GROUP 5

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
I. Principles & Issues
II. Class-based Assessment
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
I. Principles & Issues:
1. Definition
2. Principles of Language Assessment
3. Kinds of Tests
4. Issues in Language Assessment
1. DEFINITION:

- Test & Assessment

- Formal & Informal

Assessment
 A test is a method of Assessment is an ongoing
process that encompasses a
measuring a person’s ability
much wider domain.
or knowledge in a given Assessments can be incidental
domain. or intentional.
● time-constrained
● carefully design and draw EX: Written work - from a
jotted-down phrase to a formal
on limited behaviors
essay, Reading and listening
● identifiable scoring methods activities with productive
● administrative procedures performance
● systematically measure ● Tests are subsets of
student performance assessment
 Informal Assessment Formal Assessment
Informal assessment
Formal assessment
● Incidental, unplanned
comments and ● Systematic, planned
responses
exercises or procedures
● Embedded in classroom
tasks ● Give teacher and student
● Elicit performance an appraisal of student
without recording results
and making fixed achievement
judgments
Is formal assessment the same as
a test?
2. PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE
ASSESSMENT
1. Practicality
2. Reliability
3. Validity
4. Authenticity
5. Washback
1. Practicality

Norm-referenced
Criterion-referenced
2. Reliability
Test reliability
The administration of a test
Student-related reliability
Rater (or scorer) reliability
3. Validity
Content validity
Face validity
Construct validity
4. Authenticity
5. Washback
 3. KINDS OF TESTS:
• According to test purpose (or use for
which they are intended)
1. Proficiency Tests
2. Diagnostic Tests
3. Placement Tests
4. Achievement Tests
5. Aptitude Tests
1. Proficiency Tests:
2. Diagnostic Tests:
3. Placement Tests:
4. Achievement Tests:
5. Aptitude Tests:
4. ISSUES IN LANGUAGE
ASSESSMENT
 Trends and changing in practice
Sociolinguistic and
- Behavioral psychology
- Structural linguistics Sociocultural
communicative, authentic,
Discrete point testing performance-based
assessment

the mid-twentieth
century
1970s - 1980s 1980s - 1990s present

integrative communicative
view of testing language testing
communicative approach
 Issues
1. Large-Scale Tests of Language Ability
2. Authenticity
3. Performance-Based Assessment
4. Expanding the “IQ” Concept of Intelligence
5. Alternatives in Classroom-Based Assessment
6. The “Social Turn” and Language Assessment
7. Critical Language Assessment
 Issues
1. Large-scale Tests of Language Ability
 Practicality issues
- Cost
- The security of items and forms
- Real-world language tasks yet allow for
High stakes computer-based scoring
standardized
tests  Validity issues
 Authenticity issues
 Accomplishments?
 Issues
2. Authenticity

 Can be complex and lack

practicality
Authentic tasks  Reliability issues
-> difficult to create and to evaluate
 Issues
3. Performance-Based Assessment
• Performance-based testing involve:  Practicality
(focus on authenticity)
- Open-ended problem solving tasks issues
- Hands-on projects  Time-consuming
- Student portfolios and journals
- Experiments  Expensive
- Tasks in various genres of writing
- Group projects
Performance-based testing -> High validity
 Issues
4. Expanding the “IQ” Concept of Intelligence
• Multiple intelligences:
Inter- and Intra-personal, Spatial,
Kinesthetic, Contextual, and
Emotional intelligences  Multiple language skills,
learning processes
• Teachers are freed from
exclusive reliance on timed,  Social consequences
discrete-point, analytical tests
 Issues
5. Alternatives in Classroom-Based Assessment

- Performance-based  time-consuming
assessment  high cost
- Classroom-based  teachers’ knowledge and
assessment effort
 Issues
5. Alternatives in Classroom-Based Assessment
 Issues
6. The “Social Turn” and Language Assessment

Agency (people’s  personal and social

ability to make transformation
choices, take control,  the social consequences of
self-regulate) test use
 Issues
7. Critical Language Assessment:

• An abuse of power

• Political context

• Culture bias
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
II. Class-based Assessment
1. Definition
2. Some Practical Steps to Test Construction
(Designing a Test)
3. Transforming and Adapting Existing Tests
4. Alternative Assessment
 I. DEFINITION:
NORM-REFERENCED CRITERION-REFERENCED
Test takers are evaluated Test takers are evaluated on
against the group where the specific information typically
mean/median/standard presented in a course.
deviation/percentile rank are Evaluating by criteria, the
quality of performance does
identified.
not depend on how high or
low the capacity of others is,
but on how high and low the
person being evaluated
compares to specific criteria.
II. SOME PRACTICAL STEPS TO TEST
CONSTRUCTION (DESIGNING A TEST)
1. Test toward clear, unambiguous objectives
2. From your objectives, draw up test specifications
3. Draft your test
4. Pilot the test in a “Trial Run”
5. Revise your test

