Lina Mukhopadhyay 04/09/13

I.

Link between test construct, test design, test performance Key terms used to define construct of language Historical overview of different constructs/models of language ability

II. III.

IV.

Implications of language construct for test design

Available forms of assessments in recent times

V.

Means/ a tool to draw inferences

Draw inferences

1. Control entry into (academic/ professional/social domain)

2. Predict students ability to cope with university settings

3. Understand the process of language learning

Teachers

Researchers

High stakes decisions

Local decisions

Language ability
Language proficiency Comprehension vs. Production

Language behaviour (observable) (Lado, Fries, 1940s)

Competence vs. Performance (Chomsky 1957) Langue vs. Parole (Saussure, 1915)

Oracy vs. Literacy

Language Tests and Assessments

Linguistics and SLA research

Historical background: During and post war period (1940s-1960s) necessitated scientific observable and rapid language teaching and testing methods Influence of structural linguistics (Fries, Lado), behavioural psychology (Skinner, Pavlov)
Language behavior: set of habits, observable, difference between L1 and L2 habits (error analysis) No role of mind/ innate linguistic mechanisms/ social interactions

 1960s

onwards

Chomskian

revolution: input underdetermines output Language Acquisition Device (LAD): generative linguistics ability: competence vs. performance Emphasis of abstract mental rules of grammar/structure/syntax

Language

 Ollers

model (1979)

Language

ability: holistic/unitary model: language is one component need not be broken down into components

Period: 1970s onwards Influence: Social constructivisim, educational psychology

Langauge ability: Communicative language competence language used in real life situations

Model by Canale and Swain (1980, built on model of Dell Hymes 1972): sociolinguistic + linguistic Model by Bachman and Palmer (1996) (Target Language Use(TLU)) (added and emphasized strategic competence as part of general cognitive ability)

 1960s

onwards Success of Canadian Immersion programmes and documented research findings - L1 can support L2 learning
ability: BICS vs. CALP

Language

Cummins

plea: let BICS develop in a contextualized manner (5-7 years) and then CALP will grow; access CALP through L1 and then use it in L2

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

MCQ items (contextualized and calls for knowledge application) Dictation/ cloze tests MCQ items (word list translation etcdecontextualized, calls for knowledge reproduction) Open ended responses (reply to a mail/ oral prompt) Use criterion based format of testing
Test item description

1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Performance assessment Psychometric approach: discrete point(standardized tests/ summative tests) Formative assessment Behaviorist approach Social constructivist approach Ollers model

Which construct does it support?

Circle the correct option.

a.

Fill in the blank with the correct option.

1. Kezo can manage to work at office and at home without any problems. I must say she is very ___________! a. eficient b. efficient c. effecient d. eficeint
Spelling- contextualized

b.
c. d.

eficient efficient effecient eficeint

Spelling -decontextualized

6. Instructional changes (teachers) 5. Test validation (test designers) 4. Interpretation and decision making (test takers)

3. Test performance
2. Test specifications and design 1. Test construct

 Lado
Alan

(1961)

Andrew

(1997)

Cohen

Davies (1971, 1990) (1996,

Messik

(1989) (2000)

Bachman

2010)

McNamara Shohamy

Palmer

(1996, 2010)

(2001)

1) 2)

3)
4) 5) 6) 7)

8)

Discrete point testing (contextualized) (194050) Integrative testing (1970s) Second language performance assessment (1980s) Specific purpose language assessment [occupational English tests] (1980s) Bilingual assessment (1970s) Computer based/ adaptive assessment (1970s) Alternative assessments (1910) Democratic assessments/ Critical language assessment (2000)

 Phase

One: Initiated in 1963 as a pencil paper test- present up to 1998 Two: Computer based and adaptive test (1998 to 2004) continued to be mostly discrete point Three: Most recent form: internet based test (2005) not adaptive, no discrete point questions ( a set of reading texts, written response of a audio input, 6 listening and speaking tasks)

Phase

Phase