Teaching and assessing language skills: Defining the knowledge that matters.
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| Title: | Teaching and assessing language skills: Defining the knowledge that matters. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Slomp, David H.1 |
| Source: | English Teaching: Practice & Critique (University of Waikato). Dec2005, Vol. 4 Issue 3, p141-155. 15p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Language exams, *Foreign language education, *Language ability testing, *Students, English language |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| Abstract: | A goal of this double issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique is to collectively consider what we mean when we talk about knowledge about language. How have our understandings changed over time? What are the implications of these new understandings for pedagogy in the field of language teaching? These are necessary and important questions. This article, however, does not attempt to address them. Rather, it focuses on the power of standardized assessment in language education and on its implications for the discussions contained within this journal. Central to this paper is the argument that standardized language assessments are resistant to change, rarely integrating new understandings of language into assessment designs. This reticence in turn limits advances in pedagogy. Language theorists and educators are therefore compelled to advocate for assessment reform. Drawing on a study of government-mandated writing assessment and its impact on Grade 12 academic students in Alberta, Canada, this article demonstrates how poorly developed standardized assessments curtail teaching and learning. The article concludes with a discussion of validity theory and its implications for test design, demonstrating how validity research can be used to ensure that standardized language tests value and support new understandings of language theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of English Teaching: Practice & Critique (University of Waikato) is the property of University of Waikato and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 31598333 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Teaching and assessing language skills: Defining the knowledge that matters. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Slomp%2C+David+H%2E%22">Slomp, David H.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22English+Teaching%3A+Practice+%26+Critique+%28University+of+Waikato%29%22">English Teaching: Practice & Critique (University of Waikato)</searchLink>. Dec2005, Vol. 4 Issue 3, p141-155. 15p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+exams%22">Language exams</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+language+education%22">Foreign language education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+ability+testing%22">Language ability testing</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students%22">Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+language%22">English language</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: A goal of this double issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique is to collectively consider what we mean when we talk about knowledge about language. How have our understandings changed over time? What are the implications of these new understandings for pedagogy in the field of language teaching? These are necessary and important questions. This article, however, does not attempt to address them. Rather, it focuses on the power of standardized assessment in language education and on its implications for the discussions contained within this journal. Central to this paper is the argument that standardized language assessments are resistant to change, rarely integrating new understandings of language into assessment designs. This reticence in turn limits advances in pedagogy. Language theorists and educators are therefore compelled to advocate for assessment reform. Drawing on a study of government-mandated writing assessment and its impact on Grade 12 academic students in Alberta, Canada, this article demonstrates how poorly developed standardized assessments curtail teaching and learning. The article concludes with a discussion of validity theory and its implications for test design, demonstrating how validity research can be used to ensure that standardized language tests value and support new understandings of language theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of English Teaching: Practice & Critique (University of Waikato) is the property of University of Waikato and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=31598333 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 141 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Language exams Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign language education Type: general – SubjectFull: Language ability testing Type: general – SubjectFull: Students Type: general – SubjectFull: English language Type: general – SubjectFull: Canada Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Teaching and assessing language skills: Defining the knowledge that matters. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Slomp, David H. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 12 Text: Dec2005 Type: published Y: 2005 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 20595727 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 4 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: English Teaching: Practice & Critique (University of Waikato) Type: main |
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