English Language Testing and Assessment
English Language Testing and Assessment
Testing measures the level of skill or knowledge that has been reached. Evaluation is the process of
making judgments based on criteria and evidence. Assessment is the process of documenting knowledge,
skills, attitudes and beliefs, usually in measurable terms.
Language testing is a large area of testing that evaluates several elements of a person's ability to comprehend and
communicate in a certain language. Language testing is used for a number of purposes. Language testing can be
used in academic contexts to assess a student's present abilities or development for the purpose of academic
placement. Language testing can be useful in professional contexts.
Language testing is the practice and study of determining an individual's competency in utilizing a language.
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
4. Why is language assessment necessary and what are the underlying principles which govern it?
Assessment of language learning serves one of two functions: either to measure learners' proficiency without
reference to a language course, or to measure the extent to which they have achieved the goals of a particular
program of learning.
Exercise 2 Craft a 10 item language assessment test reflecting assessment for learning. Then briefly describe how can these
item be transformed into language assessment as and of learning.
VII. ASSIGNMENT Copy a sample of language test and identify the following:
Aptitude Test
Diagnostic Test
Placement & Achievement Test
Achievement Test
Proficiency Test
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INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: ELSC5 - First Sem2021-2022
Aptitude Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Placement & Achievement Tests
Skill-Specific Types of Language Testing
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
An assessment method is defined as the philosophical or pedagogical approach to assessing. For example, written
assessment or practical assessment, formative or summative assessment.
Assessment tools are used for different assessment methods and are more specific. For example, posters, essays,
exams, interviews etc., and can be used across a number of assessment methods. Also, the tools used to mark
assessments, e.g., rubrics can be considered as assessment tools.
Assessment is authentic when we directly examine student performance on worthy intellectual tasks.
Traditional assessment, by contract, relies on indirect or proxy 'items'–efficient, simplistic substitutes from
which we think valid inferences can be made about the student's performance at those valued challenges.
Direct Testing:
Testing is said to be direct when the student is required to perform directly the skill which we wish to measure, e.g.
we ask students to write compositions if we want to know how well they can write compositions and we ask them to
speak if we want to know how well they can pronounce a language.
Indirect Testing:
Indirect testing attempts to measure the abilities which underlie the skills in which we are interested. E.g. we test
pronunciation ability by asking students to identify pairs of words which rhyme with each other.
Objective Testing:
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VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: ELSC5 - First Sem2021-2022
It doesn’t require judgement on the part of the scorer because scoring here is objective. It won’t change even if the
scorer has been changed. Multiple choice test is an example of this kind of tests.
It refers to the testing of one element at a time, item by item. This kind of testing is always indirect. Each testing
involves a particular item. Testing particular grammatical structures is an example of this kind of testing.
Integrative Testing:
It includes many language elements in the completion of a task. It might involve writing a composition, taking notes
while listening to a text and completing a cloze passage.
Norm-Referenced Testing:
This kind of testing relates one student’s performance to that of other students. We don’t say that student is capable
of doing well in the language but we say the student gained a score that placed him/her in the top five students who
have taken the same test.
Criterion-Referenced Testing:
The purpose of this kind of testing is to classify students according to whether they are able to perform some tasks
satisfactorily. Who performs the tasks satisfactorily ‘pass’, those who don’t, ‘fail’. We measure students’ progress in
relation to meaningful criteria.
3. Which among the indirect assessment techniques do you think to be more practical to use. Support your answer.
Exercise 2 . Describe the types of assessment and the kinds of test by filling out the matrix below.
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Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: ELSC5 - First Sem2021-2022
goals and objectives of Integrated within learning activities
the initiative and themselves, educative assessment builds
determine if a formal student (and faculty) insight and
evaluation is warranted at understandings about their own learning
this point in time or even
and teaching.
whether the initiative is
ready to be evaluated.
4.Diagnostic Assessment Diagnostic assessments are Diagnostic assessment examples
intended to help teachers include pre-assessment tests that give
identify what students know you a snapshot of or diagnose
and can do in different knowledge to screen students. For
domains to support their instance, if a teacher wants to start a
students' learning. These lesson on two-digit multiplication with
kinds of assessments may young pupils, they can use diagnostic
help teachers determine what assessment to make sure the lesson is
students understand in order delivered well.
to build on the students'
strengths and address their
specific needs,
5. Norm-referenced tests (NRT) What is the purpose of norm- The SAT, ACT, and others are norm-
referenced tests? referenced tests used in college
admissions. Program-specific entrance
Most commonly, norm- exams such as the LSAT for law school
referenced tests use a national can also be norm-referenced.
peer group. The key goal of
these tests is to compare one
student's performance to
others in a predetermined
peer group. Students take an
assessment. Teachers can then
analyze their scores to learn
more about the students'
performance.
Kinds of Test
Based on Purposes/
Response/ Orientation
and The Way to Test
direct test items is to be A test is said to be direct when the test actually
1. Direct Testing:
as much like real-life as requires the candidate to demonstrate ability in the
skill being sampled. It is a performance test. For
possible. Often, direct example, if we wanted to find out if someone could
testing items are drive a vehicle, we would test this most effectively
integrative, which means by actually asking him to drive the vehicle.
that the student has to
apply several skills at
once.
2.Indirect Testing: Indirect testing attempts to we test pronunciation
measure the abilities which ability by asking students
underlie the skills in which to identify pairs of words
we are interested which rhyme with each
other.
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Republic of the Philippines NUEVA
VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: ELSC5 - First Sem2021-2022
objective. It won’t change
even if the scorer has been
changed
4.Subjective Testing: It requires judgement on the Scoring of a composition
part of the scorer because is an example of this kind
scoring here is subjective. of testing.
The grades in subjective
testing depend on the
impressions of the scorer.
Discrete Point Testing It refers to the testing of one Testing particular
element at a time, item by grammatical structures is
item. This kind of testing is an example of this kind of
always indirect. testing.
ASSIGNMENT
1.Type of Assessment
Summative Assessment
Formative Assessment
Evaluative assessment
Diagnostic Assessment
Norm-referenced tests (NRT)
Performance-based assessments
Selective response assessment
Authentic assessment
Criterion-referenced tests
Written and Oral Assessment
2.Kind of test
1. Direct Testing:
2. Indirect Testing
3. Objective Testing:
4. Subjective Testing:
5. Discrete Point Testing
6. Integrative Testing:
7. Norm-Referenced Testing:
8. Criterion-Referenced Testing
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
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reproduced for educational purposes and not for commercial distribution.”
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Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: ELSC5 - First Sem2021-2022
3. Cite examples for each of the following language test techniques:
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reproduced for educational purposes and not for commercial distribution.”
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VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL
available. Dictation, another type using MODULE
this approach, was regarded solely as a means of
measuring students’ skills of listening comprehension.
IM No.: ELSC5 - First Sem2021-2022
c. Testing Objective and Subjective Testing