Hello, 

I �m correcting a Listening Test but I haven �t got criteria for some of the exercises, and I �m not able to find it online. I wish you could lend a hand in this. When correcting exercises where you have to replace the incorrect word, replacing it by the correct one, should I consider it even if it has a spelling mistake. I know the focus is on the listening but if students are in year 11 they should be able to write simple words correctly. Mistakes like descrimination would you consider this correct although one of the letters is wrong?

Where can I find correction criteria for these sort of exercises.

Thanks. 

If you consider it a listening comprehension exercise - meaning you check the understanding of what is said - then descrimination is correct. 

If you use it as a dictation, then it is wrong.  

You can also combine, assigning, for example, 2 points to each word, 1 for comprehension (writing the right word) and 1 for spelling.

 

All in all, it �s up to you, but it is fair to the students to tell them in advance what the criteria are. 

Thank you very much. 

As Minka pointed out, it is important for students to know the criteria beforehand.

 

In the official listening tests of the curriculum that I teach,  students can provide verbal or written answers, therefore spelling is not considered. It is the listening skill that the curriculum focuses on. Our instructions are very clear.

 

However, the IELTS listening tests requires correct spelling even though it is a listening test. The instructions are very clear. 

 

Clear instructions are important. 

 

 

As my colleagues have said it depends on the test instructions and WHAT you want to test. Some tests (also the Cambridge ones) in some parts check mainly comprehension and then have multiple choice / multiple matching answers. Also in some lower-level Cambridge tests (KET) and YLE  if you make a non-critical spelling error (the one which does not affect the meaning) AND it was not the word which was spelt, the candidate will be awarded a point. So what is at stake are actually 3 things: the level of students (the higher their level, the lower tolerance of spelling errors), the type of exercise and the type of error.

 

And of course, there is IELTS  

Hi, everyone. Thanks for your answers. They have been taken into consideration.