

its evidence is used by both teachers and learners (Black 1995). This

ways that it aims at knowing well-nigh how learners are progressing and

where they are having troubles. Information technology too helps teachers to make the

necessary instructional adjustments so as to offer more opportunities to

practice.

Habib, M. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

viii(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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Formative assessment involves designing goals, providing

educational activity, measuring outcomes, and giving useful feedback. Really, information technology

includes the procedure of appraising, judging, or evaluating students‟ work

or performance and using this to shape and better students‟

competence (Gipps, 1994).

That is to say, determinative assessment is a process which requires

skilful teachers who can better arm-twist and translate information for the

interest of their learners to ameliorate both the educational activity and learning

strategies. It is characterised by its progressive nature equally it can happen at

any catamenia of time. It, as well, tin can be planned or unplanned, proactive or

reactive, formal or informal. Every bit for informal assessment, it is a manner of

collecting information about learners‟ performance in normal classroom

conditions. This can be done without establishing test weather condition as information technology is

done over a catamenia of time. In contrast, formal cess is carried out

through tests which are used to observe out about the learners‟ suitability to

follow a grade of a study and to know how learners are progressing in

society to identify problem areas. Through tests teachers can know how

much learners accept learned during the course or during the academic

year.

A common misconception is held by teachers and learners alike,

is that a examination is something which is done at learners rather than

something which is done by them and for them. In fact, formal testing

should exist seen as a complement to other forms of assessment. In brief,

formative assessment brings the assessor and the learner together in a

process of continual reflection by making clear judgements almost the

learning gains.

four.3. Summative Assessment

While formative assessment is for learning, summative

cess is of learning. It provides evidence of what learners got at the

end of a specific term of learning. Furthermore, it marks the important

stages of learners‟ evolution and should exist formally recorded in the

grade of scores and marks. More than importantly, information technology should be planned in

advance so that learners tin have enough time to set themselves

and gain confidence in whatever area they are assessed in or well-nigh. In

improver to this, it is generally used to discover what a learner has

accomplished during the program of the written report. It is carried out at or towards

the end of the course for the sake of knowing if learners have acquired

Habib, M. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Cess of Reading Comprehension

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131

the target skill as it gives an overall movie of learners‟ performance. The

following table illustrates the difference between formative and

summative assessment:

Tabular array ane. Some Distinguishing Features of Formative and

Summative Assessment.

-is prepared and carried out by

the class teacher as a routine

office of teaching and learning.

-is specifically related to has

been taught ,i.e. content is in

harmony with what has been

taught.

-the information from the

cess is used

diagnostically; it is focused on

the individual learner‟south specific

strengths and weaknesses,

needs, etc.

-is not necessarily prepared and

carried out by the class teacher.

-does non essentially relate

immediately to what has been

taught.

-The judgement about a learner‟due south

operation is likely to feed into

record-ke eping and be used for

administrative purposes , e.g.

checking standards and targets.

-is frequently externally imposed,

e.g. by in institution or a ministry

of education.

Actually, formative assessment is related directly to students‟

learning progress as it aims at providing constructive feedback according

to their weakness and needs. However, summative assessment is

concerned with the measurement of the final achievements and levels.

In the form of tests or exams, summative every bitsessment aims at

raising the standards of learning as it indicates the extent of success and

the points of failure. It is carried out at the end of a period of instruction

and so that to make clear judgements most where learners are successful and

where they are not in any area of knowledge. In short, the well-nigh powerful

testify of learners‟ progress is provided when teachers combine data

from pre-tests and postal service-tests and provide a summative assessment.

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

viii(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/x.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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5. Reading Comprehension Defined

Reading comprehension is not only a process of decoding texts

and building a item understanding. It tin can exist viewed as a procedure

which involves skills and strategies by which the reader reconstruct

equitably the message encoded by the author. Grabe describes reading

as:

An agile process of comprehending where students need to

be taught strategies to read more efficiently ( e.chiliad. judge from

context, ascertain expectations, make inferences about the text,

skim ahead to fill in the context, etc ).

(Grabe, 1991:377)

That is to say that reading comprehension is a blend of

identification and construal skills. In fact, it is an interactive procedure

between the reader and the text which atomic number 82 to a specific comprehension.

In this process, the reader interacts dynamically with the text in lodge to

appropriately elicit theast significant and the ideas entailed in this text.

