Practical Language Testing

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E-Book Overview

Practical Language Testing equips you with the skills, knowledge, and principles necessary to understand and construct language tests.This intensely practical book gives guidelines on the design of assessments within the classroom, and provides the necessary tools to analyze and improve assessments, as well as deal with alignment to externally imposed standards. Testing is situated both within the classroom and within the larger social context, and readers are provided the knowledge necessary to make realistic and fair decisions about the use and implementation of tests. The book explains the normative role of large scale testing and provides alternatives that the reader can adapt to their own context. This fulfills the dual purpose of providing the reader with the knowledge they need to prepare learners for tests, and the practical skills for using assessment for learning.Practical Language Testing is the ideal introduction for students of applied linguistics, TESOL, and modern foreign language teaching as well as practicing teachers required to design or implement language testing programs.

E-Book Content

Practical Language Testing Glenn Fulcher For all the inspiring teachers I have been lucky enough to have and especially Revd Ian Robins Who knows where the ripples end? First published in Great Britain in 2010 by Hodder Education, An Hachette UK Company, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH © 2010 Glenn Fulcher All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without either prior permission in writing from the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the United Kingdom such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency: Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. The advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of going to press, but neither the author nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN: 978 0 340 984482 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cover Image © Anthony Bradshaw/Photographer’s Choice RF/Getty Images Typeset in 10 on 13pt Minion by Phoenix Photosetting, Chatham, Kent Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wilts What do you think about this book? Or any other Hodder Education title? Please send your comments to [email protected] http://www.hoddereducation.com Contents Acknowledgements vii List of figures ix List of tables xi Preface xiii 1 Testing and assessment in context   1. Test purpose   2. Tests in educational systems   3. Testing rituals   4. Unintended consequences   5. Testing and society   6. Historical interlude I   7. The politics of language testing   8. Historical interlude II   9. Professionalising language education and testing 10. Validity Activities 1 1 4 5 6 8 11 12 15 17 19 21 2 Standardised testing   1. Two paradigms   2. Testing as science   3. What’s in a curve?   4. The curve and score meaning