126220 UE EFL Testing and Assessment (2012W)

This course aims to develop an understanding of fundamental concepts in language testing and assessment as a basis for the practical development of language tests and assessments. It will examine methods of gathering information on how well learners can communicate and how their learning is progressing in order to enable decisions about teaching and learning. These decisions will include placing students in appropriate groups or classes according to their needs, deciding what next to teach, establishing achievement against course goals, and reporting to interested stakeholders about learning outcomes. The course is designed to give future teachers a basic grounding in the core areas of assessment, including construct definition, specifications, item formats, validity of assessments, reliability of judgements, test quality, washback and impact, alternative and self-assessment. A large part of the course will be devoted to the assessment of the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. As such assessment will always occur in a specific social context, policies, external frameworks and guidelines for assessment, notably the Common European Framework of Reference, will be examined.