According to Urquhart and Weir (1998: 22): «

Reading is the

process of receiving and interpreting information encoded in

language class via the medium of impress».

This means that the

message conveyed by the text is decoded and interpreted through the

vocabulary items, the grammatical points, and the rhetorical structure of

the text. Besides, Anderson (1991) views reading every bit an dynamic fluent

process which involves the reader and the reading materials in building

pregnant.

In addition, reading tin be viewed as a receptive skill in

agreement the words in a written grade. It is believed that

understanding the purpose of someone is not only in spoken form but

too in reading. Reading is the next step in writing because through it

learners tin sympathize what someone wants to talk something.

According to Nunan (1991:seventy): "

Reading is a dynamic process in

which the text elements collaborate with other factors exterior the text,

in this example virtually particularly with the reader's knowledge of

content of the text".

That is to say that comprehension does not relate

only on the text content, but also on the reader‟south own literacy and

feel. Co-ordinate to Hedge (2000), in order to make sense, learners

need to combine the following types of knowledge:

Habib, G. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(i), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

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133

- Syntactic cognition: knowing the functions of verbs, nouns,

articles, modals, etc.

- Morphological knowledge: knowing about words formations

including prefixes, suffixes, morphemes, etc.

- Genre knowledge: knowing about texts‟ types and genres such

as scientific and literary genres.

- General world knowledge: this includes background

knowledge, topic knowledge, and sociocultural knowledge

most the reading topic.

More importantly, comprehension is the ultimate aim of reading.

It contains a number of cognitive processes that help students make

sense of what they read. Indeed, they need to decode words, chronicle

sentences, and use their groundwork cognition so that they can attain

an appropriate text comprehension.

6. Research Aims

Assessing reading comprehension skills is an integral part of the

English language language didactics. Therefore, this paper tries to show and

explicate how reading comprehension tin be successfully assessed and to

display the methods and the means that can be used in this kind of

cess. Moreover, this inquiry aims to detect the main difficulties

and the obstacles that hamper students‟ text comprehension.

vii. Research Methodology

In this study, ii broad approaches of research were used:

qualitative research method and quantitative research method .As for the

qualitative research method, it is favored by many researchers and has

been adopted in the field of human sciences .It is an approach which is

based on making enquiries ,exploration, and discovery. As McDonough

(1997:53) stated: "Qualitative inquiry commonly gathers observations,

interviews, field information records, questionnaires, transcripts, and so

on". Really, the results, in this approach, address and illuminate the

"why" and try to find answers and solutions.

With respect to the quantitative enquiry method, it is an

approach which is preferred past the key sciences. In fact, information technology

involves the construction of hypotheses that can be measured by

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

eight(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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134

gathering evidence and evaluating information technology in an experimental manner .It is based

on statistical analyses of large volume of data.

This research was conducted in the form of case study. The main

research instruments in this study take been questionnaires .One of

these questionnaires was designed to arm-twist the views of thirty students

from Bouguirat Secondary School. The students‟ questionnaire entails

questions that sought to gather data about learners‟ attitudes, beliefs, and

needs. The focus of the st udents‟ questionnaire is to reach an overview

and to find out a clear data about the assessment of reading

comprehension skills.

The 2nd questionnaire was devoted to x EFL teachers from

different secondary schools .This questionnaire entails questions that

aimed to collect teachers‟ opinions, worries, and proposals about the

assessment of reading comprehension.

8. Sample Population

The informants are considered as the almost important elements

of any research work. According to Gardner (1974), population is a

group of individuals who share common characteristics. Polit (2001)

defines population every bit an aggregation of cases that meet specific criteria.

In this study, the researcher involved 2 groups of participants; EFL

teachers and secondary school students.

The first group of informants entails 10 EFL teachers from

different secondary schools. 7 of them are females and 3 are

males. Most of them have taught English language for more than five years. The

2nd grouping of informants involves thirty students from Bouguirat

Secondary School. Twenty of them are females and 10 are males. Their

historic period is between 18 and 20. They were randomly selected in guild to make

the inquiry more reliable and objective.

