Assignment: Reading report.

Subject

Assessment and teaching in the classroom

Luis Agustín García Muñoz

Universidad IEXPRO.

Master’s Degree in English Teaching

MTE. Jesus Adrian Castañon Aquino

July 17th, 2022

 READING REPORT

Achievement tests.

“Achievement” means how good students have learned or, at least what we
expected them to learn/know.

Institutionally, achievement tests are administered at a certain period of time in order

to evaluate the amount of information learned from students on a specific subject.
Specifically, achievement test measures the understanding of pupils of a course and
how much they have learned in a period of time. We may speak about a unit, a
course, a chapter, etc.

For example, students who have finished the first 3 units of a course can take an
achievement test based on what they have been through in those units.

Achievement tests aid the teachers and learners to go deeper into what pupils need
to progress; apart from that, students can use their results to make a plan for study
and improve, based on the results got from such tests.

Proficiency tests

Its purpose is to discover if students have already got the knowledge and the skills
that are/were taught in a particular program, though students have not taken the
course in the school where this test is offered.

If students do well on the proficiency test, they earn academic credits, and it is
assumed they are prepared to succeed in the subject’s subsequent course, for a
mobility or promotion in a job considering students are qualified.

Proficiency tests may have different and varied purposes, for example:

• Foresee students’ abilities to complete a course or easily take an exam.

• Evaluation of progress in accomplishing and acquiring the target language.
• Measurability of students’ language use.
• Specification of students’ diverse language skills.
Bachman’s Framework for characterizing tests.

Tests

Two main roles:

The role in educational The roles as indicator

decisions in educational of abilities relevant in
contexts. language research.

These features can be used to

classify almost any language
test for either of the roles
previously mentioned.

• The decision to be made from the test.

• The content of the test - theory-based or syllabus-based.
• The analysis of results.
• Scoring procedure (objectively or subjectively scored).
• Testing Method.

Three phases to categorize tests and compare them:

First generation tests.

These are associated with the grammar-translation approach to language learning.

Students are required to complete questions such as compositions, translations, or
simple questions and answer activities lacking of context.

For example:
Write about a vacation you enjoyed. (200 words).

These tests evaluate grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and structures.

Apart from that, they lead to subjective scoring so this can lead to problems when
marking.

Second generation tests.

Normally measure a language item of language, known as discrete point. Since

each question tests one tiny aspect of language (for example verb form,
prepositions, etc.), tests are often very long, so these tests are criticized because
they do not sample integrative language as first generation tests.

Questions in second generation testing normally measure one item of language,

known as discrete point. Since each question tests one tiny aspect of language (ex:
verb form, prepositions, etc), tests are often very long, so these tests are criticized
because they do not sample integrative language as first generation tests.

Third generation tests.

They involve testing of integrative language, using both objective and subjective
testing formats. These are those tests that focus on measuring the development of
communicative language teachings.

This type of test attempts to emulate language as it is done in real life. Rather than
that, its intention is to make students show domain knowledge in communicative
language use.

Examples of these tests could be authentic reading with some transfer of information
such as correcting some notes taken from it, or writing a note with instructions about
some aspect of household organization, or listening to an airport announcement to
find the arrival time of a plane, or giving someone spoken instructions for how to get
to a certain place. Third generation techniques are contextualized by their very
nature as authentic. Candidates are asked to do tasks which have clear reference in
reality. These tests assess integrative language, so they have to be assessed
subjectively.
Conclusion

As teachers, we must be fully aware that the test to be implemented or administered,

must challenge students in terms of their goals for learning a language. It is good to
use all this variety of tests in order to get what we expect from students or to make
our teaching practice improve for further cases. Apart from that, we have to be as
eclectic as we can since some students may feel the need to certify their language
proficiency and such certification tests do not follow any regulations which may be
flexible as those implemented in the classroom; there, students will face equally
chances to display their skills with written exercises, audios or texts. As previously
mentioned, it is ok to set some variety in the classroom for students in terms of
testing; however, our duty is also to prepare them for standardized tests that may
represent a challenge out of academic context.

References

Universidad IEXPRO, (n.d). Assessment and Testing in the classroom.