Task 1

B. Language Testing and Evaluation

I . Principles Of Language Testing And Evaluation
List any THREE of the basic principles of language testing and briefly describe
each of the principles

THE PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE TESTING
A test is a tool used by a teacher to measure a students ability or knowledge in
a given domain. Tests under examination conditions with invigilators are called
formal test. However, formal tests are not the only kinds of test. Informal tests
goes on all the time. Teachers makes observations and assess students
performances in speaking, listening, reading and writing through out the lesson.
Brown (2004:30) clarifies that the five principles of language testing including
validity, reliability, practically, washback and authenticity provide useful guide for
evaluating an existing test procedure.
1. VALIDITY
Validity is the most important principle. A test is said to be valid if it really
measure what it supposed to measure. ( Kelly,1927:14; Henning, 1987:89).
The extent to which the assessment requires students to perform tasks
that were included in the previous classroom lessons. Validity can be
simply defined : A test is valid if it measure what we intend to measure.
Thus for example, if our test is intended to measure writing ability in
English language, and the score systematically higher or lower due to their
writing ability, then the test is valid.

There are many different of validity. The table below shows the main
types of validity and their brief explanations.
Face validity

the extent to which a test seems valid by test takers or
untrained observers or the test looks as though it measures
what it is supposed to measure.

Content
Validity

the extent to which the content of a test can be said to be
sufficiently representative and comprehensive of the
purpose for which it has been designed or the test
assesses the course content and outcomes using formats
familiar to the students.

Construct
Validity

the extent to which evidence can be found to support the
underlying theoretical construct on which the test is
based or refers to the overall construct or trait being
measured or the "fit" between the underlying theories and
methodology of language learning and the type of
assessment.

Criterion-
related validity

The extent to which the objectives of the test have been
measured or assessed. In other words, the test is valid if
the objectives taught are the objectives tested and the
items are actually testing this objectives.

Consequential
validity

The effect of test score on test takers and on subsequent
teaching.

Concurrent
validity

the extent to which test takers' scores on one test relate
to those on another externally recognised test or
measure
Response
Validity

the extent to which test takers respond in the way
expected by the test developers


2. REABILITY

Reliability refers to the consistency of test scores. It simply means that a
test would give similar results if it were given at another time. This means
that a test would always rank-order a group of test takers in nearly the
same way. The more reliable a test, the less random error it contains. A
test which contains systematic error, e.g bias against a certain group, may
be reliable but not valid.

The important of reliability in a language test is noted by Harris (1969:14)
who argues that in terms of the stability of test scores, if the test does not
measure consistency, it cannot measure anything well.

According to Mousavi (2002:804), there are 4 types of reliability involved
in a language test :
i. Student-related reliability Changes within the learners like
additional learning or forgetting and influence such as fatigue,
sickness, anxiety, emotional problems may cause the learners
score to deviate from the score that reflects his or her actual ability.
ii. Rater reliability - Human error, subjectivity, and bias may enter into
the scoring process and affect the reliability of the tests result.
iii. Test administration reliability - deals with the conditions in which
the test is administered such as street noise outside the building ,
bad equipment , room temperature, the conditions of chairs and
tables, photocopying variation.
iv. Test reliability test format and content of the questions and time
given for test takers may affect test reliability.

Three important factors effect test reliability. Test factors such as the
formats and content of the questions and the length of the exam must be
consistent. For example, testing research shows that longer exams
produce more reliable results than very brief quizzes. Administrative
factors are also important for reliability. These include the classroom
setting (lighting, seating arrangements, acoustics, lack of intrusive noise
etc.) and how the teacher manages the exam administration. Affective
factors in the response of individual students can also affect reliability.
Test anxiety can be allayed by coaching students in good test-taking
strategies.


