Language Testing

Language Testing

Introduction

The essay aims to provide the learning objectives associated with language testing. It starts with a general definition of test and defines the five important criterion of a good quality test. The essay discusses in detail one of the five criterions defined for assessing the quality of a good test, the validity of a test. Further, the common techniques for language testing are discussed in detail. Lastly, the essay describes the scoring techniques used in language testing with respect to writing and speaking.

Discussion

Criteria of a Good Test

Generally test is defined a process to evaluate, examine and observe critically about something specific. In general, test is a procedure for measuring skills, knowledge or aptitude of an individual on a specific topic. A test is administered through answers to a set of problems, questions or physical reactions to gain information about the skills, abilities and knowledge of a person. The perfection of a test is based on five major criterions: Validity, Reliability, Practicality, Authenticity and Washback. We shall discuss the validity of the test in detail among other above mentioned criterions for measuring quality of goodness of a test.

Validity

Test Validity measures the extent to which the assessment measures what it claimed to measure. Validity of a test is the most significant criteria in measuring the quality of a good test. There are various types of models defining validity of a test. These models can be further classified into two models: classical models and modern models. Classical models still include different types of validity, whereas, modern models consider the validity as a single construct (Guion, R. M, 1980). There is no absolute measure of validity defined yet. Validity is based on the quality, not quantity. To further explain the concept of validity, we shall discuss the following aspects related to the validity of a test: Content Validity, Criterion-Related Validity, Construct Validity and Consequential Validity.

Content Validity

Content Validity is associated with the proper alignment of the test questions with the content area the test claims to assess. Content Validity is closely related to measuring the accuracy of the test. It is assumed that the greater the content value of the test the greater is the accuracy of the test. Absence of adherence to content validity in testing leads to unsuccessful outcomes of the test (Brown, 2004). Sentence structures are also of significance importance in measuring the validity of content in a test. The sentence structures may be different for different levels of education. For instance, a same sentence structure used for a college student may not be used for a university student. Content validity requires a study of face validity and curricular validity to better explain the validity of content in a test.

Face Validity

Face Validity of a test helps in defining the content validity of a test, by measuring the degree to which a test looks right and measures the knowledge and ability it claims to measure, in view of the examinees, the administrative authorities and other observers and ...