Syllabus - Language Testing and Assessment

Unit Name: Language Testing and Assessment
Unit Code: NALTA5112

Credit points: 3
Level: Post Graduate
1. Unit Description
The purpose of this unit is to examine both theoretical and practical issues of
foreign/second language test development, evaluation, and research. Unit provides students
with the working knowledge of current concepts, procedures and issues in language
assessment. The principal course objectives include:
• examinations of various purposes, types of foreign/second language assessment, and
fundamental concepts in assessment such as validity, reliability, and test specifications;
• reviews and critiques on practices related to language test development, evaluation, and
research, and social, political, economic, and administrative issues pertaining to
assessment;
• investigations of the association between assessment and learning, and explore
instruments for assessing progress in classroom contexts;
• explorations of ways of testing the four macro skills:
Listening/Speaking/Reading/Writing
• explorations the various rating scales and scoring procedures
• investigations of item analysis and descriptive statistics
2. Unit structure
The unit is delivered in 10 classes (3.5 hours/per class) including lectures, discussion and
tutorials, presentations, and other self-directed study sessions. Students are encouraged to
spend at least 2 hours per day at home for reading, self-study, and preparation of required
activities.
3. Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, students are able to
• demonstrate awareness of different types and purposes of language tests and
assessment;
• demonstrate awareness of language test development in reference with certain social,
political, economic, and administrative contexts;
• demonstrate understanding of fundamental concepts in language assessment;
• plan, develop, and administer second language tests within their teaching situation;
• analyze and interpret the test scores, from which classroom-based evaluation and
decisions are made regarding the student, assessment instruments, and stages of the
assessment process.
4. Skills Development
The unit helps promote the students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to solve
complex problems. It also helps develop the students’ ability to learn independently and work
with others, and enhance their written and spoken communication skills.
1
5. Indicative teaching schedule
Week Topic Required readings Lecture Presentation and/or Notes
Tutorial
1 Introductions and course overview Hughes 1 Yes No Sign up for
Social character of language test McNamara, Ch 6 Group
Measurement presentation
2 The relationship among tests, 1. Bachman, Ch. 2 Yes Yes
assessment, and evaluation 2. McNamara, Ch 7
Purposes of language assessments
3 Communication design of Language test 1. McNamara, Ch. 2 Yes Yes
Types of language assessment 2. Hughes Ch. 3
3. Bachman & Palmer, Ch.6
4 Conceptualization of validity 1. Bachman & Palmer, Ch. 2 & 7 Yes Yes
Validation process 2. Hughes, Chs. 4, 6
Washback effect
4 Stages of test construction 1. Bachman & Palmer, Chs. 5, 9 Yes Yes
Developing test specifications 2. Hughes, Ch 7
6 Test data management 1. Hughes, Ch. 7 Yes Yes

Descriptive statistics 2. Bachman and Palmer, Ch 5
Item analysis 3. McNamara, Ch.3
7 Scoring 1. Hughes, Ch. 5 Yes Yes

Rater training 2. McNamara, Ch.4
Rater reliability 3. Bachman & Palmer, Ch. 1
8 Assessing Writing and Speaking 1. Hughes, Chs. 9 &10 Yes Yes

9 Assessing Listening and Reading 1. Hughes, Chs. 11&12 Yes Yes
10 Group Project Consultation No No
Mini-Test
2
6. Assessment Items
6.1. Class attendance and participation: 10%
Students are expected to be present and on time. Students are required to have at least 80%
mandatory attendance as eligibility for further assessments. Each absence affects a student’s
class participation grade. For unavoidable absences, proper notification is expected.
Three absences will result in a Zero grade in total.
Students are expected to contribute actively to the course through discussion, comments,
and reports. Should students miss a class, it is their responsibility to find out what was covered
and to come prepared for the next session.
6.2. A mini-test (20%): One test is scheduled during the course. The test deals with concepts and
issues explored and discussed in the assigned readings and in class discussions. The test should
take around 1 hour.
6.3. Assessment battery (50%)
In groups of 2-3 students, students are required to construct a 60 to 90 minute
battery/instrument that focuses on assessing students’ second/foreign language ability or to
evaluate a test that they or their colleagues have used for students. The purpose of this
assignment (project) is to provide them with the opportunity to gain experience developing
sound assessment batteries that they can use in their current/future work setting. Students need to
consult with the unit instructor before they start their work.
• An assignment (pair work) should

