Unit 15 Assessment in Language Teaching
Aims of the Unit:
1.To learn about assessment in language teaching
2.To learn how to conduct a successful assessment
15.1 The assessment purposes
Assessment in ELT means to discover what the
learners know and can do at a certain stage of the
learning process.
1. To assist student learning.
2. To identify students’ strengths and weaknesses.
3.To assess the effectiveness of a particular instructional
strategy.
4. To assess and improve the effectiveness of curriculum
programs.
5. To assess and improve teaching effectiveness.
6. To provide data that assist in decision making
7. To communicate with and involve parents
15.2 Assessment in language
teaching
1. Methods of assessment
1) Assessment and test
* Assessment is usually based on information
collected about the learners’ current
situation( what Ss know and can do ).
* Testing is a single-occasion, unidimensional,
timed exercise, usually in multiple choice or
short-answer form
2) Assessment methods
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Test
Teacher’s observations
Continuous assessment
Self-assessment & peer-assessment
Project work
Portfolios
15.3 Criteria for assessment
1) Criterion-referenced assessment
2) Norm-referenced assessment
3) Individual-referenced assessment
4)How to assess portfolios
15.4 Assessment principles
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Assess authentic use of language in reading, writing,
speaking and listening;
Assess literacy and language in a variety of contexts;
Assess the environment, the instruction, and the students;
Assess processes as well as products;
Analyze patterns of errors in language and literacy;
Be based on normal development patterns and behavior in
language and literacy acquisition;
Clarify and use standards when assessing reading, writing
and content knowledge;
Involve Ss and parents, as well as other personnel such as
the ESL or stream teacher, in the assessment process;
Be an ongoing part of every day.
15.5 Types of assessment
1. Types of Assessment
Three common types of assessment:
 Diagnostic Assessment
 Formative Assessment
 Summative Assessment
1) Diagnostic Assessment (诊断性评价)
 The purpose of diagnostic assessment
is to ascertain, prior to instruction,
each student’s strengths, weaknesses,
knowledge, and skills.
 Diagnostic assessment is sometimes
taken as a component of formative
assessment.
2) Formative Assessment（形成性评价）
 Formative assessment is often done at the beginning
or during a program, thus providing the opportunity
for immediate evidence for student learning in a
particular course or at a particular point in a program.
 The goal : is to gain an understanding of what
students know (and don't know) in order to make
responsive changes in teaching and learning.
 The results : is solely to modify and adjust his or her
teaching practices to reflect the needs and progress of
his or her students
3) Summative Assessment (终结性评价)
 Summative assessment is a test,
usually given at the end of a term,
chapter, semester, year, or the like,
the purpose of which is evaluative
 Summative assessments can shape
how teachers organize their courses
or what schools offer their students,
and can adversely affect students.
2. Assessment methods suggested by
New English Curriculum Standard
1) Ideas of assessment promoted by NECS
a. Assessment should be incentive and
constructive for the overall development of
students.
b.Assessment and language teaching should
correspond with each other.
c.A combined use of formative and summative
assessments should be promoted.
2) Assessment content
 Ss’ Learning interest（学习兴趣）
 Changes of emotions and learning strategies
（情感、策略发展状态）
 Efficiency of learning language knowledge and
skills in a period（对所学语言知识和技能的
掌握情况）
 Comprehensive ability of using the target
language（综合语言运用能力）
3) The definition of formative
assessment by NECS(新课标)
 形成性评价：通过多种评价手段和方法，对
学生学习过程中表现的兴趣、态度、参与活
动的程度，对他们的语言发展状态做出判断，
对他们的学习尝试做出肯定，以促进学生的
学习积极性，帮助教师改进教学。
4) Methods for formative
& summative assessment
 Formative Assessment
--- portfolios (学生学习档案)
--- performance records (活动表现记录)
--- task reports (小组活动报告)
--- classroom assessment (课堂表现记录)
 --- self-reflection and assessment (学生自我认识
和评价，包括对技能发展情况、努力程度、学
习效果等)
---self-reflection of test outcomes (阶段测验及反思)
 Summative assessment
--- placement test(分级考试)
---diagnostic test (诊断性测试)
--- achievement test (成绩考试/业绩考试)
--- proficiency test (水平考试)
Questions for assignment
1.
2.
3.
4.
What
What
What
What
is assessment?
are the purposes of assessment?
are the methods for assessment?
are the two types of assessment?