9. Main Results Estimation

The results revealed that the majority of learners are aware about

the importance of cess in improving their reading comprehension

as they argue that it helps them discover their real abilities. Some of

them feel the stress whenever they are assessed. In this respect, the fact

that tests or exams cause fear to learners cannot be considered as a

severe problem merely every bit a natural example. As a solution, teachers can ready

learners for cess in order to help them overcome their fear and

Habib, Grand. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

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135

hesitation. Moreover, they can create a suitable atmosphere by guiding

and advising their learners. In this regard, it is necessary to avert the

assessment tools that disturb learners and do not atomic number 82 them to

demonstrate their true abilities. Therefore, information technology is useful to ask them about

their preferable assessment ways. The students showed their

preferences of the continuous classroom activities equally useful assessment

tools. This is due to the fact that this strategy does non impose test

atmospheric condition and help students learn without fear or stress.

Undoubtedly, introducing simple classroom activities is an

effective strategy that helps both teachers and learners know the causes

of failure and the mode to success without giving marks or rankings. In

fact, through these activities, teachers can modify and improve their

instruction according to the cess results and learners‟ needs.

Furthermore, although they are considered as evaluation tools, tests and

exams are essential ingredients to any assessment procedure considering they

lead learners to consider the importance of learning and increment their

seriousness to be committed to reach better results. In improver,

assessing learners through tests and exams make them stand at their

levels and motivate them to get beyond these levels by making more

efforts to reach higher ones.

However, in assessing reading comprehension, most of the teachers

use multiple test techniques in order to have a clear view about their

learners‟ capacities. In this respect, multiple choice questions, gaps filling,

comprehension questions, and writing summaries are the mostly used

activities.

Actually, the application of multiple strategies in the continuous

assessment offer to both teachers and learners the essential information

about the level of comprehension that learners are able to accomplish and help

them to discover the weaknesses, the difficulties, and the obstacles of

learners. In this concern, many of the informants mention several types

of reading comprehensiodue north difficulties that are frequently faced by the

students. The main obstacle that causes reading failure, according to

EFL teachers, is that learners practice not possess enough and adequate

vocabulary knowledge that helps them achieve a good text

understanding.

Habib, Thou. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(i), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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10. Summary of the Main Results

This study revealed that assessment of reading comprehension is

a vital didactics activity which tin be conducted for the benefit of both

teachers and learners. Certainly, it involves a number of methods and

strategies that impulse students to disshut their learning skilldue south to their

teachers. Besides, it makes learners aware about their weaknesses and

strengths and helps them to seek the solutions to improve their reading

comprehension skills.

According to the results, cess of reading comprehension

can be conducted in the class of tests, projects, and daily classroom

activities. Indeed, the construction of simple and well-organized tests

which entail various tasks and activities is important for this type of

assessment in order to address students‟ texts comprehension. Co-ordinate

to the responses, most teachers use activities that include multiple-choice

questions, filling the gap exercises, and reading comprehension

questions.

Moreover, this research shows that assessment has many

advantages. Actually, it informs teachers virtually the learning capacities of

their learners and helps them to offer valuable didactics to meet their

needs. Likewise, it helps students to discover their competencies and leads

them to seek useful ways to improve their own learning.

Finally, it is worthy to note that learners and EFL teachers gave

important proposals and views concerning the process of assessment

and put their recommendations about the office of cess in

enhancing the whole teaching-learning process.

11. Recommendations for Assessing Reading

Comprehension

In order to assess reading comprehension, teachers should use

several methods and no unmarried technique tin truly mensurate students‟

reading skills. A reading comprehension exam may subsume activities such

every bit: gap filling, short questions, multiple choice questions, true or false

questions, and yep-no questions.

The advantages of using brusque-answer questions based on a

reading passage in testing reading comprehension is that the answers

should be sought and expressed past the learner rather than existence offered.

This can ease the testing at higher order skills, such as estimation and

evaluation, and gives the assessor the opportunity to assume reasonably

Habib, One thousand. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Cess of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

137

that the learner truly put the respond for no reason other than he has

really comprehended the text .

The main goal of reading comprehension tests is, according to

(Weir, 2005), to measure reading mastery without stressing grammar or

spelling. However, in assessing reading, failure to take errors in language

employ into consideration may lead to the perception that spelling, grammar,

and punctuation are not essential to language learning. Therefore,

reading comprehension assessment should target not only students‟

comprehension of a text just likewise the factors that facilitate or impedeast this

comprehension .

