New views of validity in language testing claudia deste abstract language testing has been defined as one of the core areas of applied linguistics because it tackles two of its fundamental issues. The office of instructional testing at bmcc supports the college community by maintaining exemplary testing standards and practices, protecting the confidentiality of personal data, providing resources that support intellectual and personal growth of test takers, and creating an optimal testing environment that meets the needs of students, faculty, administration and all other bmcc community. The article is a brief historical overview of english language testing, particularly the testing of english as a second or foreign language. His structuralist approach promoted discrete point testing, a concept. Discrete point test language can be broken down into its component parts integrative tests measure all proficiency creates unitary trait hypothesis communicative language testing included pragmatic and strategic ability performancebased test involves oralproduction, written production, openended responses, integrated. While the content validity index cvi was found to be low. Rr9617 validity and washback in language testing author. Briefly, construct validity is to interpret test scores in order to assess the language proficiency of the subject and test tasks. Mar 08, 2015 a brief summary of the issues related to reliability in language testing source. New views of validity in language testing semantic scholar. Ultimately, i argue that important ethical questions, along with other issues of validity, will be articulated differently from a critical perspective than they are in the more traditional approach to language assessment.
After covering the selected algebraic concepts, the course. In the classroom not only teachers and administrators can evaluate the content validity of a test. In the classroom not only teachers and administrators can evaluate the. There are four major categories of language testing and assessment that lti provides. Collecting validity evidence we now discuss some of the types of evidence that can be collected in the test validation process. Testing english as a foreign language sprachenmarkt. Testing language has traditionally taken the form of testing knowledge about language, usually the testing of knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Validity of content assessments it is important to distinguish between content assessments and assessments of english language proficiency. Office of evaluation and testing wille administration building room 2 160 convent avenue new york, ny 10031 212. Individuals in the last three categories are sometimes referred to collectively as language minority students. Test reliability which is caused by the nature of a test. It focuses on the criterionreferenced nature of the actfl proficiency guidelinesspeaking.
The routledge handbook of language testing offers a critical and comprehensive overview of language testing and assessment within the fields of applied linguistics and language study. Validity refers to the degree to which an item is measuring what its actually supposed to be measuring. This dictionary of language testing was written over a number of years by a group of researchers at the language testing research centre at the university of melbourne. While studies have been done to rate the validity and reliability of the oral proficiency interview opi and oral proficiency interviewcomputer opic independently, a limited amount of research has analyzed the interexam reliability of these tests, and studies have yet to be conducted comparing the results of spanish language. Additionally, it is important for the evaluator to be familiar with the validity of his or her testing materials to ensure.
The impact of test content validity on language teaching. As the exclusive licensee of actfl, we supply tests that ensure the highest validity standard in language testing to both individuals and organizations. It offers a discussion of how dffirent language testing. Recipient of this years sageilta book award the routledge. Improving the validity of mikyung kim wolf english language. The goal of the current study was to examine the validity and topic generality of a writing performance test designed to place international students into appropriate esl courses at a large midwestern university. For example, during the development phase of a new language test, test designers will compare the results of an already published language test or an earlier version of the same test with their own. Content validity can be compared to face validity, which means it looks like a valid test to those who use it. An alternative in language testing research karim sadeghi email. Issues of validity and reliability in second language. Continued attention to the issues of validity and reliability in second language performance assessment is a challenging but necessary endeavor that will advance the development and use of performance tests. A test must be appropriate in terms of objectives we have set. Bachman slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising.
