READING REPORT

Week II1st and 2nd Topic

ASSESSMENT CONCEPT AND ISSUES

USES OF LANGUAGE TEST

These chapter are discused the concept of assessment and how the language test

is used. The discussion here is talking about how to differenciate the assessment and testing

itself. Assessment is ongoing process of methodological technique in collecting information

and conducting in improving educational program. Also it is focused on student learning and

development outcomes. In other hand, test is a subset of assessment. It is a method as the

instrument that requires performance of the part of tes-taker. To have a quality of the test, the

test must be explicit and structured. Test also must measure. Some test measure general

ability, whereas others focus on specific competencies or objectives. Test also measures some

individual’s ability, knowledge, or performance. Finally a test measures given domain.

The other explanation in this chapter is that the writer give the difference

between the five types of language tests, cite example of each, and apply them for different

purposes and contexts. The writer also explain about the kinds of assessment such as;

informal and formal assessment, also formative and summative assessment. Then, here there

are several kinds of test, like achievement test that measure the ability of the learners in the

classroom lesson, unit, even all of the curriculum; then diagnostic test to diagnose the

students needs in aspects of language that will be developed; next, the placement test is test

about achievement and proficiency which place the students in particular level or section of

language curriculum; proficiency test is a test about grammar, vocabulary, reading

comprehension, and aural comprehension in traditionally. Next, there is aptitude test that

measure the capacity or general ability in learning the foreign language a priori.

The last parts in this topic is tell about the historical antecedents of language

assessment in present day and in the research and also tell about some major current issues

that assessment researchers are now addressing.

Week III

1st and 2nd Topic

PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

BASIC CONSIDERATION IN TEST DESIGN

These topic discuss about the principles of language that can be applied to

formal tests by following the ultimate recognition and also it can be applied to all kinds of

assessments. First of all this chapter start to explain the fift criteria for testing a test that are

parcticality, reliability, validity, authenticity, and washback. As we know, a test that will be

given to the students should an effective test. It means that the test is practical where test is

not excessivelly expensive; it also stays within appropriate time contraints; it is relatively

easy to administer ; and it has a scoring/evaluation procedurebthat is specific and time-

efficient. If we look into the reliability, test that is reliable is consistent and also

dependenable. It means that, the test that is given to the students is the same test, or matched

students on two different occasions, here the test should have the similar result. There are

four kinds of reliability of a test; First, student-related realiability; Second, Rater Reliability;

Third, Test Administration Reliability; and Fourth, Test Reliability.

Next come to validity. Ggronlud, 1998 stated that calidity is the complext

criteria of an effective test and arguably the most important principle of the test. The validity

of a test established is focuse on the consequences beyond measuring thecriteria themselves

of a test. Here this chapter also explain the kinds of the validity of a test in five tyoes;

content-related evidence, criteion-related evidence, construct-related evidence, consequential

validity, andface validity. Then, authenticity. It means that the concept of authencity is a

litttle slippery to define, it is the art and science of evaluating and sesigning test. In a test,

authencity may be present in these following ways; The language in the test is as natural as

possible; The itemns are contextualized rather than isolated; Topics as meaningful ( relevant,

interesting) for the learner; Some thematic organization to items is provided, such as throuh a

story line or episode; and Tasks represent, or closelyapproximate, real-world tasks.

The last criteria is washback. It is known among language-testing. It ususally

refers to the effects the tests have on instruction in terms of how students prepare for the test.

Washback also includes the assessment effect of teaching and learning prior to the

assessment itself. It also can help the students through a specification of numerical scores on

the various subsections of the test.

In the end of this chapter, the writer deliver about how to apply the five

principles to the evaluation of clasroom tests by using quizzes, tests, final exams, and

standardized proficiency tests. To evaluate the existing tests in the clasroom, there are some

questions that will help the teacher, and it is indexed by the five principles: 1. Are the test

procedures practical?; 2. Is the test reliable?; 3. Does the procedure demonstrate content

validity?; 4. Is the procedure face valid and “biased for best”?; 5. Are the test tasks as

authentic as possible?; 6.Does the test offfer beneficial washback to the learner?.