On The Comparison Between MC And CR Questions In Diagnostic Listening Test

It has been widely acknowledged that testing can assist teaching, and always responds to changes in teaching. The reform on college English curriculum in recent years has led to dramatic changes in teaching methods and teaching process of college English due to the application of computer aids and the focus shifting to the development of learner autonomy. Listening class becomes completely under the control of students themselves. Teachers become less of an instructor but more of a facilitator and a supervisor of students'learning process, for whom a diagnostic listening test may be the best aid. Therefore emerge the needs of researching diagnostic listening tests.However, current studies focus mainly on the characteristics of diagnostic tests and their influence on teaching. Only a few findings have been presented about the application of diagnostic tests to reading. This research tries to investigate how to construct and conduct diagnostic listening tests in college English classes to exert positive influence upon teaching and learning, and is thus of practical importance. In light of the common criticisms on the disadvantages of MC questions, this paper first reviews the related literature on the nature of listening comprehension, theories and findings in listening testing, and the characteristics and current findings of diagnostic tests as the theoretical base for the whole study. A suggestion of applying CR questions to diagnostic listening test is thereby put forward, as well as a detailed list of the construct and guidelines for designing diagnostic listening tests for college students.An empirical study is then followed to verify the theoretical hypothesis. 60 students in Zhejiang University of Technology participated in two diagnostic listening tests consisting of MC question and CR questions respectively. Through quantitative analysis of test scores, and qualitative analysis of the data from questionnaire and immediate retrospective verbal protocol, this study finally comes to the conclusion that CR questions stand a great chance in successfully operationalizing the construct of diagnostic listening test in college English class, and enjoy distinct advantages in terms of validity, authenticity and backwash effects over MC questions. It is hoped that the findings and suggestions presented in the conclusion will contribute to conducting diagnostic listening tests in college English classes with beneficial backwash effects on both learning and teaching, and finally advancing the reform on college English curriculum.