Chapter 3 Designing Classroom Language Tests

Designing Classroom Language Tests

Since the beginning of our learning process, we were asked to answer tests in order to be promoted to the next level. But at some point we have never asked ourselves if they are appropriate designed, what is the real purpose of the test? What are the objectives of it? and what kind of grading or feedback is expected?. Due to this we as teachers have to pay close attention when constructed them for our students. Consequently, it is suggested to choose one test type according to what we want to evaluate.

One of them is called Language aptitude test, designed to measure capacity or general ability to learn a foreign language which predicts a person´s success prior to exposure to the second language. Other is Proficiency test, designed to test global competence in a language and consisted of standardized multiple choice items on grammar, vocabulary, reading; sometimes writing and oral production performance. Placement test, is the third of them, its purpose is to place a student in a level of a language curriculum. Diagnostic test specified aspects of a language as the phonological features in a pronunciation test. Finally Achievement test is the one that we have as a final test ,related to our classroom lessons, units or a total curriculum.

Knowing the different types of tests we should take in mind the steps to test construction.  

1.      Assessing clear, unambiguous objectives: here you should know the purpose of the test you are crating and a very important fact, what do you want to test, they should be according with curriculum objectives, of course, you cannot possibly test each one of the objectives but choose a possible one in order to evaluate it.

2.      Test specifications: in this criterion, you have to create a practical outline of your test  and which you take into account what skills you test. So the objectives must be according to the skill that is going to be examined.