The document discusses language assessment, including defining assessment, the relationship between teaching and assessment, shifts in assessment traditions, and qualities of good language assessment. It explores the differences and similarities between assessment, evaluation, testing, and measurement. Key shifts discussed include moving from assessment of learning to assessment for learning and from product-focused to process-focused assessment. The document also notes some ways language assessment may differ from assessing other subjects, such as the elusive nature of what is being assessed and the need for context.

1. Language Assessment
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2.  Defining Assessment
 Relationship between Teaching/Learning and
Assessment
 Shifts in Assessment Tradition
 Assessing Language and Other School Subjects
 Qualities of Good Language Assessment
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3.  Discussion questions
 What is your understanding about the terms
Assessment
 How is it different and/or similar to the following
related terms?
 Evaluation
 Testing
 Measurement
 Test/exam
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4. Testing
 Eliciting or detecting the extent of presence of
specific sample of construct: behaviour, skills,
knowledge, abilities . . .
 Formal way of gathering data on sts’ learning
 done under contrived circumstances
Test /examination
 Instrument or systematic procedure designed to
detect and measure the required construct/s
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5.  Quantification (assigning numbers or labels)
 use some standard instrument to determine how
much something actually is.
 We measure to obtain information about how much.
 Obtaining numerical or qualitative description of
the individuals’ performance, attitude, ability, IQ
etc.
 broadly, refers to the set of procedures and the
principles for how to use numerical values; e.g.
using raw scores, means, percentile ranks,
derived scores, standard scores, etc.
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6.  making value judgments about the measurement
based on a standard or criteria set and making
decision e.g. Qualifying for promotion or placement
 is systematic
Measurement = testing quantitative/qualitative
data
Evaluation = Quantitative/Qualitative Data
Judgment
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7.  General (umbrella term) includes the process &
procedure used to obtain information about learners’
performance on certain constructs & making
judgements and decisions (designing the instrument,
setting criteria, measuring, evaluating and making
decisions)
 includes formal and informal ways of gathering
information (observation, interview)
 can be of high or low stake
 formative or summative
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8. Assessment
evaluation
Measurement/testing
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9.  Why do you assess your students’ Language
Performance
How do you describe the relationship between
teaching/learning and assessment?
 what are the current developments in thinking and
practice of assessment (major changes)
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10.  As separate entities
 For different purposes
 By different body
 Does not need expertise
 As an adjunct
 assessment is appended to the teaching
 issues of objectivity, reliability, validity and
practicality is not negotiable
As integral parts
 For the same purpose
 By the same body
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11. conventional (traditional) the alternative
 Assessment of Learning
 Summative (Separated)
 For judgement, selection,
certification etc.
 Objective
 De-contextualized &
atomistic
 Assessment for Learning
 Formative (Continuous
& integrated)
 For improving learning
 Subjective
 Contextualized
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12. conventional alternative
 Product assessment
 Written examinations
 Teacher-controlled
 Stored responsibility
 Opaque
 Competitive
 Process & product
assessment
 Performance assessment
 Involves learners
(negotiated)
 Shared responsibility
 Transparent
 Collaborative
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13. Is there any difference between language assessment
and assessment in other school subjects?
 If you think so, in what way/s does it differ
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14.  language is what is to be assesses and the means by
which it is assessed
 the nature of the constructs to be assessed is elusive
difficult to demarcate the difference between the
language exponents
there is high prevalence of anxiety in foreign
language classrooms
 different skills and areas need different focus of
attention
Needs context (real or simulated situation)
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15.  How do you describe good language assessment?
 What is the effect of poor assessment?
 What do you think a teacher/assessor should do to
ensure quality of the assessment?
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16. 1. Abebe is ____________ person in our group
a) tall b) longest c) the tallest D) long E) the
talest
​2. ​I _____ the postman coming down the road. ​
a) See b) saw C) have seen d) none
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17.  Good Language Assessment should be:
 Valid
 Reliable
 Practical
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18.  One Word Summary
Select (or invent) one word which best
summarizes a topic.
 One Sentence Summary
Students are asked to write a summary
sentence that answers the “who, what where,
when, why, how” questions about the topic.
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19.  Hand Signals
Ask students to display a designated hand
signal to indicate their understanding of a
specific concept, principal, or process:
 I understand____________ and can explain it
(e.g., thumbs up).
 I do not yet understand ____________ (e.g.,
thumbs down).
 I’m not completely sure about ____________
(e.g., wave hand).
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