PPT 5.1.

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
Module 5
Group K-W-L Chart
Before the
module:

Please fill in the

first two columns
After the module:

Please fill in the

last column
 KWL
what you what you want what you
know to know learnt
 In this module you will learn:
1. Introduction to Language Assessment
a. What is a language assessment
b. Assessment of Learning (AoL) and Assessment for Learning (AfL)
c. What to test?
d. Characteristics of a good test
2. AoL for Receptive skills (Listening and Reading)
a. ToS of Listening and Reading Skills
b. Building Listening and Reading Test Questions
3. AoL for Productive skills (Speaking and Writing)
a. ToS of Speaking and Writing Skills
b. Building Speaking and Writing Test Questions
c. Building Speaking and Writing Test Questions (cont)
4. Key components & Stages of AfL
a. Conferencing
b. Observation
c. Portfolio
d. Self and Peer Assessment

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LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE
ASSESSMENT

Session 1
 In this session you will learn:
a. What is a language assessment
b. Assessment of Learning (AoL) and
Assessment for Learning (AfL)
c. What to test?
d. Characteristics of a good test
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

What is language assessment

Activity 1
PPT 5.1.1
 By the end of the activity, you will
be able to:

• define language assessment

• use appropriate terminologies in defining &
talking about language assessment
• comprehend the purposes of language
assessment.

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 brainstorming
1. What assessment concepts do you know?
2. Which assessment types enhance learning?
Why?
3. Which types have you experienced so far?
4. Do you think assessment can improve her/his
teaching?
How can we compare assessment to a
Swiss army knife? Explain. 11
 Assessment purposes
• To measure development
• To diagnose where learners are
• To measure proficiency
• To gain feedback on our teaching
• To give feedback to our learners
• To report to external bodies for evaluation, monitoring
• To certify language proficiency
• To regulate entrance to programmes (high stakes)
• To compare learners
• To maintain standards
 Activating Your
Schemata

1. When you were a student, did you ever take a test/exam

which had questions about topics you had not been
taught? How did you feel?

2. As a teacher, have you ever included in a test/exam

questions about topics you did not teach? Why?/Why not?
Alignment of assessment with learning (from Katz, 2012, p. 71) in
The Cambridge Guide to Second Language Assessment

Learning objective Classroom activity Assessment tool

Student will be able to Students will create flash Two parts:

develop and maintain a cards from their own A. Students will race against
“lexical” vocabulary notebooks using lexical clock to see how many
notebook chunks. On one side is the cards they can name in a
chunk, on the other is a minute. Every week,
picture or mnemonic they will measure against
device. their previous score and
the score of their peers.
B. Students will fill in a self-
assessment form.
 Constructive Alignment Outcomes and
objectives can be
found in syllabus
or curriculum
documents
… is concerned with the
alignment of learning outcomes
… student learning required to
achieve these [teaching method],
and assessment of the student
activities to demonstrate the
degree to which the outcomes
have been achieved (Biggs 2011)

Source: labspace.open.ac.uk
 Assessment Literacy

The typical teacher spends a third to half of his/her professional time (Herman and
Dorr-Bremme, 1982; Stiggins and Conklin, 1992; Cheng 2001)

Only half of teacher education programs include a course on assessment skills and the
50 percent that do include any assessment don’t cover the skills completely (Schafer
1993).

Teachers’ assessment and evaluation practices as largely incongruent with recommended

best practice (Galluzzo 2005).
Source: The Cambridge Guide to Second Language Assessment, p. 20 16
 What does it mean to be “assessment literate”?

Being assessment literate means “knowing appropriate testing

practices, acquiring a wide range of assessment techniques and
utilizing tests that accurately assess higher order concepts”
(Hoyt, 2005, as cited in Rogier, 2009)

Please complete the anonymous Assessment Literacy Survey on

Moodle to find out how assessment literate you are. Please do
this by Monday, 2 November.

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 What does it mean to be “assessment literate”?

Being assessment literate means “knowing appropriate testing

practices, acquiring a wide range of assessment techniques and
utilizing tests that accurately assess higher order concepts”
(Hoyt, 2005, as cited in Rogier, 2009)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/user/sign-in/
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 References
• Ainslee, S. 2004. Measuring Learning. In Harnisch H. & Swanton P. (Eds.)
Adults learning languages: A CILT guide to good practice. 93-112.
• •Brown, A. 1994. Book Review Evaluation by Rea-Dickens & Germaine. In
RELC Journal (25), 137-140.
• •Dlaska, A. & Krekeler, C. 2009. Sprachtests im Fremdsprachenunterricht.
Hohengehren: Schneider.
• •Douglas, D. 2010. Understanding Language Testing. London: Hodder.
• •Lynch B. 2003. Language assessment and programme evaluation.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
• •Mann, S. 2004. Evaluation. In Harnisch H. & Swanton P. (Eds.) Adults
learning languages: A CILT guide to good practice. 113-129.
• •Rea-Dickens, P. & Germaine, K. 1992. Evaluation. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
 URLs
• http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/
2_learntch/briefing_papers/
methods_assessment.pdf
• http://www.ealta.eu.org/guidelines.htm