LibGuides: Language Teaching Pedagogy: Testing, Assessments, and Feedback

Testing, Assessment, and Feedback: Introduction

Testing, assessment, and feedback constitute important areas of consideration for language teachers as they decide not only how to evaluate student performance and proficiency but also whether / how evaluations represent a teaching tool in their own right that students use, for example, as a source of additional input and interaction. Indeed, research in pedagogy and second language acquisition now suggest that traditional “summative” tests (such as final exams that aim to test students’ knowledge of discrete grammar points, vocabulary, etc.) both do not motivate students to learn and do not reinforce learning (Shrum and Glisan 292). This is especially true when the activities on these types of “summative” tests do not reflect the types of activities and skills performed and valued in class. Thus, it is important for language instructors to think through their approach to testing in order to ensure that instruction and assessment are closely aligned. As Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins emphasize in Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom, “The tasks students are asked to perform as part of any assessment should mirror what students have been doing in class, and at the same time, in-class activities should be informed by assessment results” (37). The sub-pages of this section of the LibGuide will focus on research into various aspects of assessment, such as types of testing, rubrics, and feedback. The last sub-page will address research regarding the growing movement of “ungrading.”

Henshaw, Florencia, and Maris Hawkins. Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom, 2022.
Shrum, Judith, and Eileen Glisan. Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction, 2000.

Four Basic Principles for Developing Tests:*

Test what was taught
Test this in a manner that is consistent with the way in which it was taught
Focus on what students can do instead of what they cannot do
capture creative use of language by learners

*These four principles are cited from: Shrum, Judith, and Eileen Glisan. Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction, 2000, p. 229.

Books on Testing, Assessments, and Feedback

Contextualized Language Instruction by Judith L. Shrum; Eileen W. Glisan
ISBN: 0838408796

Publication Date: 1999-07-22

SEE CHAPTER 11 ON "ASSESSING LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE" FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TESTING, ASSESSMENTS, AND FEEDBACK.

Teacher's Handbook emphasizes real-world practice by presenting a concise theoretical review followed by provocative case studies that ask new and experienced instructors to judge for themselves how best to acquire ESL and foreign language proficiency. Appropriate for secondary and college instructors, Teacher's Handbook also includes extensive appendices covering professional organizations, publications, and performance standards for language teachers and students. This new edition includes a text-specific web site that contains video case studies, a bulletin board, and useful links to a variety of professional organizations and mailing lists.
Common Ground by Florencia G. Henshaw; Maris D. Hawkins
ISBN: 9781647930066

Publication Date: 2022-04-20

SEE CHAPTER 2 "GOALS AND ASSESSMENTS" FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TESTING, ASSESSMENTS AND FEEDBACK.

"Common Ground is accessible to teachers at all levels yet firmly rooted in current questions of second language acquisition (SLA). One of its primary strengths is the authors themselves, both of whom are accomplished language teachers who understand the challenges and opportunities in communication-focused language teaching. Their experience, expertise, insight, and enthusiasm for language teaching translate into a book that is refreshingly practical for teachers, especially teachers who are striving to break from traditional drills commonly presented in textbooks. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of every language teacher who is looking for concrete examples of how SLA principles meet the realities of the classroom." --Stacey Margarita Johnson, Vanderbilt University

You can order this book through the UT Libraries Interlibrary Loan Services at the following link: https://www.lib.utexas.edu/find-borrow-request/interlibrary-loan.