LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES AND ISSUESMauricio Arroba

January 27th, 2014.

PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF ECUADOR

OBJECTIVES

1. Assessment vs. testing2. Five basic principles of LA3. Identify genres of tests4. Historical development and current

issues on LA5. Large-scale standardized tests: TOELF6. Critical nature of testing: Ethics

ASSESSMENT VS. TESTING

Test

Assessment

ASSESSMENT VS. TESTING

Free-assessment

Assessment

Testing

Formal Assessment

Informal Assessment

PRINCIPLES

1. Practicality

2. Reliability

3. Validity

Content validity Face validity Construct validity

PRINCIPLES

4. Authenticity

5. Washback

KINDS OF TESTS

1. Proficiency test

2. Diagnostic test

3. Placement test

4. Achievement test

5. Aptitude test

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN LANGUAGE TESTING

1950

1970 and 1980

Today

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN LANGUAGE TESTING

Discrete pointIntegrative testing method

Cloze tests Dictation

CURRENT ISSUES IN LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

1. Large-scale language proficiency testing

2. Authenticity

3. Performance based assessment

4. Challenges from innovative theoriesof intelligence

5. Expanding alternatives in classroom basedassessment

6. Ethical issues: Critical language assessment

ACTION