ANNEXE D. PREPARING AND ADMINISTERING RECORDED TEXT COMPREHENSION
TESTS 1. TEST POINTS
Determine language and dialect boundaries and decide upon test locations.
2. EQUIPMENT
Two cassette playerrecorders and batteries for both Microphone
Patch cord Two sets of headphones and any adapters necessary so that both sets can be
plugged into one machine Blank cassettes 3-5 for each test point, depending on the number of
dialectslanguages being tested, plus a few extra working tapes Thin paper to be used for individual score sheets to be placed over a master
Ordre de mission letter to inform authorities Notebook for transcribing texts
Appropriate gifts for village chief, village host, and test constructors
3. AUTHORITIES
Visit proper authorities cerclepréfecture, arrondissementdépartement, village chief, etc. to introduce the survey team and to explain the purposes of the survey.
Present the Ordre de mission.
4. STEPS IN CONSTRUCTING THE CASSETTE TESTS
FOR EACH DIALECT OR LANGUAGE TO BE TESTED
1. Find two assistants call them here 1 and 2 who speak the local dialectlanguage as their first language. With 1 record two texts--a 30-
second story and another story 3-3 12 minutes long autobiographical or biographical stories which are not well-known by others. This is your X
ORIGINAL TEXT cassette X = village of 1 2. 2. With 1 2s help, write down the literal word-for-word French translation
not free translation of the story. This takes time, but it is necessary in order to identify questions that have one precise correct answer.
3. Identify 12-13 questions for the 3-minute text and 4-5 questions for the shorter text. Avoid yesno questions and ones with more than one possible correct
response. The questions should cover a wide variety of grammatical
categories as the content of the text allows, and elicit a response given explicitly in the text. The following grammatical categories are good test
material: participant as actor
description of condition purpose
participant as goal description of character
reason object as goal
specific event cause
quotative time
result instrument
location quantity
manner 4. With the help of 1 or 2, find natural breaking points in the texts where the
questions can be inserted. Questions should follow as close as possible to the text in which the correct response is found. Using the patch cord, transfer the
3-minute story from your original text tape, section by section, onto another cassette. This is your X MASTER TEST QUESTIONS cassette. Where
each question should be inserted, leave a 6-7 second pause. To help identify where to insert the pause, it is helpful to transcribe phonetically the last two
words that precede the pause. It sometimes happens that the correct response to one of your questions comes in the same section of speech as the correct
response to another one of your questions, without a natural break between the two. You will probably need to reject one of those two questions and find
another one elsewhere to replace it. 5. With the help of 1 or 2, translate the questions into hisher speech form. It is
best to have a second person around to judge if the translation is accurate. With the help of 2, record all the translated questions, just after the end of the
X master test on the X Master Test and Questions cassette. Preface the recording by saying, These are the test questions of X at X. Later you will
have X test at Y, etc. You will appreciate having recorded each question by number, French version and local translation, if you discover in pre-testing
that one or more questions are problematic and more work is needed. 6. Using the patch cord, make a copy of the master test. This is your X
HOMETOWN test cassette. Patch in the questions of X at X at the
appropriate places in the hometown test. Leave a 1-2 second pause between the text and the question.
7. With the help of 2, translate and record the introduction to the test in the local language. This is your X INTRODUCTION cassette. At the appropriate
location in the introduction, patch in the 30 second story from the X original text cassette and then insert the questions. Dont forget to finish patching in
the final instructions that follow this trial test. 8. With the help of 1 or 2, translate and record the questions for all of the other
test stories. These can be recorded following the master test of that story. 9. Make copies of all other master test tapes and patch in the corresponding
questions. 10. Before beginning the testing process, have two or three local speakers listen to
the test tapes and verify that the questions elicit the desired responses and are well-placed. You can count on several surprises. If there appears to be a
problem with a particular question confusing, elicits implied information, permits more than one correct response, listener could know the correct
response without understanding the text, etc., it must be changed or disqualified.
5. TESTING
