1. Language tests Teaching for Secondary Education Universidad Santo Toms Cecilia Maller

2. Three reasons for Lg. Tests Placement: to place ss appropriately in the program. Diagnosis: to diagnose ssproblems in L2 with accuracy. Achievement assessment: to measure achievement, if reached course/program obj. 3. + Categorizations Norm-referenced tests: Measure how a ss does compared to others on the same test. Applied on a large scale standardized. Ex. Simce, Cambridge certifications, Inicia. Criterion referencing:How well a ss has met specific objectives/ level of performance in a certain area. Ex. Drivers licence. (Pass/fail) 4. Indirect and direct testing Indirect testing: Does not test actual performance, tests enabling skills or microskills that add up to what might constitute actual performance. Ex. A test of lexical items relating to history Used to predict how well he would do in a history class with competent speakers 5. Direct testing: Tests abilities actually used in a given context. Predictions of student performance. Ex. : After a lecture ( Important ideas) - to write a summary - to write an essay expressing opinions. - to read and understand academic written discourse. - Performance tasks, performance checklist and observations. 6. Discrete Point Tests v/s Integrative Tests Discrete point tests: Examine the knowledge of specific elements in phonology, grammar, and vocabulary in order to determine proficiency in the 4 skills. ex.: Difference between pill and bill? Past tense from present progressive 7. Integrative tests: Examine a sss ability to use many skills simultaneously to accomplish a task. Exs. Can the student *answer a questions that is typical of conversation? * Tell a story ( understandable) * Write an effective letter? 8. Important to consider Tests that are integrative: both in task and in evaluation: great for indicating the proficiency levels of ss. Tests that are integrative in task and discrete point in evaluation may be best used for Diagnostic purposes. 9. Pragmatic tests John Oller, Jr ( 1979) These tests may include: Dictation Cloze procedures ( supply missing words) Paraphrase recognition Question answering 10. Oral interviews Essay writing Narration Translation. *Ss who do well on one pragmatic test will also tend to do well on others. * These tests seem to provide the most reliable, valid and usable approach to the measurement of lg. ability. 11. Determining Placement If our purpose is to divide ss according to proficiency levels( beginning, interm. and advanced), there is need of a combination of: Listening comprehension tasks Oral interview Some informal writing Reading interpretation or paraphrasing section.