1. What is language testing?
Language testing is the use of tests to measure a person's ability in a language through tests that
assess skills like listening, speaking, reading, and writing, ensuring that the test is valid
(measuring what it claims), reliable (consistent results), and appropriate for its purpose.
2. In what ways are tests beneficial to students and teachers?
Tests help students understand their level, motivate learning, and show progress. For teachers,
tests provide feedback on students' needs and teaching effectiveness, and guide future
instruction.
3. How can tests affect teacher's teaching and student's learning?
Tests can influence what and how teachers teach, and students learn—a concept called
"washback."
- Positive washback improves teaching and learning
- Negative washback may narrow the focus to only teaching what is tested.
1. What is the fundamental difference between a proficiency test and an achievement test in
terms of their purpose and content?
The key difference lies in their purpose and scope.
- A proficiency test aims to measure a candidate’s overall ability in a language, irrespective of
any specific course or curriculum. It is not tied to teaching content and is often used for purposes
like university admission or job qualification (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL). Its content is based on a
specification of what candidates should be able to do in the language, rather than what they have
learned.
- An achievement test is linked to a syllabus or a set of learning objectives. It is designed to
assess how learners have learned during a course or after a unit of instruction. The content of the
test reflects the materials and skills that were taught, and it helps evaluate both student
performance and instructional effectiveness.
2. How does direct testing (e.g., writing a composition) differ from indirect testing in its
approach to measuring a language skill?
- Direct testing involves evaluating a skill by having the candidate perform that skill. For
example, testing writing ability by asking the candidate to write a letter or an essay. This
approach attempts to simulate real-world language use and is considered more authentic,
especially for productive skills like writing and speaking.
- Indirect testing measures the underlying abilities that contribute to language performance. For
example, instead of authoring an essay, a test may include multiple-choice grammar items or
sentence completion tasks. These tasks do not directly involve producing language in context but
are designed to evaluate the sub-skills that support overall performance.
While direct testing is often preferred for its realism, indirect testing can be more practical, easier
to score reliably, and sometimes more efficient in terms of test construction and administration.
3. Explain the core difference in how a candidate's performance is understood in norm-
referenced versus criterion-referenced testing.
The main distinction lies in the basis of comparison.
- A norm-referenced test interprets a candidate’s performance by comparing it to the
performance of others. The goal is to rank test takers, often using a normal distribution (for
example, results may indicate whether a test taker is in the top 25% of the group). Such tests are
useful for selection and placement decisions.
- A criterion-referenced test evaluates whether a candidate has achieved specific learning
objectives or standards. The focus is not on how the test taker compares to others but on whether
they meet defined criteria. This type of testing is common in classroom settings and is more
informative for instructional decisions, as it shows what learners can or cannot do relative to the
goals of instruction.