In order to actually check students‟ comprehension of texts,

various types of questions should exist used. In fact, approaches to the

evaluation of reading comprehension have tried to introduce interactive

activities and tasks .The use of questions is an integral part of these

activities and well-designed questions would help learners better interact

with the text to build up meaning. Indeed, a combination of

comprehension activities helps learners respond to diverse types of

comprehension. At that place are numerous methods and forms of reading

comprehension tasks that can be used in assessing students‟

comprehension and stimulating their understanding of a text. These

techniques may take formal or informal forms. Sally and Katie (2008 )

state some of these tasks:

eleven.1. Yes-No Questions

These are questions that should be answered with either aye or

no. Yet, teachers are recommended to follow up these questions by

other types of questions to brand certain that students have understood the

text as Yes/No questions can be answered correctly by chance.

xi.2. True or False questions

This is another type of a reading test that is familiar to most

learners .It consists of a text accompanied by a series of statements.

Learners need to decide and mention whether the given statements are

truthful or false co-ordinate to the text.

This kind of reading comprehension questions provides learners

with a prepare of sentences or statements. For answering these questions,

learners are required to read the text and discover the true and the false

statements without giving answers in a circuitous written response .They

Habib, Thousand. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

eight(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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are skillful activities for memory of literal details in the text but they are

express in assessing specific comprehension skills such every bit making

inferences and meanings. More importantly, teachers should not rely

exclusively on them considering, like Yes/No questions, learners tin give

right answers by run a risk without knowing why these answers are correct.

True or False questions need to be carefully designed because the

false answers should target the potential misunderstandings of a text.

Besides, the fake answers that audio obviously incorrect practise not assist

teachers appraise learners‟ comprehension because learners do not need to

sympathise the text to recognize them as incorrect.

11.3. Matching

This type is likely to exist less familiar to learners, but increasingly

common. They are used by many assessors. Some of reading

comprehension tests designers may include more than than one matching task

in their tests.

For doing a matching task, learners need to cull from a list of

prompts. These prompts may be statements, headings, or question

completion .For instance, learners can be asked to lucifer a clarification to

the appropriate paragraph, or to lucifer words and phrases to their

meanings.

11.4. WH questions

Wh questions are questions that begin with Wh such every bit: "where",

"why", "who", "when", and "how". These questions are useful in

providing learners with literal understanding of a text and help them

recognize information in the text and make evaluations and personal

predictions.

xi.5. Open up -Ended Questions

These questions are used in standardised assessments .They are

useful in assessing the component skills of comprehension such as the

ability of learners to make inferences from the text .In fact, learners are

asked different questions for the reason of testing their memory and

their comprehension of the text .However, information technology is important to mention

that this class of assessment may have some weaknesses because learners

have to codify verbal or written responses which may underestimate

their comprehension because of their language deficits .

Habib, One thousand. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(ane), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ten.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Cess of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

139

11.6. Multiple-Choice Questions

This type of the reading task is the most familiar to learners. It is

composed of a text which can be of any type accompanied past one or

more multiple choice items. These choices may be in the course of

statements, a question with answers, or incomplete statements with a

option of phrases or words .Generally, there are three or four options

and merely one of them is the right one .Information technology is important to take statements

corresponding to specific paragraphs or sections of the text, but there

may exist statements that appraise comprehension of the whole text .

Developing a good multiple-pick question needs a careful

consideration. In fact, a question with four choices works best for

learners with low proficiency in the target linguistic communication, and one of the four

choices should sound the right and the desicherry answer. Literal

comprehension can be checked more effectively by the employ of multiple-

choice questions. Besides, they tin can also be used for prediction and

evaluation. However, these questions demand to be followed by other

activities to make learners explicate their choices.

Generally, this type of questions may have one correct answer

when it targets the literal comprehension. Really, a multiple-choice

format with "wh" question is easier than no-choice "wh " question

because information technology pushes learners to check the text to know if whatsoever of the choices

are discussed.

11.7. Gapped Texts

This kind of reading comprehension test includes texts or

diagrams from which single words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs are

deleted .These filling the gaps tasks can also be used in testing grammar

and vocabulary.

In some tasks, learners have to decide what should fill in the gap,

while in some others, they are given a serial of alternatives for choice

.Where words, sentences, or paragraphs are removed, there is an item

amongst the given alternatives that is odd to the text.

Gapped texts offer a task that can be used in testing or assessing

learners‟ reading skills. It can be applied to all types of texts and can be

included in lower-level exams and for learners with low-leve50

functioning.

