This document discusses different types of language assessment tests and considerations in developing valid and reliable tests. It covers: 1. The key elements of a language test including practicality, reliability, and validity in measuring the intended construct. 2. The main types of language tests like proficiency, diagnostic, placement, achievement, and aptitude tests. 3. The language skills and elements that are typically measured like listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. 4. Issues in developing large-scale proficiency tests and oral tests to accurately assess test-takers' language abilities.

1. Language Assessment
A test and its criteria
Kinds of test
Elements to measure in language skills
Large-scale proficiency testing
Oral proficiency testing
Critical language testing: ethical issue

2. A test and its criteria
 A set of technique, procedure and item to measure someone’s ability or
knowledge in a given domain
 Criteria
Practicality: financial limitations, time constraints,
case of administration, scoring and interpretation
Reliability: whenever and to whoever the test is
administered, the result will remain the same
Validity: measuring what is really intended to
measure

3. Validity
 Content/logical validity: an estimate of how much a test represents every
single element of a construct
 Face validity: an estimate of whether a test appears to measure a certain
criterion
 Construct validity: an estimate to see whether a test measure the construct
adequately based on the theory

4. Kinds of test
1. Proficiency tests; e.g: TOEFL, IELTS
2. Diagnostic tests; e.g: entry or exit level
3. Placement tests; e.g: language course test
4. Achievement tests; e.g: midterm or final term tests
5. Aptitude tests; e.g: test for seeking a job

5. Elements to measure in language skills
Listening
 Testing understanding
 Questioning
 Building
 Feedback
 Summarizing
Reading
 Fluency
 Vocabulary
 Reading comprehension
 Phonics
 Phonemic awareness

6. Elements to measure in language skills
Speaking
 Grammar
 Vocabulary
 Pronunciation
 Fluency
 Comprehension
Writing
 Central ideas
 Organization
 Supporting material
 Vocabulary, expression
 Spelling, grammar, punctuation

7. Historical development in language testing
 Following the changing winds and shifting sands of methodology
 In 1950s, in the era of behaviorism and constructivism, language testing
focused on phonological, grammatical and lexical contrast
 The change leads to two language testing approaches: discrete point and
integrative testing
 Discrete point: students are only tested one thing at one time.
 Integrative testing: students are asked to use a variety of language and
skills to complete a task.

8. Large scale proficiency testing
 E.g: TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS
 Main concern: to meet communicative abilities of language users
 Direct vs indirect test
 Direct: there is no limit in designing test item, e.g: speaking test
 Indirect: multiple choice, close procedure, sentence ordering,
paraphrasing

9. Oral proficiency testing
 The most challenging part in language testing
 Requiring much more time, money and ingenuity
 Recent oral proficiency test:
 IBT TOEFL
 IELTS

10. Critical language testing: ethical issue
 Procedures of predicting, measuring and evaluating someone’s ability
 Multiple mode of test performance for test takers
 Tests are tied in particular culture and ideology
 Test-takers are political subjects