Always test what you have taught and can reasonably expect your students to know. After defining your needs, see if your purposes match those of the publisher. Improving the validity of mikyung kim wolf english. Achievement of construct validity in language testing. According to city, state and federal law, all materials used in assessment are required to be valid idea 2004. Language testing and assessment routledge applied linguisticsis a series of comprehensive resource books, providing students and researchers with the support they need for advanced study in the core areas of english language and applied linguistics. Evidence for a general language proficiency factor. Introduction educational assessment is the responsibility of teachers and administrators not as mere routine of giving marks, but making real evaluation of learners achievements. Our clients depend on us to help them create defensible assessment programs whether through the use of our standard language tests, or through the customization of tests specifically for their companies, organizations, or agencies. Because for each test administration the test randomly rotates three academic topics integrated with listening and reading sources, it is necessary to investigate the extent to which. The ged esl test is a criterionreferenced, multiple. For example, is the assessment about the ability to use certain phrases appropriately in a situation.
Lados measurement in english as a foreign language in 1949 kunnan 1999. Reliability could be described as the consistency of an assessment. It is intended for those who may or may not have had experience in the field of language assessment but who do have a need for. Test administration reliability which can be caused by the conditions in which a test is administered.
A test is valid for some purposes, but not for others. While there are several ways to estimate validity, for many certification and. Example public examination bodies ensure through research and pretesting that their tests have both content and face validity. This way you are more likely to get the information you need about your students and apply it fairly and productively. Concurrent validity is derived from one test s results being in agreement with another test s results which measure the same ability or quality. Before a validation study is carried out, however, the researcher has to formulate a number of hypotheses pertaining to the test results.
The evidence you collect and document about the validity of your test is also your best legal defense should the exam program ever be challenged in a court of law. Points to keep in mind about validity validity is a property of a test. Reliability and validity evidence for the ged esl 2 abstract the ged english as a second language ged esl test was designed to serve as an adjunct to the ged test battery when an examinee takes either the spanish or frenchlanguage version of the tests. The predictive validity of language assessment in a pre. Eric ed403277 validity and washback in language testing. The present study examined the reliability and content validity of an english as a foreign language efl gradelevel test for turkish 3 rd grade primary students. February 7, 2012 a comparison of the performance of analytic vs. This article summarizes some technical issues that add to the complexity of language testing. Fundamental considerations in language testing lyle f. Example public examination bodies ensure through research and pre testing that their tests have both content and face validity. Feb 10, 2000 this book offers a succinct theoretical introduction to the basic concepts in language testing in a way that is easy to understand. Bmcc s modern languages department offers more than 60 different courses to help you understand dialect, grammar, intonations, and word usage while improving idiomatic and grammatical conversational abilities. Exploration 291 unit c1 validity an exploration 293 unit c2 assessment in school systems 298.
Demands of being professional in language testing 270 unit b10 validity as argument 278 kane, m. Part 1 testing as validity 3 1 language testing past and present 5 1. Ensuring valid content tests for english language learners. The validity of inferences made depend on the assessment having a degree of reliability. Hence, construct validity is a sine qua non in the validation not only of test interpretation but also of test use, in the sense that relevance and utility as well as appropriateness of test use depend, or should depend, on score meaning. While there are numerous methods to assess language, what you want to measure will determine how you assess students. Teachers are the frontiers who are assigned to carry out the. An instrument that is a valid measure of third graders language skills probably is not a valid measure of high school students language proficiency. Improving the validity of english language learner assessment systems executive summary mikyung kim wolf, joan l. In the context of unified validity, evidence of washback is an instance of the consequential aspect of construct validity, which is only one of six important aspects or forms of evidence contributing to the validity of language test interpretation and use 1996. According to payan and nettles 2008, the ell population doubled in 23 states between 1995 and 2005.
Oct 25, 2014 discrete point test language can be broken down into its component parts integrative tests measure all proficiency creates unitary trait hypothesis communicative language testing included pragmatic and strategic ability performancebased test involves oralproduction, written production, openended responses, integrated. She has taught mathematics at the university level for over 30 years in nigeria and the united states, with at least 20 of those 30 years at the borough of manhattan community college bmcc, city university of new york cuny. It contains some 600 entries, each listed under a headword with extensive crossreferencing. Specially commissioned chapters by leading academics and researchers address the most important topics facing researchers and practitioners. With over 30 years in the language services business, alta has built a reputation as a trusted provider of valid and reliable language tests.