6. Finalize the test

7. Utilize your feedback after administering the test

8. Provide ample washback

 Objectives need to be clearly
1. Test toward
clear, defined, measurable and doable
unambiguous objectives that are in a context
objectives and can be tested in the
assessment being created.
 Test specifications include a description of
· The test
· The item types, tasks, skills to be used
2. From your
· How the test will be scored
objectives,
· How the score will be reported
draw up test
Specifications should also include:
specifications
· Detailed definitions for each item type (multiple
choices, matching,...)
· Simple and clearly understood directions
· Rubrics or some evaluative scheme
 1. Are the directions to each section absolutely clear?
2. Is there an example item for each section?
3. Does each item measure a specified objective?
4. Is each item stated in clear, simple language?
5. Does each multiple-choice item have appropriate
3. Draft distractors; that is, are the wrong items clearly wrong
your test and yet sufficiently “alluring” that they aren’t
ridiculously easy?
6. Is the difficulty of each item appropriate for your
students?
7. Is the language of each item sufficiently authentic?
8. Do the sum of the ites and the test as a whole
adequately reflect the learning objectives?
 ADMINISTERING THE TEST
4. Pilot the test in 1. Provide pretest considerations
a “Trial Run” 2. Offer a review-checklist
3. Offer a Q and A
5. Revise your 4. Teachers: arrive early and prep
test the room, AV, materials
5. Give the test; if time,, notify
6. Finalize the test students of remaining time
6. Be accessible for questions
7. Utilize your
 Take note off these students’
feedback after
administering information feedback and use
the test
them for making the next test
  Your feedback should reflect
the principles of beneficial
8. Provide
washback
ample
washback  Use the information from the
test performance as a
springboard for review and/or
for moving on to the next unit
 III. TRANSFORMING AND ADAPTING
EXISTING TESTS
1. Facilitate Strategic Options for Tests-Takers
2. Establish Face Validity
3. Design authentic task
4. Distinguish between Summative and Formative
Assessment
5. Work for beneficial washback
1. Facilitate Strategic Options for Tests-Takers

“Bias for best” (Swain, 1984):

+ design
+ prepare Elicit the best
+ administer performance of students
+ evaluate tests

 Before-, During-, and After-test strategies

 Before-test During-test After-test
+ Give students + Tell students to + Include specific
information about look over the test to feedback.
the test. get a general view + Advise students
+ Encourage of its different to pay attention
students to do a parts. about the test
systematic review + Remind students results.
material. the time needed for + Encourage
+ Give students each part. questions from
practice tests or + Alert students a students.
exercises. few minutes before
the test ending
 2. Establish Face Validity
● Provide a well-thought-out format.
● Make sure the test can be completed within the time limit.
● Design items that are clear and uncomplicated.
● Make all your directions crystal clear.
● Design tasks that are familiar and relate to students’ course
work.
● Measure a difficulty level that is appropriate for students.
 3. Design authentic task
• Make the language in the test as natural and
authentic as possible.

• Give language some context.

• The form of the tasks in the test must be familiar with

students and comfortable for them.
 4. Distinguish between FA & SA
Formative Assessment Summative Assessment
take place during the learning take place after the learning
process process

monitor students’ learning evaluate students’ learning

a process of assessment a product of assessment
used by students and teachers used by teachers

not graded (or low stakes) always graded

 ● Not just give a number or
5. Work for beneficial
grade or phrase. Try to
respond to as many details
washback
in the test as time permits.
● Give praise for strengths,
washback and constructive criticism for
weaknesses.
● Give strategic hints for
students to improve their
positive negative
performance.

emphasize
IV. ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
 1. Portfolios

2. Journals
Alternative 3. Conference
assessment
4. Observation

5. Self – and Peer –

Assessment
 1. Portfolios:

● A portfolio is “a purposeful collection of students’

work that demonstrates to students and others their
efforts, progress, and achievements in given areas”
(Genesee & Upshur, 1996, p. 99).
● Learners of all ages and in all fields of study
 Portfolios include:
Essays Art work
Compositions Video
Poetry Audio
Book reports recordings
……..
 2. Journals

●Opportunities for learners to write

relatively freely without undue concern
for grammaticality
 Purposes:

language grammar responses to

learning logs discussions readings

reflections on attitudes
self-
and feelings about
assessment
oneself
 Journal writing:

Recently, the assessment qualities of

journal writing have assumed an
important role in the teaching–learning
process
 a routine part of 3. Conference
language
classrooms,
especially courses in
writing

can be in-person/
by nature formative
computer-based.

Teacher :
a facilitator and guide
not to be graded
=> encourage students’ self-
reflection.
 4. Observations

TEACHER:

observe
Intuitively Offer
student’s
assessing it feedback
performance
Without
administering a test
or a quiz

Naturalness of linguistic
performance : maximized
How To Carry Out Classroom Observation?

● Why you are observing?

● What you are observing?
● How you will observe (what system)?
● How you will convey your perceptions to your
students?
5. Self- and Peer-Assessments
● Formative assessment

● https://education.nsw.gov.au
Peer assessment Self-assessment
reflecting on the work of reflecting on their efforts
their peers
against success criteria applying success criteria
related to a learning goal related to a learning goal
providing constructive identifying improvements
feedback and adjusting their work

positively contribute to student learning and

achievement
 Advantages: Disadvantages
● speed
● subjectivity
● direct involvement of
students ● unreliability
● the encouragement of
autonomy
=> be considered
● increased motivation
carefully
 THANKS FOR LISTENING

GROUP 5
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
I. Principles & Issues
II. Class-based Assessment
References
Brown – Teaching by principles - An interactive approach to
language pedagogy (4th) (2015)