Language testing

Language testing

1. Definitions

   • 1. Methodology for probing and investigating language ability.
   • 2. Tool for language teaching to set goals for teachers and lerarners.
   • 3. Methodology for experimenting and investigating both language teaching and language acquisition.

2. Key concepts

   • Language proficiency: Assessment of language knowledge. Spolsky (2001)
   • Assessment: A systematic process of documenting and using empirical data on the knowledge, skill, attitudes, and beliefs to refine programs and improve student learning.
   • Validity: What is to be tested. Davis (1990)
   • Reliability: How the testing is going to be done. Davis (1990)
   • Test: Measurement instruments designed to elicit specific behavior, directly and indirectly. Shohamy (2001a)

3. Major purposes of testing

   • Competitive selection device
   • Indicators of quality of education systems
   • Process of certifying that an individual has achieved a specific level of technical or professional skill
   • Prediction or prognosis of the probable results of training
   • An integral part of good teaching

4. Common uses

   • 1. To pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in the learned abilities of students.
     • 2. To decide who should be allowed to participate in a particular program.
       • 3. To make decisions about people´s lives

5. History

   • 1977: Theoretical view of language skills and components. Large scale and quantitative statistical research.
   • 1979: More emphasis on communicative competence. Qualitative aspects such as discoursal and sociolinguistics ones.
   • 80´s: Aspects as aptitude, affect, field dependence, academic discipline where added to the theoretical view and the discourse domined the scene.
   • 90´s: Computer technology was included and test of large scale were possible. It were focussed on nature of language, language use,

6. Movements (Brown 1996)

   • Pre - scientific
     • 1. No special expertise in testing is required. 2. Lack of statistical considerations. 3. Translation tests. Problems with objectivity.
   • Psychometric structuralist
     • 1. Scientific, reliable and precise. 2. Objective mesures and statistical techniques. 3.Systematic acquisition of a set of habits
   • Integrative - Sociolinguistics
     • 1. Generativism and psychologist toward cognition. 2. Sum of discrete elements. 3. Lnaguage is creative. 4. Demands of language. 5. Communicative approach.
   • The Unitary - Trait Hypotesis
     • 1. Skills, components and discrete points are not distinguishibles. 2. Analysis by sistheses. 3. Expentancy grammar. 4. Natural language. 5. G- factor