This document discusses purposeful language assessment and provides guidance for teachers on developing and using effective language tests. It emphasizes that the focus should be on assessment rather than just tests, and that the method chosen must accomplish the intended goal. Teachers are advised to systematically gather student information, determine who will use tests and for what purpose, consider the impacts of testing, and evaluate whether assessments are meeting their objectives. The overall message is that language assessment must be purposeful and help teachers make informed interpretations to guide student learning.

1. Purposeful Language
Assessment
INFORMATION ADAPTED FROM:
NORRIS, J. M. (2000). PURPOSEFUL
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT. ENGLISH
TEACHING FORUM, 38(1), 18-23.
PRESENTATION BY:
NIKKI ALLEN & ANGIE GORDON

2. Methods of Teaching & Testing
 Teachers are faced with the task of developing
language assessment for students.
 There are traditional testing methods…
 Examples: multiple choice, true and false, etc.
 There are also new alternative ways…
 Examples: journals, diaries, self-assessment and peer
assessment, etc.

3. Selecting Purposeful Assessment
 There are 3 ways to help teachers select and use
purposeful assessment:
 To focus on assessment, not simply tests
 To clarify the intended use of the test
 To evaluate the outcomes of assessment.
 The focus must be on assessment, not tests.
 Choosing a method for language assessment is
determined by the job that is to be accomplished!
 “Language assessment is the process of using language
tests to accomplish particular jobs in language
classrooms and programs” (Norris, p. 2).

4. Gathering the Information for Assessment
 When it comes to language assessment, it is
important to first gather information in a systematic
way.
 That information is then used determine what areas
an educator needs to focus on when teaching
language.
 Example: A teacher can conduct an oral interview with
students to determine their fluency level in speaking;
therefore, the teacher can then make interpretations and
decide if he or she needs to focus on teaching skills related to
oral fluency.

5. Using Language Tests/Assessments: Intro
 Language tests are used in a wide variety of
situations in the classroom and language programs.
 Examples:
 Using tests to determine which level courses students will be
admitted to in a language program
 Reflecting on the effectiveness of certain activities/materials being
used
 Providing feedback to students about their language learning
process
 Tracking learner development in the L2
 Determining if students have attained a certain standard of
language ability.

6. Determining Reasons for Testing
 In addition to knowing what type of tests will be
used for language assessment, it is important to
know how they will be used in programs in the
classroom.
 Teachers need to answer these four questions to
determine how the tests will be used:
 Who uses the test?
 What information the test should provide?
 Why, or for what purpose, the test is being used?
 What consequences the test should have?

7. Determining Reasons for testing (cont.)
 Who is using the test will determine what type of test
should be used since different people will want to
look at different information.
 Various people, such as students, students’ parents,
administrators, future employers, and college
admission departments, may want to view the test-
based information.

8. Purposes of Testing
 It is important to understand what information a test should provide. In order
to do so, test users must think about what interpretations they will be making
based upon the information.
 Interpretations in language assessment may include: students’ mastery of
curricular objectives, the effectiveness of particular lessons, and students’
productive language ability at the end of a course.
 Once the test users know what interpretations they will be making, they can
then decide what type and how much information needs to be collected in
order to make the interpretations.
 When they know how much information needs to be collected, a decision
about what type(s) of purposeful language testing tools to be used will be
made.
 Test users need to know exactly what purpose they have for using the test, so
that they will be able to effectively choose the type of assessment tool that is
appropriate.

9. Impacts of Testing
 Test users must consider the positive and negative
consequences of testing since it affects more than
one individual
 Examples: students, students’ parents, teachers, employers,
etc.
 Tests may influence other language program
elements such as funding, materials and activities,
teaching practices, and curricular objectives.

10. Evaluation of Assessments
 To keep language assessment purposeful, one must ensure that the
testing tools being used are helping to accomplish the jobs of language
assessment.
 In-depth evaluations often require the use of various testing tools and
methods.
 In evaluating the language testing tools, teachers must determine if the
tools meet the specifications of the intended use and answer questions
relating to the use of the language testing tools.

11. Evaluation of Assessments: List
 Questions to ask regarding assessments (Norris, p. 6)
 Were all of the actual test users identified?
 What range of interpretations did the test users actually make based on
information provided by the language test?
 Did the testing tools provide the appropriate amount and type of
information to support these interpretations?
 Were test-based decisions accurate and test-based actions appropriate?
 Were the intended classroom, curriculum, and program purposes
fulfilled by using the language test?
 Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what were the actual positive and
negative consequences of using the language test?
 After answering these questions, teachers can then decide if the testing
tools were appropriate for the language assessment need, and can
determine if they need to be revised or thrown out.