| Related Links: A Brief Introduction A Spoken English ExaM (SEEM) Supplementary Vocabulary Sections Specifying SEEM and WEEM Exam Grading and Security Software Public Domain notice |
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WEEM exam summary: SEEM and WEEM are essentially identical formats. The only difference is in a written rather than spoken response. However, spelling and punctuation mistakes are discounted heavily in the written exam. Please Note: SEEM and WEEM as described on this website are made available as public domain material. We do not have the resources to develop and administer SEEM or WEEM, yet we would like to see them completed. The simplest and least expensive way for us to accomplish our purpose is to make SEEM and WEEM available free of cost to any agency wanting to develop them. Our purpose, however, is in their value to us in advertising. The more emphasis which is given to spoken English exams, the more demand there will be for our course Spoken English Learned Quickly. We would benefit a great deal if another organization published SEEM and WEEM. |
Our emphasis will always be on spoken English exams. However, both domestically and among the international business and service communities, there is a need for both spoken and written English exams.
Simplicity in design
SEEM and WEEM use exactly the same format, picture files, and essentially the same grading system. The only difference is that the responses are written from a computer keyboard when using WEEM rather than recorded on audio equipment as is done with SEEM.
This similarity between the two exams greatly reduces the initial cost of exam development as well as the cost of grading and administering the exams. It further allows a modular approach while giving the exams. In some cases, both speaking and writing skills are required in pre-employment screening. When this is the case, sections from both SEEM and WEEM may be used to test the same job applicant.
Use of WEEM in the United States
As more non-native English speakers are employed in jobs dealing with public safety, legal liability is a growing issue. Though the more important area will always be verbal communication, written communication is also an important liability issue in public safety and health care.
Supplementary WEEM vocabulary sections:
The WEEM exam would also use Supplementary Vocabulary Sections. The identical Supplementary Vocabulary Section would appear on the examinee's screen. However, he or she would respond by writing the answer using a computer keyboard rather than by orally responding to the answer.
The choice of this exam's name:
We used the name WEEM (Written English ExaM) simply because it gives a temporary name to the exam. However, any institution developing this exam could change its name as they desired to fit their situation.
Similarity
Inasmuch as SEEM and WEEM are essentially the same except for WEEM's emphasis on spelling and punctuation rather than pronunciation, the comments in A Spoken English ExaM (SEEM) will represent both exams.
The WEEM exam format
The entire exam is done on a computer keyboard. We will briefly illustrate this using one of the examples already used in the SEEM exam.
Section II, question #3 would open identically in the WEEM
exam. It would use four pictures to elicit the examinee's
response which would be chosen from the thumbnail display.
WEEM is also a timed exam, so the examinee must work as quickly as possible on each question.
The examinee would select and double click four thumbnail pictures. They would open as full-size pictures across the bottom of the computer monitor. The examinee could select a new picture at any time before clicking ENTER. Double clicking on any picture on the thumbnail display would replace the picture on that column in the working row of four pictures. By depressing the control key when clicking on the thumbnail, the picture would be placed in memory and could be pasted in any box on the working line by using the paste function [CONTROL V]. When the examinee was satisfied with the selection of the four pictures, he or she would click ENTER to remove the thumbnail display from the computer monitor and activate the four pictures which were selected. Each picture would have a unique identification number which would always appear under it.)
The examinee's completed response would look like this:
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| My cordless phone rang. I answered it quick. It was my friend Alexandra, and she was in a hurry. Alexandra is not a brunette like the girl in the picture. She is not a blond either because she has dark hair. She told me she has a bad problem on her computer and it was just fixed. It is a desktop computer with a bad keyboard. She had the same trouble with it before. She needs to write a paper on her computer and then go too the airport to meet a friend. |
The examinee could make needed corrections in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Spell check could be used if the computer was equipped with English spell check software. However, because this is a timed exam, examinees would be cautioned that it would be better to complete more responses than to spend too much time on each response. (Nonetheless, the score is weighted to favor higher scores on fewer responses as opposed to lower scores on a higher number of responses. See the explanation in the Specifying SEEM and WEEM exams page.)
When the examinee pressed ENTER, the computer would record each picture's unique identification number (#724, #1498, #627, and #1389) on a disc running in the computer's floppy drive. When the English grader then evaluated the response, these same four pictures would appear on the grader's monitor.
Grading the WEEM exam
Grading the WEEM exam would be done exactly like the SEEM exam with the exception of the pronunciation section. However, spelling errors would count heavily against the writer. This would be particularly true because spell check would be permitted to function during the exam — errors where words like "to" and "too" would be confused are an important indication of the examinee's ability to write English effectively.
The completed grader's work sheet would look like this:
| Monique Siqueira; 03/24/06; 11:27:43-11:34:07 Section: II #: 3 | |||
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| Other vocabulary: | telephone, phone, receiver, LED display, key pad, pushbutton, woman, brown (hair), blouse, girl, yellow (hair), computer, airplane, airport, plane, monitor, | ||
| Verb vocabulary: | to call, to ring, to answer, to wear (clothes), to fly, to board, | ||
| Bonus words = +2 | =cord(less), =phone, touch keypad, =brunett(e), embroidered, =desktop, laptop, =keyboard, monitor, =blond(e), runway, tarmac, fuselage, jet engine, wing tip, | 12 | |
| Each verb = +1 | 17 | ||
| Incorrect person/tense = -2
she |
-2 | ||
| Spelling / punctuation = -4
she=blonde,
to |
-8 | ||
| Incorrect meaning = -1 | 0 | ||
| All correct = +5 | 0 | ||
| Inappropriate = -1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Comments: | - - - - - - - - - - | ||
| Total score | 19 | ||
How the WEEM test grader would receive the information.
The grader would receive the WEEM exam on a floppy or CD disc. The exam could also be transmitted by internet.
STUDY and EXAM modes.
The WEEM exam would also have equivalent study and exam modes. The student could practice using the CD in the study mode. It would respond to the student exactly as the SEEM exam with the student being able to add the pop-up grader's work sheet and do the written response. However, the control information function would not run and the computer would record nothing to a floppy disc.
As is the case with SEEM, there is no security issue involved by making the full WEEM exam available to students for their own personal study. It would be impossible to use the CD to prepare any kind of material which would give unfair advantage during the exam. All responses during the exam are extemporaneous written explanations of pictures. Since the only "keys" to the exam are pictures and the bonus words, nothing could be gained by trying to memorize details beyond that which we would encourage any student to do in preparation for the exam. Consequently, the best study for the exam is the exam CD itself.
Security issues would be no different from those discussed in the SEEM exam. For further security related suggestions, see the article Exam Grading and Security Software.)
Using WEEM with supplementary WEEM vocabulary sections.
WEEM would have a number of supplementary vocabulary sections. They would be used in identically the same way as they are in the SEEM exam with only the exception being that they would be written rather than audio recorded. (For more information, see the Supplementary SEEM Vocabulary Sections.)
Public Domain notice: All descriptions of SEEM and WEEM are freely given without either stated or implied copyright protection. Spoken Language International does not have the financial means to develop or administer a spoken or written English exam. However, it would be to Spoken Language International's advantage that such exams be extensively used because of the demand it would place on our Spoken English Learned Quickly language study course. Thus, we present the SEEM and WEEM exams on this website with the hope that another institution will further develop and market them under any name. We relinquish any claim for remuneration of any kind as a result of another institution using this material for their own profit. Future publication of this material would carry the full copyright protection of the publisher and will then be subject to full enforcement of that copyright protection.