In addition to that, various written books regarding language testing has also been examined and used to present the relevant findings. Validity and washback in language testing messick 1996. An argumentbased approach to validity 278 contents ix. Messick, samuel the concept of washback, especially prominent in the field of applied linguistics, refers to the extent to which a test influences teachers and learners to do things they would not otherwise necessarily do. Language testing, v24 n3 p307330 2007 the goal of the current study was to examine the validity and topic generality of a writing performance test designed to place international students into appropriate esl courses at a large midwestern university. Robert lado went on to do further research and in 1961 presented his views in language testing. Reliability and content validity of an english as a.
Each book in the series guides readers through three main sections, enabling them. Statistics with algebra same as mat 150 statistics with algebra is a statistics course 4 credits and 60 hours with an additional 30 hours focusing on elementary algebraic concepts useful in statistics. Validity and washback in language testing keywords. Some writers invoke the notion of washback validity, holding that a tests validity should be gauged by the degree to which it has a positive influence on teaching. Language test reliability alta lang quality assurance. Validity and topic generality of a writing performance. Validity refers to the inferences made from test scores. Defining validity a test is said to be valid if it measures accurately what it is intended to measure hughes, 2003, p. Language testing, content validity, test comprehensiveness, backwash, language education 1. The concept of washback, especially prominent in the field of applied linguistics, refers to the extent to which a test influences teachers and learners to do things they would not otherwise necessarily do. This book explores the notion of validity evaluation.
To make a valid test, you must be clear about what you are testing. The validity of a test is the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to measure and nothing else heaton, 1988, p. This book explores the notion of validity evaluation as a means for helping educators to ensure the utility and worth of their assessment practices. Validity and topic generality of a writing performance test. A prominent example is the 3year study on the validity of the test, starting from october 1992, conducted by the national cet4 and cet6 commission in china and the centre for applied language studies cals of university of reading in britain. In addition to majoring in modern languages, you can take language courses to use as an elective in another major. In the japanese context, this book is highly recommended for university faculty members involved in obtaining assessment literacy, teachers who want to validate their exploratory teaching and testing, or applied linguistics students new to the language testing field. The validity of a test is critical because, without sufficient validity, test scores have no meaning. Content validity teachingenglish british council bbc. It can be internal the questions in the test or external the context of the testing situation. Individuals in the last three categories are sometimes referred to collectively as languageminority students.
With the contribution of campbell and fiske 1959 to the field of language testing, a multitraitmultimethod. She is also former director of the center for excellence in teaching, learning and scholarship cetls at bmcc. With the contribution of campbell and fiske 1959 to the field of language testing, a multitraitmultimethod mtmm approach has been used by many. Reliability and content validity of an english as a foreign. A variety of measures contribute to the overall validity of testing materials. Types of language tests the needs of assessing the outcome of learning have led to the development and elaboration of different test formats. Holistic scoring rubrics to assess l2 writing cynthia s. An instrument that is a valid measure of third graders language skills probably is not a valid measure. This book offers a succinct theoretical introduction to the basic concepts in language testing in a way that is easy to understand. The search keywords have been language testing, validity, reliability, and washback. This indirect means of assessment raises issues of adequacy, appropriateness, and utility of the measures in testing an individuals ability or skill. In order to decide what methods to use in assessment, it is important to clarify what you are trying to assess. When choosing a test, first think about what you want to know.
Reliability and validity evidence for the ged english as a. An instrument is valid only to the extent that its scores permit appropriate inferences to be made about a a specific group of people for b specific purposes. Dictionary of language testing alan davies, annie brown. How test validity works posted by jocelyn in language testing on april 29, 2010 2 comments from a young age, our lives are filled with assessments. With a particular focus on foreign language testing, the author challenges assessment traditions and argues for a fundamental reconceptualization of assessments and their validation in language. Evaluation and testing the city college of new york. Herman, and ronald dietel english language learners ells are the fastest growing group of students in american public schools.
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