English abstract
This study investigates the degree of communicativeness of grade 10 English final tests. It assesses the presence of three characteristics of communicative testing, including communicative competence, authenticity and skills integration. It is a descriptive, content based analysis research, and the population of the study was all grade 10 English final tests since the introduction of Basic Education in 1998. Five tests given in the second semester, from 2011 to 2016, were chosen as the research sample. A framework and three checklists were developed for the analysis process. The framework was based on Bachman and Palmer's model of language ability (2010) and grade 10 test specifications.
The research findings reveal: (i) A discrepancy between the test specifications of grade 10 English final tests and the actual content of the tests. (ii) The tests had adequate emphasis on the organizational knowledge and ideational knowledge. (iii) That communicative competence was not fully addressed in the grade 10 English final tests. (iv) That the input used in grade 10 English final tests lacks authenticity, as while the tests discussed topics related to students' academic and future lives, daily experiences, universal topics like medicine, films and environment, minimal emphasis was placed on topics related to the Omani context and the culture of other countries. (v)The majority of the test components used suitable language in a limited context with limited instructions given for some components. There was also lack of constructed responses. Finally, (vi) There was no integration between two skills or elements on the test, except for the unintentional integration between vocabulary and reading. In the light of these findings, recommendations for further research were suggested.
