Scribd
Upload
125 views2 pages

Language Testing Approaches Explained

Language tests can be classified into four main approaches: the essay-translation approach, the structuralist approach, the integrative approach, and the communicative approach. The structuralist approach views language learning as the systematic acquisition of habits and involves testing elements of language separately. The integrative approach tests language in context and takes a global view of proficiency, including tests of cloze, dictation, interviews, translation and essays. The communicative approach emphasizes how language is used for communication and introduces qualitative assessment over quantitative assessment. An effective test combines features from different approaches depending on its purpose and constraints.

Uploaded by

Zedfrey Gabiola
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
125 views2 pages

Language Testing Approaches Explained

Language tests can be classified into four main approaches: the essay-translation approach, the structuralist approach, the integrative approach, and the communicative approach. The structuralist approach views language learning as the systematic acquisition of habits and involves testing elements of language separately. The integrative approach tests language in context and takes a global view of proficiency, including tests of cloze, dictation, interviews, translation and essays. The communicative approach emphasizes how language is used for communication and introduces qualitative assessment over quantitative assessment. An effective test combines features from different approaches depending on its purpose and constraints.

Uploaded by

Zedfrey Gabiola
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TESTING

1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TESTING


Language tests can be classified to four main approaches to testing :
The essay-translation approach
The structuralist approach
The integrative approach
The communicative approach
A useful test will construct by combining several of these approach.
The essay-translation approach
The characteristic of this approach :
It is referred to pre-scientific stage of language testing.
No special skill r expertise in testing is required.
Tests usually consist of essay writing, translation and grammatical analysis.
The test also heavy in literary and cultural bias.
Public examinations resulting from the test sometimes have oral component at the upper
intermediate and advance level.

2. The structuralist approach


The Characteristic and Types of Tests of Structuralist Approach:
a. This approach views that language learning is chiefly concerned with a systematic acquisition of
a set of habit.
b. The structuralist approach involves structural linguistics in which the importance of constructive
analysis and the need to identify and measure the learners mastery of the separate elements of
the target language such as phonology, vocabulary and grammar.
c. In testing the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are separated from another as
much as possible.
d. The psychometric approach to measurement with its emphasis on reliability and objectivity
forms an integral part of structuralist testing.
3. The Integrative Approach
The Characteristic and Types of Tests of Integrative Approach:
a. This approach involves the testing of language in context and is thus concerned primarily with
meaning and the total communicative effect of discourse.
b. Integrative tests are concerned with a global view of proficiency.
c. Integrative testing involves functional language but not the use of functional language.
d. The use of cloze testing, dictation, oral interview, translation and essay writing are included in
many integrative tests.
1. Cloze test
The principles of cloze testing is based on the Gestalt theory. It measures the readers ability to
decode interrupted or mutilated messages by making the most acceptable substitutions from all

the contextual clues. There are two methods of scoring a cloze test : acceptable answer and exact
answer. Three types of knowledge are required to perform success cloze test : linguistic
knowledge, textual knowledge and knowledge of the world.
2. Dictation
This type of test is a means of measuring students skills of listening comprehension.
Example of cloze test :
Site activity information. We keep {1}______ of some of the actions {2}______ take on
Facebook, such as {3}______ connections (including joining a group {4}______ adding a
friend), creating a {5}______ album, sending a gift, poking {6}______ user, indicating you
like a {7}______, attending an event, or connecting {8}______ an application. In some cases
{9}______ are also taking an action {10}______ you provide information or content
{11}______ us. For example, if you {12}______ a video, in addition to {13}______ the actual
content you uploaded, {14}______ might log the fact that {15}______ shared it.

4. The Communicative Approach


The Characteristic and Types of Tests of Communicative Approach:
a. Communicative tests are concerned primarily with how language is used in communication.
b. Language use is often emphasized to the exclusion of language usage.
c. Communicative testing results in an attempt to get different profiles of a learners performance in
the language.
d. The test content should totally be relevant for a particular group of testees and the tasks set
should relate to real-life situation.
e. Communicative testing introduces the concept of qualitative modes of assessment in preference
to quantitative modes of assessment.
So, a good test will combine features of these approaches depending on the particular
purpose of the test and also the various test constraints. Language testing involves making
compromises between what is ideal and practicable in certain situation and trying to devise a test
which is as valid and reliable as possible and which has useful backwash effect on the teaching
and learning leading to the test.

You might also like