LANGUAGE TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

ICE BREAKER
1. After joining this course, I expect to gain intensive knowledge in terms of both
theory and practicality about how to choose and design specific tests and other
kinds of assessment forms which are appropriate with different students’ levels.

2. In my opinion, language testing or assessment is a term to show the method

teachers apply to check whether students receive sufficient language input, to
reflect if teachers use the right teaching approach and didactic methods.

3. Three most important difficulties in preparing tests in my class: design an

appropriate test for the whole class (mixed-level class); lack of time for
comprehensive tests (full 4 skills); communicate with students about the
importance of the test (most of them are quite nervous when it comes to
examination.)

4. I am currently managing to overcome such difficulties.

TYPES AND PURPOSES OF TESTS
Approaches to Language Testing:
1. Discrete-point and Integrative Testing:
+ Discrete-point: Each of language component parts can be tested separately
and successfully (listening, speaking, reading, writing)
+ Integrative: combine many language elements in a test/task (cloze test or
dictation)

2. Communicative Language Testing: arose from a quest for authenticity to center

on learner’ communicative performance => language learners are expected to
perform real-world tasks.
Ex: CEFR (to provide a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses,
examinations, and textbooks, by describing in a comprehensive way what
language learners have to learn to do in order to use a language effectively for
communication)

Test types:

Norm-referenced testing Criterion-referenced testing

Definition Placement of test takers in Learner is assessed purely

rank order
Test takers are compared to No comparison between test
each other takers

Purpose Distribute scarce resources Make an instructional

decision

Grading Numerical score (ex. 8/10) No normal distribution of

Percentile rank (ex. 90%) scores

Examples The SAT test

 IQ test

Principle Reliability Dependability

Approaches to classroom assessment:

1. Assessment for Learning:
Process: + teachers establish educational goals and objectives
+ construct activities and task to move learners towards those goals and
objectives
+ evaluate outcomes
During the cycle, learners need to be motivated by being aware of what they
have learned as well as what and how they achieve next.

* Self- and peer-assessment => help learners to develop a clear picture of their
own learning goals compared to their current performance
=> learners should be trained to rate their own work and their peers’ , as well

2. Dynamic assessment: based on Vygotsky’s ZPD