Linguodidactic Testing in the Digital Environment as a Tool for Teaching and Controlling the Formation of Language Competence of Foreign Speakers

Abstract

The article analyzes the system of test tasks in Russian as a foreign language at the stage of pre-university training, designed to control the language competence of students.The aim of the study is to provide high-quality test technologies that contribute to the formation of language competencies of foreign speakers in the conditions of distance and blended learning formats, to analyze their effec-tiveness in study monitoring, self-control and corrective measures.The test materials and the results of the current, interim and final test control in Russian as a foreign language serve as the material of the study. The test materials were created by the authors on the Moodle platform for teaching foreign citizens at the stage of pre-university training at Southwest State University and were uploaded to SWSU’s electronic information educational environment.The Moodle platform has a wide range of tools for designing test tasks, statistical processing of test results, which allow teachers to get information about the quality of tests.The authors of the study conducted a selective statistical analysis of the tests for the current, interim and final control, followed by the adjustment of certain test questions. Statistical analysis took into account such parameters as ease index, standard deviation, random guess score, target weight, effective weight, discrimination index, discrimina-tion efficiency.Automated control at the initial stage of learning Russian as a foreign language is systematic and regular and makes it possible to check the knowledge and skills in vocabulary and grammar acquired in the process of learning, allows the teachers to objectively evaluate and compare the successes and shortcomings in the educational activities of foreign stu-dents, to identify the level of language proficiency, excluding the teacher’s subjective opinion of the student and provides for the possibility of feedback, significantly reduces the time spent on checking and analyzing the results.The authors came to the conclusion that the analyzed tests optimize the learning process and objectify control, give students the opportunity of self-control and teachers the opportunity of varying ways to control and manage stu-dents’ independent learning activity.