Habib, Yard. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

eight(i), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ten.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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140

xi.8. Proofreading

This kind of tasks includes deliberate errors or mistakes of

different types in the text provided. Despite the fact the proofreading

activities brand role of grammar and vocabulary tests, they tin too be

used in reading comprehension assessments .In fact, the texts can be of

any type and, in most cases, is formed of numbered lines .Some lines

may involve an extra, or a misspelt discussion, or an error of punctuation,

while the other lines are correct .At this level, learners demand to read the

text, mark the correct lines, remove the extra words, and correct the

spelling and punctuation errors.

12. Conclusion

Assessment is aimed to maximize and improve the teaching-

learning process by providing copious opportunities for learners to

discover their weaknesses and to raise their learning standards. This tin

exist reached by linking assessment results to classroom instruction and past

providing constructive activities that truly conform to learners‟ needs.

This study attempted to explore the importance of cess in

EFL classrooms. Actually, it aimed at bringing some details about the

process of cess and specifically focused on reading

comprehension as an essential skill in English language teaching. In fact,

it showed that teachers demand to assess this skill accurately and adequately

in guild to go a articulate view about their lea rners‟ needs. Therefore, the

assessment practices should depend on articulate criteria so as to indicate and

inform perfectly both teachers and learners about their achievements.

Equally far as reading comprehension is concerned, there is an

increasing demand for thoughtful and adequate assessment plans that

include appropriate methods and useful tools that make up one's mind the learners‟

needs and help them sympathize the expectations of their learning. In

other words, this kind of assessment should be considered as a

comprehensive approach that is tailored to the objectives of the

classroom instruction.

Indeed, reading comprehension is a complex process that gathers

several inseparable skills which require sufficient time so as to be

perfectly taught and assessed.

Habib, G. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(i), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

141

Acknowledgment

I acknowledge that this paper entitled "Assessment of Reading

Comprehension: Case of EFL students" is original and function of my

previous research about cess of reading comprehension skills.

Bibliography

Airasian, P.West. (1994). Classroom Assessment , (2nd edition). New York:

McGraw.

Andeson, Northward.J. (1999). Exploring Second Language Reading: Issues and

Strategies. Boston: Heine and Heinle.

Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Assessment and Formroom Learning.

Cess in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 5(one): 7, 74.

Black, P.J. (1995). Can Teachers Use Assessment to Amend Learning?

British Journal of Curriculum and Assessment, 5(2): 5 – 11.

Carr, J.F., & Harris, D.E. (2001). Succeeding with Standards

LinkingCurriculum, Assessment, and Action Planning. Alexandria:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Gardner, R. C. (1974). Furnishings of attitudes and motivation on student

stereotypes. Alberta Journal of Educational Enquiry, xx, 270-277.

Gipps, C. (1994). Beyond Testing: Towards a Theory of Education Assessment.

London: The Falmer Press.

Grabe, W. (1991). Current Evolution in Second Language Reading

Inquiry. Tesol Qurterly, 25(3): 375-406. DOI: 10.2307/3586977

Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom . Oxford:

Oxford University Press.

Mc Donough, J., & Mc Donough, Southward. (1997). Research Methods for English

Linguistic communication Teachers. London: Arnold.

Nunan, D. (1991 ) . Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook for Teachers.

Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall International.

Palomba, C.A., & Banta, T.W. (1999). Assessment Essentials: Planning,

Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Polit, D.F. (2001). Essentials of nursing research: Principles and methods.

Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams &Williams.

Sally, B., & Katie, H. (2008). How to Teach for Exams. UK: Longman.

Susan, M., et al. (2005). How to Assess Student Operation in Science: Using

Classroom Assessment to Enhance Learning. (1st edition). Carolina:

SERVE Center.

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8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/x.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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142

Urquhart, S., & Weir, C. (1998). Reading in a 2d Language: Process,

Product, and Exercise. London: Longman.

Weir, C.J. (2005). Language Testing and Validation: An Evidence-Based

Arroyo. England: Palgrave Mac Millan.

Appendices

APPENDIX 1

Students' Questionnaire

Dear students,

You lot are kindly requested to answer the following questions. This

questionnaire aims at gathering data about your views concerning

the reading comprehension assessment. It, also, aims to give you the

opportunity to testify your wants and preferences.

.Full Name: …………………………………………

.Age: ..... ……………………………………….....….

.Twelvemonth: ………………………………………..........…

.School: ………………………………….........……..

1. How long have y'all been learning English?

07years 08 years 09 years more

2.Do you lot recollect that reading is an of import skill?

