When studying a second language, many students will eventually reach a certain stage where they start to wonder \u201cWhat do I do next?\u201d – and for most people there is no obvious answer.<\/p>\n
Beginner students usually follow a standard progression:<\/p>\n
Intermediate students are presented with a different problem. To progress to an advanced level, they need to focus less on grammar, and start focusing more on learning a large amount of vocabulary.<\/p>\n
As any language student knows, learning vocabulary can be frustrating and time consuming.<\/p>\n
Most people resort to using flashcards, which have proven to be an effective method for remembering words. However, after spending weeks or even months working through a seemingly endless pile of flashcards, even the most dedicated students are left asking,\u00a0\u201cIsn\u2019t there a better way?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Many scholars have suggested that\u00a0the best way to improve your language skills and retain large amounts of vocabulary is to study words in context.<\/strong>\u00a0Instead of just studying single words over and over, students study words presented in sentences or text passages. This allows them to see how words are used in real life examples, while helping improve their cognitive ability to deduce the meaning of a word by examining the words around it.<\/p>\n One of the most popular ways of studying language in context is using cloze deletion tests. Many students have found success using web based applications such as Clozemaster, which uses cloze deletion tests to make learning a large amount of vocabulary both fast and enjoyable.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019ve never actually heard the term \u201ccloze deletion\u201d, there\u2019s a very good chance that you\u2019re familiar with this kind of test.<\/p>\n Cloze deletion tests (also known simply as \u201ccloze tests\u201d) are a common way of testing both first and second language reading comprehension in children, and are currently used in classrooms around the world.<\/p>\n A cloze test is an exercise, test or assessment in which the participant is given a sentence or passage with certain words removed. The participant is required to replace the missing words to create a sentence that is both grammatically and contextually correct.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here\u2019s a simple example:<\/p>\n I ________ to Disneyland yesterday and saw Mickey Mouse.<\/p>\n A participant taking this test would analyze the sentence structure and discover that the missing word should be a past tense verb that can precede the preposition \u201cto\u201d. They would then analyze the context of the sentence and discover that it should be a word related to visiting a place. In this case, the most appropriate answer is\u00a0went<\/strong>.<\/p>\n There are two main ways to create a cloze test.<\/p>\n The first way is to\u00a0remove the nth word<\/strong>\u00a0from a text and replace it with a blank space. This method is known as systematic deletion.<\/p>\n In this example, every 5th word has been removed:<\/p>\n Mary and John met _____ a restaurant before going _____ the movies. Mary ordered _____ ham sandwich, while John _____ a bowl of soup. _____ both had ice cream _____ dessert.<\/p>\n This method is good for assessing overall grammar and comprehension skills. Participants are required to work out what grammatical function each missing word performs, then find a word that is contextually appropriate. In this example, the most appropriate answers are\u00a0at<\/strong>,\u00a0to<\/strong>,\u00a0a<\/strong>,\u00a0ordered<\/strong>,\u00a0They<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0for<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The second way is to\u00a0remove one or more specific words<\/strong>\u00a0from the text and replace them with blank spaces. This method is known as rational deletion.<\/p>\n This type of cloze test can be used to target specific areas of linguistic knowledge. In this example, two specific words have been removed:<\/p>\n I went shopping and bought a _____ of bread and a _____ of baked beans.<\/p>\n This sentence is good example of assessing both language comprehension and cultural knowledge, as the participant is required to know the collective nouns for both bread and baked beans. Although there are a number of possible answers, the most appropriate answers would be\u00a0loaf<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0can<\/strong>.<\/p>\n There are also two main ways of having participants answer a cloze deletion test.<\/p>\n The first way is to\u00a0provide a list of possible answers<\/strong>\u00a0to choose from. This is an objective way of testing language comprehension and is generally considered better for lower level students. For example:<\/p>\n There were many ________ at the zoo.<\/p>\n a. person In this example, there are two nouns that would fit the sentence, but only\u00a0elephants<\/strong>has the correct pluralization.<\/p>\n The second way is to provide no answers and have the participant write the answer they think is most appropriate. This is a subjective way of testing language comprehension and is generally considered better for more advanced students. It can provide a better analysis of the participants overall language comprehension, while also allowing for multiple possible answers. For example:<\/p>\n My father ________ a new TV last week.<\/p>\n In this example, some possible answers could be\u00a0bought<\/strong>,\u00a0purchased<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0got<\/strong>. Some less likely but also possible answers could be\u00a0saw<\/strong>,\u00a0designed<\/strong>\u00a0or even\u00a0stole<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Cloze testing seems like an obvious way for teachers to test comprehension, so most people assume it has been used in schools for a very long time. However, cloze testing actually has a surprisingly short history.<\/p>\n The \u201ccloze procedure\u201d was developed by Wilson L. Taylor in 1953 while he was doing graduate work at the University of Illinois.\u00a0According to Taylor<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cIt is pronounced like the word \u201cclose\u201d and is derived from \u201cclosure\u201d. The last term is one Gestalt psychology applies to the human tendency to complete a familiar but not quite finished pattern \u2014 to \u201csee\u201d a broken circle as a whole one, for example, by mentally closing up the gaps.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat Is A Cloze Deletion Test?<\/h2>\n
Different Kinds Of Cloze Tests<\/h2>\n
\nb. elephants
\nc. jump
\ne. yesterday<\/p>\nThe History of Cloze Testing<\/h2>\n