University of Algiers II- English Department- Third year LMD- Introduction to Didactics- S6-

Dr. Bouchama- Sari-Ahmed

Lecture 02: Introducing Language Assessment Concepts

The five previous lectures examined the basic principles and techniques to teach the receptive and the
productive skills in addition to the sub skills of grammar and vocabulary. However, in order to obtain
information about their learners’ language knowledge and ability, teachers need to regularly assess their
learners’ performances. For this reason, it is important for teachers to be familiar with a number of
assessment concepts.
The present lecture examines the two concepts of assessment and testing and tackles some of the
assessment principles; namely, practicality, reliability, and validity.

I- Assessment
In education, assessment is recognized as an ongoing process that includes a variety of methods and
techniques used to evaluate students’ progress, diagnose their strengths and weaknesses, and identify their
needs. The primary purpose of assessment is not only to improve students’ learning but also teachers’
teaching as both respond to the information assessment provides. Teachers usually assess knowledge and
understanding, skills, and aptitudes.
Two dichotomies of assessment are commonly reported in the literature: summative/formative
assessment, and formal/informal assessment.
 Summative assessment: it refers to the measurement of learners’ ability with special focus on
scores or grades. It is a grading process which is generally administered at the end of a course, term,
or unit of instruction .
 Formative assessment: it is a continuous process undertaken to observe learners’ progress and
identify their needs in order to provide direct and detailed feedback that contributes in improving
their language ability.
 Formal assessment: it consists of pre-planned standardized techniques designed to measure
students’ achievements. Classroom and standardized tests are some instances of formal assessment.

 Informal assessment: it is known to be incidental and unplanned. Comments, corrections of errors,

II- Testing
It is worthwhile mentioning that assessment and testing are not synonymous. Testing comes as a
subcategory of assessment. It is a method and technique of assessment among different others. It is defined
as ‘an instrument that provides an accurate measure of the test-taker’s ability within a particular domain’
(Brown and Abeywickrama, 2010, p. 4). It aims at measuring or quantifying learners’ knowledge about
language (linguistic knowledge) as defining words or providing grammatical rules to justify the use of given
structures. It is also used to measure their language performance. Different types of tests exist: achievement
tests, placement test, diagnostic tests, proficiency test…etc.
 III- Principles of language assessment:
Five principles of language assessment; namely practicality, reliability, validity, authenticity, and
washback provide useful guidelines for language teachers to evaluate existing instruments of assessment
and to evaluate the ones they design. In this lecture, only three of these principles are examined.

 Practicality : it deals with evaluating the assessment according to cost, time needed, and usefulness.
Bachman and Palmer (1996) define practicality as ‘the relationship between the resources that will
be required in the design, development, and use of the test and the resources that will be available for
these activities.’ ( Bachman and Palmer,1996, p. 36).

 Reliability: a test is considered reliable if it is administered on different occasions and similar results
are obtained. A reliable test is consistent and dependable.

 Validity: a test is considered valid when it reflects the test-takers’ ability and when the test does not
measure anything else than what it is supposed to measure. A reading test should evaluate the test
takers’ ability to decode and understand a text and not their ability to write correct and coherent
sentences.

 Authenticity
Authenticity is defined as “the degree of correspondence of the characteristics of a given language
test task to the features of a target language task” (Bachman & Palmer, 1996, p. 23). Autheticity
refers to the extent to which both the language and tasks of a test replicate or mirror real life
language and tasks. Brown and Abeywickrama (2010) state that authenticity is achieved by:

 Washback
Washback is “the effect of testing and assessment on the language teaching curriculum that is related
to it” (Brown and Hudson, 1998, p. 667). Washback is used to refer to the influence that a test has on
teaching and learning (Hughes 2003). Washback, therefore, can be positive or negative. Positive
washback takes place if a test encourages learning and teaching or if it provides opportunities for
students and teachers to enhance the learning and teaching process, and if it affects language
acquisition and instruction positively. If the test causes too much anxiety for the students, teachers
and parents, the washback may be negative.

References
Bailey, K. M. (1998). Learning about language assessment: dilemmas, decisions, and directions. Heinle &
Heinle: US.
Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall.
Brown, H. D., &Abeywickrama, P. (2019). Language assessment: principles and practices. White Plains,
NY: Pearson.
Brown, J. D., & Hudson, T. (1998). The alternatives in language assessment. TESOL Quarterly, 32 (4), 653-
675.
Genesee, F. and Hamayan, E.(1994). Classroom-based assessment.In Educating SecondLanguage
Children.eds. F. Genesee Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Genesee, F. and Upshur, J. (1996). Classroom-based evaluation in second language education. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
Mousavi, S.A. (2009). An encycloredic dictionary of language testing (4 th ed). Tehran: Rahnama
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