Yep

No

Why?

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………..

Habib, Thousand. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

143

3. How practise y'all find the reading material in class?

good Interesting complicated

4.Do you lot think cess is essential to your learning?

Yep

No

Why?

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………..

five. How practice you feel when y'all are assessed?

At ease annoyed Stressed

Why?

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………..

6. How do yous want to be assessed?

Tests and exams Homework Continuous classroom activities

Projects

Please justify your respond:

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

……………………

7. Does assessment develop your reading comprehension skills?

Yeah No I practise non know

Justify:

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

eight(ane), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/x.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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8.What kind of tasks practise your teachers utilize in assessing your reading

comprehension?

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

………………….

nine. Please, state your stance about the cess of reading

comprehension in the classroom.

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

……………………

Habib, M. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

Madani HABIB

145

APPENDIX 2

Teachers' Questionnaire

Dearest teachers,

You lot are kindly requested to answer the post-obit questions

related to the cess of your learners „reading comprehension skills.

You are also requested to give your proposals and suggestions virtually the

approaches and the strategies which are used to assess reading.

Full Name: …………………

Gender: ……………………

i. How long accept y'all been teaching English language?

Years

3. What are the advantages of assessment?

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………

iv. What kind of assessment tools do you prefer?

A-Tests

B-Classroom activities

C-Projection

D- Multiple tools

E-Portfolios

5. What exam techniques do y'all apply to appraise reading comprehension?

Habib, K. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/ten.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

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A-Multiple option questions

B-Filling the gaps activities

C-Request the learners to write summaries

D-Asking the learners to explain and talk over the primary idea

Eastward-Focusing on the reading comprehension questions

F-Focusing on words‟ meanings

half-dozen. When you assess reading comprehension, what kind of difficulties and

obstacles do your learners generally run across?

A-Lack of motivation in form

B-Lack of the reading fluency

C-Lack of vocabulary and comprehension

Others:…………………………………………………………………

………

vii. Practice you use the assessment results in designing your courses?

Yeah Sometimes Never

Delight, justify your answer:

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………….

8. As a teacher of English, what techniques practise you suggest for assessing

the reading comprehension skill?

…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………….

................................................................................................................................

Cheers so much for your help.

Habib, Thou. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Assessment of Reading Comprehension

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Biodata

Assistant professor PhD Madani HABIB

I am Madani Habib, assistant professor of English

at the department of English at the University of

Tiaret in Algeria. At the aforementioned time, I am conducting

a doctoral research at the University of Tlemcen in

People's democratic republic of algeria. I am interested in teaching English language as a

foreign language at university level. Particularly, I am interested in

education the English language skills including grammar, reading,

speaking, writing, and listening.

Habib, M. (2016). Cess of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala,

8(ane), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/x.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

... Ciertamente, la comprensión es un proceso cognitivo muy complejo, como el proceso de medición de la comprensión lectora también lo es (Fletcher, 2006). Sin embargo, se ha medido a través del tiempo por diferentes técnicas: entre las más conocidas y utilizadas se mencionan las de Opción múltiple, Preguntas verdadero-falso, Cuestionario, Preguntas abiertas, Recuerdo libre, Cloze o Resumen (Habib, 2016;Ibáñez, 2012;Pérez, 2005;Rupp, Ferne & Choi, 2006). ...

... La evaluación, a su vez, es una práctica pedagógica ineludible en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje. Pero usualmente se utiliza para reorientar las actividades de enseñanza y reconocer el grado de aprendizaje de los alumnos (Habib, 2016), no obstante, poco se percatan de las habilidades y estrategias que los alumnos tienen para comprender united nations texto escrito. ...

  • Eugenio Elías León Islas Eugenio Elías León Islas
  • Marisol May López
  • Jorge Antonio Chi Tamay

El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar el nivel de comprensión de lectura y medición de fluidez en universitarios de origen maya. La muestra se conformó de 30 alumnos, xix hombres y 11 mujeres. Del total, 36.7% es bilingüe y 63.3% únicamente habla castellano. La media en edad es 20.53 años. Todos cursan el primer semestre de universidad. El nivel de comprensión de lectura se mide mediante un texto de 699 palabras. Se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación lineal. Se obtuvo un coeficiente de r = .862 entre la velocidad de comprensión lectora y la fluidez. Se obtuvo, además, un coeficiente de correlación de r = -.864, entre la fluidez en la lectura y el tiempo de lectura. El idioma de los sujetos no influye en el nivel de comprensión y fluidez. El género influye en el nivel de comprensión, pero no en la fluidez.Recibido: 28 de agosto de 2018Aceptado: 26 de diciembre de 2018

