Understanding Language Testing

by Douglas,Dan

• ISBN13: 9780340983430
• ISBN10: 0340983434
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781444166880
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-25
• Publisher: Routledge
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Understanding Language Testing presents an introduction to language tests and the process of test development that starts at the very beginning. Assuming no knowledge of the field, the book promotes a practical understanding of language testing using examples from a variety of languages. While grounded on solid theoretical principles, the book focuses on fostering a true understanding of the various uses of language tests and the process of test development, scoring test performance, analyzing and interpreting test results, and above all, using tests as ethically and fairly as possible, and feel positive about their language learning. Each chapter includes a summary, suggestions for further reading, and exercises. As such this is the ideal book for both beginning students of linguistics and languge education, or anyone in a related discipline looking for a first introduction to language testing.

Author Biography

Dan Douglas is Professor of TESL and Applied Linguistics, Iowa State University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. x
Preface	p. xi
Introduction: the rubber ruler	p. 1
Why test language learning?	p. 1
What is a language test?	p. 2
What are the properties of measuring devices?	p. 2
The rubber ruler	p. 3
Tests, measurement and evaluation	p. 5
Evaluation without measurement	p. 5
Measurement without a test	p. 5
Tests	p. 6
Ethical uses of language tests	p. 9
Reliability	p. 10
Validity	p. 10
Further reading	p. 13
Exercises	p. 13
Measuring language ability and making decisions	p. 17
Measuring language ability	p. 17
Making decisions about learners, teachers, programmes, and policies	p. 19
Contexts of language use	p. 20
Contextual features	p. 21
Authenticity	p. 24
Making valid interpretations of test performance	p. 26
Consistency of measurement	p. 26
Validity: evidence for interpretations of test performance	p. 29
Conclusion: bias for best	p. 34
Further reading	p. 35
Exercises	p. 35
Test development	p. 38
What do I need to test? Needs analysis	p. 38
Define the purpose of the test	p. 40
Conduct a preliminary investigation	p. 40
Collect primary data	p. 40
Collect secondary data	p. 42
Analyse target language use task and language characteristics	p. 44
How am I going to test language abilities? Turning target language use tasks into test tasks	p. 48
Developing a test task	p. 48
Developing a blueprint for the test	p. 49
Options for test tasks	p. 49
How am I going to give the test? Test administration	p. 54
Test environment	p. 54
Personnel	p. 54
Procedures	p. 55
Scoring	p. 55
How can my computer assist me in test development? Computer-based tools	p. 56
Hot Potatoes	p. 57
Moodle	p. 60
WebCT	p. 60
Conclusion	p. 63
Further reading	p. 64
Exercises	p. 64
Alternatives in assessment	p. 67
Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests	p. 67
Communicative language tests	p. 69
'General' and 'specific purpose' language tests	p. 70
Discrete-point and integrative tests	p. 70
Formative and summative assessment	p. 72
Alternative approaches to assessment	p. 73
Conference assessments	p. 74
Portfolio assessment	p. 74
Self- and peer-assessments	p. 75
Task-based and performance assessment	p. 76
Dynamic assessment	p. 79
Summary	p. 80
Conclusion	p. 80
Further reading	p. 81
Exercises	p. 81
By the numbers: a statistics mini-course	p. 85
Introduction	p. 85
Normal distribution	p. 87
The average or mean	p. 88
Standard deviation	p. 90
Standard deviation as a unit of measurement	p. 92
Correlation	p. 93
Probability and statistical significance	p. 97
The t-test of the difference between two averages	p. 99
Analysis of variance	p. 101
Reliability	p. 104
Split-half method	p. 105
Internal consistency method	p. 106
Standard error of measurement	p. 108
The reliability of human raters	p. 110
Conclusion	p. 111
Further reading	p. 112
Exercises	p. 113
Technology and language testing	p. 115
Introduction	p. 115
Issues in technology and language testing	p. 116
Technology and test taker attitudes	p. 117
Language performance and different media	p. 117
Technology and the construct to be measured	p. 118
Technology and assessment tasks	p. 118
The limits of automated scoring	p. 119
Technology and language task types	p. 119
Listening tasks	p. 119
Integrated listening and speaking tasks	p. 122
Writing tasks	p. 124
Reading tasks	p. 125
The promise and threats of automated scoring	p. 127
Examples of current automated scoring programs	p. 127
Concerns about automated scoring	p. 129
Test feedback and reporting	p. 131
Online and computer-based resources for statistics	p. 135
Microsoft“ Excel	p. 135
Online resources	p. 137
Conclusion	p. 139
Further reading	p. 139
Exercises	p. 140
Afterword: the rubber ruler revisited	p. 144
References	p. 146
Index	p. 153
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