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LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT I: BASIC CONCEPTS IN TEST DEVELOPMENT

Put aside the word assessment because this summary will be focused on the
word test which will talk about the criteria of how to measure a test, kinds of
tests, and a series of issues in testing which are included in formal measurement,
but before talking about those things, it is better to define what a test is.

What is a test?

A test, refers to Brown (2001) is a method used in measuring peoples ability or

knowledge in a given domain. From that definition, it can be broken down into
four major points which are method, measuring, ability, and domain. Method is a
particular way in assessing someones performance, in this case the test takers,
by considering the techniques, procedures, and items which will be included in
the instrument of assessment. Next, measuring. What should be measured is the
test takers performance on what they are being tested, in this case the ability of
the test taker like their ability in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Those
elements are what so called domain. The things or the ability that are going to be
measured is domain.
What becomes a question is that how do we know that the test we are
conducting is categorized as a good test? There are several thing to be
considered in defining a good test.

Practicality

A test can be categorized as a good test is when it is practical, meaning that it

is can be done in a proportional time, place-environment, and fee. Time, it will be
impractical if the test is held in ten hours only for measuring peoples ability
proficiency. Place, a test should be held in a comfortable place since it will affect
the result of the performance, imagine if the test is conducted in a noisy place,
the test taker will difficult to concentrate and also the test is not going well if the
participants in the class up to 500 test takers, it will be hard to pay attention to
each participant. The last things to be well considered is the fee or the cost of the
test. The test should be affordable for the test takers.
Beyond, practicality of a test can be referred to the design of the test, whether it
is a norm-referenced (the aim is to get the best result of the test, mostly used in
entering university, only the best who can enter the university) and criterionreferenced (the tester already set a number for the test takers in order to pass

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the test, it is mostly done by the teacher in assessing pupils performance due to
the academic curriculum).

Reliability

When a test is conducted in different times but still in the same subject and the
result is similar, it means that the test is reliable. Reliability is where everything
in conducting a test is consistent and dependable. Not only the test but also the
scorer of the test should be reliable. Scorer reliability cannot be separated in
defining a good test since if the scorers are not reliable then it will affect to the
result of the test. If in a test there are more than one scorer, each scorer should
rely on the same category in measuring the performance of the test takers.

Validity

When teacher want to make a test of someones speaking ability in English then
the content of the test should be directly through subset of things that can
measure speaking ability. For example, the tester should make the test takers
speak in order to know their speaking ability, otherwise, the aim of the test would
not be achieved.

Kind of Tests

There are several kinds of tests with different aims.

1. Proficiency test: to measure peoples proficiency in English. It focuses on
measuring the abilities which are listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. The example of this test is TOEFL.
2. Diagnostic test: to diagnose pupils ability in a particular concern of
language. For example, in measuring pronunciation, the points which are
supporting in knowing pupils pronunciation should be tested. Diagnose
test is mostly used for knowing students ability and lack in some parts
of a language, mostly to know their lacks so the teacher know what to
teach in the class.
3. Placement test: mostly done in a course in order to know peoples ability
in English so they will be placed in a certain level based on the result of
the test.
4. Achievement test: mostly used by the teacher in knowing students
ability after the whole sessions of teaching learning activity whether the
aims of the course have been achieved or not.

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5. Aptitude test: refers to the name, aptitude, the aim of this test is to
explore peoples aptitude in language before the course is started, in
order to know how successful the both the students and the course at

the end of the sessions.

Historical developments in language testing

There are two major methods underlie the development of language testing;
discrete points and integrative testing methods. Discrete-points test believed
that language can be broken down into elements (separating the four skills
listening, speaking, reading, writing and also the unit of language like phonology,
morphology, lexicon, syntax, and discourse). For example, in TOEFL, the test
broken down into some sections expecting that the result from all sections can
represent overall ability in English. But then, some critics arose due to emphasize
of communication, authenticity, and context era which argued that language
cannot be broken down, it should be integrated. There are two types of
integrative tests; cloze test and dictation. Cloze test integrates knowledge of
vocabulary,

grammatical

structure,

discourse

structure,

and

reading

comprehension in one shot by giving a text with some deletion usually done in
every sixth or seventh words. Dictation integrates listening, grammatical, and
discourse competencies. Still, there are problems arose, which are impractical
and the reliability of scoring criteria of cloze test does not provide an exact-word
unlike multiple choice. The next method is the unitary trait hypothesis which
serves language proficiency as indivisible elements unlike what has been stated
in discrete-points.

Large-scale language proficiency testing

The best way in conducting a test of language proficiency in large-scale is by

using communicative test which covers grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic,
and strategic competences. Yet, in conducting a writing test, it is difficult to make
the test practical since it takes times and cost.

Oral proficiency testing

Similar problems encountered in conducting an oral proficiency testing,

impractical, and also looking at the reliability and validity of the test. If the test is
conducted in small-scale, it is still possible to do one-on-one test, but here, the
scale is different, it is in a large-scale, which will take more times and more

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people to be the testers which also leads to a bigger cost of the test. Foreign
Service Institute (FSI) has offered a test called OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) for
testing oral proficiency, yet the lack of this test is that it does not show authentic
linguistics interactions since the test already set for a certain area.

Critical language testing: ethical issues

Tests are conducted based on a standard that the testers have made. For
example, in order to enter a certain university, the test takers should pass a
certain point (like TOEFL it is mostly in number 500). In this case, without people
realizing that the one who make and utilize the test are from a certain culture, it
means that there is a cultural-biased and/or monocultural belief system which
leads to an un-universal content. Still, most universities use that kind of test
since the one who make and utilize are come from superior countries.