This document discusses principles of language assessment. It defines key terms like assessment, tests, evaluation, and measurement. There are formal and informal assessments as well as formative and summative assessments. The purposes of different types of assessments are also outlined, including achievement tests, diagnostic tests, placement tests, and proficiency tests. Principles of effective assessment are discussed, such as reliability, practicality, validity, washback effect, authenticity, and addressing different types of reliability.

1. Principles of language
assessment
UNIVERSIDAD DE LAS FUERZAS ARMADAS ESPE
Pedagogy in National and Foreign Language
“Assessment and Evaluation”
Name: José Núñez
Course: 8th semester
Tutor: Carlos Espin

2. Assessment Terminology
Various assessments or tests have the purpose of measuring students’ skills
in theoretical and practical ways without impairing academic performance.
• Assessment: Teachers evaluate
students’ academic development in
a participating classroom through
interactive or critical-thinking
activities, dialogues, use of
educational resources, etc.
2. Test: Measures students' academic
progress on a specific subject matter.
The test is a method: Maintain a structure
and can be manipulated by the teacher
according to an objective.
The test must measure: Specific to general
skills can be measured to reinforce
knowledge or analyze common students’
mistakes.

3. Assessment Terminology
Evaluation
Measurement
Measurement vs Evaluation:
Establish a quantitative or qualitative
statement.
Quantitative: teacher
quantifies (numbers,
scales, range...) student
performance.
Qualitative: make
interpretations and
possibilities to improve
the education.
It only determines the consequences of
a student's performance. If they have
good grades, they’ll pass the course.
Otherwise, they won’t have the
minimum requirements.

4. Assessment Terminology
Formal assessment
Formal and Informal Assessment
Formative and Summative Assessment
Informal assessment
Teacher doesn’t include
any structural criteria that
helps identify different
students’ needs.
Teacher made objective
criteria to measure
different skills in an
academic period.
vs
Formative
assessment
Summative
assessment
Teacher is in constant
follow-up to strengthen
the student's learning.
Students measure their
knowledge and skills in a
graded assessment.

5. Types and purposes of assessment
• Achievement tests
(end of unit)
2. Diagnostic test
(beginning)
3. Placement test
4. Proficiency tests
5. Aptitude tests
(before starting
the program)
Measures student
competencies to provide
feedback on content and
establish learning style.
A test is taken to
determine the learning
objectives to be taken
throughout the school
year.
Helps the teacher to identify the
student's English level to
reinforce and adapt learning
(listening, writing, etc).
It measures the student's
linguistic competences through
standardized tests in order to
obtain an English level (A1 to C2).
Constitutes students'
learning abilities
(strengths and
weaknesses).

6. Reliability: The same test can be
applied and the same scoring
possibilities can be obtained.
Learner-Related
Inter-
rater
Test
administration
Criterion-
related
Principles of language assessment
Practicality: To have the facilities
to take the test without any
inconvenience or excessive cost.
Validity: Establish what is the
objective of measuring such ability.
Washback effect: Provide
feedback to students before they
take the assessment.
Authenticity: It is related to the real
world and contains problems with
various solutions to a phenomenon.
Test reliability
Content-related
Construct-
related

7. Bibliography
Augsteem, S. (2021). 6 Types of Assessment (and How to Use Them).
https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/types-of-assessment/
(2004). Formative and Summative Assessment
https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-
guide/formative-and-summative-assessment.shtml
Staake, J. (2023). Types of Assessments for Education (Plus How
and When To Use Them)
https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-
guide/formative-and-summative-assessment.shtml