... Specific reading comprehension activities tin be introduced in the EFL classroom in order to know how well students are able to understand a text. A reading comprehension cess should be based on rational criteria and useful measures (Habib, 2016), who suggested the following cess questions: Yes-No questions, Truthful-Fake questions, Matching, WH questions, Open up-Ended questions, Multiple-Choice questions, Gapped text, and Proofreading. ...

  • Luis Eduardo Prado-Yépez
  • Walter Santiago Mayorga-Benavides
  • Miguel Roman Miguel Roman
  • Magali Janeth Arévalo-Arteta

El siguiente estudio de investigación bibliográfica está orientado a presentar una revisión de la influencia del método de aula invertida en la comprensión lectora y producción oral en el idioma inglés. Este método demuestra brindar mejores oportunidades para que los estudiantes maximicen su aprendizaje en el aula de English language as a Strange Language / English equally a 2nd Language, especialmente en lo que respecta al desarrollo de su pensamiento crítico, niveles de comprensión lectora, desarrollo de la fluidez lectora y motivación, también les brinda a los estudiantes más oportunidades para participar en clase, les ayuda a aumentar su confianza en sí mismos y united nations efecto positivo en la capacidad de comunicación oral en inglés de los participantes. Además, el desarrollo de la fluidez lectora es fundamental para que los estudiantes obtengan información para mejorar su comprensión lectora y su rendimiento oral. Finalmente, los hallazgos de los artículos revisados indican una influencia positiva de la implementación del método de aula invertida en estudiantes de English as a Foreign Language / English as a Second Language.

... In other words, this kind of assessment should exist 12 considered as a comprehensive approach that is tailored to the objectives of the classroom didactics. Indeed, reading comprehension is a circuitous process that gathers several inseparable skills which crave sufficient time then as to be perfectly taught and assessed (Habib, M. 2016). ...

  • Mostafa Sadik Khaleel Mostafa Sadik Khaleel
  • Khaleel ‫خليل‬
  • صادق حامد مصطفى

Testing Reading Comprehension Skills. A report paper submitted to the University of Karbala. College of Education, English language department about assessing students reading skills. NOTE: Delight cite as: Mostafa Sadik (2020). Testing Reading Comprehension. Academy of Karbala. College of Education, English department. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.26720.71687

  • Paul J Black Paul J Black

This article discusses two unlike purposes of assessment: determinative assessment is designed to support pupils' learning, whilst summative assessment is designed to review what has been learnt, possibly to tape information technology in certificates or diplomas. Formative assessment is concerned with the frequent interactions between teacher and pupils which are essential if the teacher'southward plans tin can be matched to the learning needs of the pupils. Teachers who are accustomed to simply telling pupils, rather than engaging them in dialogue, find information technology difficult to change. Pupils also take to modify from passive reception to active engagement in the learning. Formative work tin can be undermined if pupils or teachers are worry too much about summative tests; such worry can lead them to focus entirely on practising for the tests and not on the good habits of learning which would in fact be the best grooming for doing well in them.

  • William Grabe William Grabe

Both reading inquiry and exercise have undergone numerous changes in the 25 years since TESOL was outset established. The last decade, in particular, has been a time of much first and second language research, resulting in many new insights for reading instruction. The purpose of this article is to join that inquiry and its implications for the classroom. Current reading research follows from certain assumptions on the nature of the reading process; these assumptions are reviewed and full general perspectives on the reading procedure are presented. Specific attention is and then given to interactive approaches to reading, examining research which argues that reading comprehension is a combination of identification and estimation skills. Reading research in second linguistic communication contexts, still, must also take into account the many differences between L1 and L2 reading. From the differences reviewed here, it is evident that much more second linguistic communication reading research is needed. Five important areas of electric current research which should remain prominent for this decade are reported: schema theory, linguistic communication skills and automaticity, vocabulary development, comprehension strategy training, and reading-writing relations. Implications from this enquiry for curriculum evolution are briefly noted.

  • P West Airasian

Airasian, P.Due west. (1994). Classroom Assessment, (two nd edition). New York: McGraw.