1 Provide a relevant literature review with a topic concerning English testing issues (2000
words): (15% of grade points), AND
2 Design an English test of a specific macro skill (30 - 60 - 90 minutes) OR evaluate a test
the students or their colleagues have used for students (35% of grade points).
3 *The relevant literature review forms the first part of the assignment and the proposed
test/ or the evaluation of the used test forms the second part of the assignment. This
assignment is to be submitted 2 weeks after the course.
• The following criteria will be used to evaluate the batteries:
• breath of the literature review;
• incorporation of recent thinking and work in the description of test specifications,
including test purpose and the context in which they will be used;
• the appropriateness of these tasks in the identified context;
• documentation of validity and reliability evidence;
• suitability and accuracy of citations;
• clarity and organization of assignment.
• Students can select their articles when working on the final project from various
edited testing volumes and journals such as
3
Language Testing
The Annual Review of Applied Linguistics
TESOL Quarterly
The Modern Language Journal
Whenever they use the work of another person, they must acknowledge that source using
the correct referencing system. Failure to acknowledge other people’s work appropriately may be
regarded as plagiarism or academic misconduct.
6.4. Oral Presentation (20%):
Students are required to give a 10-minute class presentation in group in which they review the
concepts and different theoretical issues of language testing and assessement presented in class
and in recommended documents and reflect on testing and assessment procedure at their teaching
institution. The presentation should be performed as in an international conference. Following
the presentation, class participants are given the opportunity to ask questions pertaining to the
talk. The purpose of this assignment is twofold. First, it is intended to give students opportunity
to review and share ideas with classmates on theoretical issues of the units. Second, it is their
time to relate the concepts to their teaching situations.
The presentation will be evaluated in terms of the following criteria:
• Presentation delivery skills
• Summary of the concepts presented in class and extended issues from recommended
readings ;
• organization of the presentation, including handouts and transparencies;
• response to discussion questions.
7. Reading materials
Required readings:
(1) Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in practice: Designing and
developing useful language tests. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
(2) Hughes, A., (2003). Testing for Language Teachers, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
Cambridge University Press
(3) McNamara, T., (2000). Language Testing, Oxford New York, Oxford University Press.
Suggestions for further reading:

(4) Alderson, Charles (2000). Assessing reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
(5) Bachman, L.F. (2005). Statistical analysis for language assessment. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
(6) Chang, L., Watanabe,Y & Curtis, A (2004). Washback in Language Testing. Lawrence
Erlbaum Associate: London.
(7) Fulcher, G and Davidson, F (2007). Language Testing and Assessment. An advanced
resource book. Routledge: London and New York.
4
(8) Gronlund, N.E. (1988). How to Construct Achievement Tests. 4th Edition. New Jerssy:
Prentice-Hall, INC.
(9) Heaton, J.B. (1988). Writing English Language Tests. Longman: London and New York.
(10) Fan, J and Jin, Y (2013). A Survey of English Language Testing Practice in China: the
Case of Six Examination Board. Language Testing in Asia, 3(7).
(11) Madsen, H.S. (1983).Techniques in Testing. OUP: New York.
(12) McMillan, J.H. (2001). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective
instruction. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.
(13) Tomlison, B (2005). Testing to learn: a personal view of language testing. English
Language Testing Journal, 59(1), pp. 39-46
.
Further reading for assessing macros skills and linguistic components:
Listening:
Brindley & Saltyer (2002). Exploring task difficulty in ESL listening assessment.
Language Testing, 19(4), pp. 369-394.
Buck (2001), Assessing Listening. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Chapter 4
Reading:
Alderson (2000). Assessing Reading. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Chapter 7
Writing:
Weigle (2002). Assessing Writing. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Chapter 7
Speaking:
Luoma, S. (2004). Assessing speaking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fulcher (2003). Testing Second Language Speaking. Pearson Longman: London. Chapter
7
Douglas (2000). Assessing Languages for Specific Purposes. Cambridge University
Press: New York. Chapter 6
Grammar:
Purpura, J. (2004). Assessing grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Vocabulary:
Read, J. (2000). Assessing vocabulary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
And the following testing journals:
Assessment in Education
International Journal of Testing
Language Assessment Quarterly
Language Testing

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Unit Name: Language Testing and Assessment

Unit Code: NALTA5112

6 Test data management 1. Hughes, Ch. 7 Yes Yes

7 Scoring 1. Hughes, Ch. 5 Yes Yes

8 Assessing Writing and Speaking 1. Hughes, Chs. 9 &10 Yes Yes

• An assignment (pair work) should

Suggestions for further reading:

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