3. PRACTICALITY

Practicality, clarified by Brown (2004:19), denotes that an effective test :
Is not excessively expensive
Stays within appropriate time constraints
Is relatively easy to administer and
Has a scoring / evaluation procedure that is specific and time efficient.
Classroom teachers are well familiar with practical issues, but they need
to think of how practical matters relate to testing. A good classroom test
should be "teacher-friendly". A teacher should be able to develop,
administer and mark it within the available time and with available
resources. Classroom tests are only valuable to students when they are
returned promptly and when the feedback from assessment is understood
by the student. In this way, students can benefit from the test-taking
process. Practical issues include time, resources (everything from
computer access, copying facilities, AV equipment to storage space), and
administrative logistics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Principles of language Assessment www.yesdil.com
Principles of language testing. Retrived from http://www.h2g2.com/approved_entry/A1297910



















Task 1
B. Language Testing and Evaluation
II. Purpose Of Testing
Testing is an unavoidable part of teaching and learning process. After
certain period of learning, a test has to be conducted. In language testing,
test is used as a measurement tool to find out someones ability in
language learning. For the test makers, test can be an evaluation to see
the teachers ability in teaching whether they should change their
teaching system or continue their method.

The most common use of language tests is to identify strengths and
weaknesses in students abilities. For example, through testing we can
discover that a student has excellent oral abilities but a relatively low level
of reading comprehension. Information gleaned from tests also assists us
in deciding who should be allowed to participate in a particular course or
program area. Another common use of tests is to provide information
about the effectiveness of programs of instruction. A useful test which can
measure someones ability must provide reliable and valid measurement
for a variety purposes.

1. Diagnosis and feedback
Diagnosis test is used to determine a person's strengths and weaknesses
in order to improve performance. This test is either theory or syllabus
based. Language teachers always know that diagnosing their students
strengths and weaknesses early in classes so that they can decide how to
gear the instruction to be most appropriate for the students in that class or
at least help them plan class activities appropriate for the general skill
levels of the class as a whole.

Diagnostic approaches
Identify strengths and weaknesses in a learners knowledge or use of
language
Have a focus on weaknesses that leads to remediation in further
instruction
Enable detailed analysis and a report of responses to items or tasks
Provide feedback that can be acted upon
Are based on content covered in instructionor content soon-to-be
covered
Are less likely to be authentic then are proficiency tests; more likely to
be discrete-point,

2. Screening and Selection

In function of a test is to help test maker to make decision of whether
someone is allowed to participate in one institution or not. The selection
decision is made by determining who will be the most benefit from
instruction, to reach mastery of language and to become the useful
practitioner to the testers ability.

Screening is a method of collecting data for determining how each student
is performing in a given area. Screening reveals the low and high
performing students. In the area of language testing, a common screening
instrument is named as aptitude test. It is used to predict the success or
failure of students prospective in a language learning program.
.
3. Placement
Tests are used to identify a particular performance level of the student and
to place him or her at an appropriate level of instruction. The test content
may be based on either a theory of language proficiency or on the learning
objectives of the syllabus to be taken. Students of similar ability levels are
placed in the same group(homogeneous ability levels).

Placement tests also designed to place students in an appropriate course
for their English language level due to the students may have previous
qualifications in English. This information helps the teachers to decide on
their teaching focus. For example, when students enter a given institution
from outside: the students may have previous qualifications in English, but
the institution wishes to make its own assessment of their ability based on
the levels/classes offered in the institution.

4. Program Evaluation

Another important use of tests especially achievement test, is to find out
the effectiveness of program of an institution. If the results of these tests
are used to modify the learning program to better needs of the students.
This process is termed formative evaluation .The final examination is
administrated as part of the process which is called summative evaluation.

5. Providing research Criteria

The score of the test is provide the information as a standard value for
another context research. The result of a test to be a research. Then this
research will be essential information to other research.


Desmond Allison,Language testing and evaluation an introductory course,
Singapore university press, 1999
books.google.com.my/books?isbn=9971692260..

Example:
i. UPSR- placement / SPM,STPM - Screening and Selection/ MTEST-
Assessing Attitude& Aptitude