Analysis of a Test: Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners

Design a (grammar/vocabulary/reading/writing or any area) language-skills test for your learners, then take all necessary measures to validate the test after that subject it to strong reliability check as assessment research suggests, meaning administering the test to the learners, perhaps more than once. Once the test designing and piloting process is completed, document the whole process in the form of a critical report explaining the events you went through as a test designer, validity and reliability checker, and evaluator. This report should be in the form of an assignment where all elements are substantiated (supported by what experts in the field believe in e.g. regarding tests validity and reliability, their significance, methods/steps involved in achieving these tests’ characteristics, and the extent your work is in congruence with the standard practices).

1. Introduction

The test being reported in this assignment is the mid-term exam that was created for Prep. Year second semester students of Business English ENG 012 at the English Language center at Yanbu (ELCY). Previously, the course coordinator had the responsibility for designing all tests, but this time the Language Testing Unit (LTU) of ELCY was given this duty. The test was successfully administered, and almost all the students got the pass percentage i.e. 50% or more. However, the test after being administered, invited a healthy discussion between the teachers, the course coordinator, and the LTU. This report will analyze this test on the principles of language testing: validity, reliability, authenticity, usefulness/practicality, and washback.

2. Learner profile and testing context

This test was designed for monolingual (Arabic speaking) students in ...

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...creation of better and effective tests in the future.

6. References

Bachman, L.F. & Palmer, A.S. (1989). The construct validation of sel-ratings of communicative language ability. Language Testing 6(1), 14-29

Coombe, C. & Hubley, N. (2007). Fundamentals of language assessment. http://www.slideshare.net/marcomed/fundamentals-of-language-assessment-manual-by-coombe-and-hubley. Reterieved: 20/1/2014.

Henning, G. (1996). Accounting for nonsystematic error in performance ratings.

Language Testing, 13(1), 53-61

O’Malley, J.M. & Valdez L.P. (1996). Authentic assessment for English language learners: Practical approaches for teachers. White Plains, NY: Addison Wesley, Longman.

Richards, J.C., Platt, J, & Platt, H. (1992). Dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics. Essesx, Longman.

Thornbury, S. (2001). An A-Z of ELT. London, MacMillan