ENG 345: Week 12

            In Brown chapter 23, Brown talks about Language Assessment. He talks about formal and informal assessments and their purposes for each. There are a lot of different things to consider when dealing with assessments, such as practicality, reliability, validity, authenticity, and washback. Brown talks about the different types of validity, which are content, face, and construct. When I took Spanish in high school, we had a few quizzes during the semester that tested listening by watching an English movie in Spanish. However, it was really testing reading comprehension because there were subtitles and we had a multiple-choice worksheet that could be solved if you had already seen the movie. This is an example of perhaps a reliable test, but it is not valid. Brown continues to talk about the different kinds of tests, which are proficiency, diagnostic, placement, achievement, and aptitude. Each kind of test serves a different purpose for the language teacher. Brown ends the chapter with talking about current issues with language assessments and some possible ways to help with the solution. It is important for teachers to make a test as authentic as possible and to be testing what is meant to be tested. Teachers should use their own tests as much as possible and continue to make changes on it from year to year.

            In Brown chapter 24, Brown talks about classroom-based assessment. He talks about the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests. It is important to use both types of tests, depending on the purpose that a teacher uses the test for. Brown then talks about the steps to test construction. Brown gives ways to help with making a test that really goes along with the standards of the course and to try and make it as authentic as possible. It is important for teachers to go through their own test and pretend that he or she is a student and make sure that every item is worded carefully, the directions are clear, and there is enough time for students to finish the test. It is also beneficial for teachers to edit their test and make changes to it. Brown ends the chapter talking about alternatives in assessment, which are portfolios, journals, conferences, observations, and self- and peer-assessments. Brown stresses that these should not be viewed as alternatives meaning optional compared to the traditional test. Teachers should have ongoing assessments throughout classroom time in multiple and in a variety of different ways.