Agus Eko Cahyono and Jumariati Approaches to Language Testing: From Classical to Performance-Based

Summary#2

Agus Eko Cahyono and Jumariati

Approaches to Language Testing: From Classical to Performance-Based

Assessment practices in the context of teaching and learning are affected by some approaches. Heaton (1990) explains four approaches to language testing. First, the Essay translation approach provides teacher’s subjectivity on judging the test-takers’ answers which can make the assessment highly subjective and unreliable. As a consequence, some practitioners believe that this approach is lack of reliability and validity. The test types in this approach include essay writing, translation, and grammatical analysis in forms of descriptive comments. Second, the Structuralist approach views that language elements like phonology, vocabulary and grammar and are tested separately to measure the test-taker’s ability in each language element. The language skills are also measured separately because this approach emphasizes the importance of testing each skill at a time. This approach is still valid today under certain circumstances as for instance the need to examine one’s ability in writing composition separately from reading ability. Third, the Integrative approach is applied in testing the test-taker’s ability in using the language based on the context. At least, two language skills are assessed simultaneously. The common test types used are the cloze test and dictation. Cloze test (completing every deleted nth word) requires students’ general abilities in linguistic based on the context. It measures the students’ linguistic knowledge, textual knowledge, and knowledge of the world. Meanwhile, the dictation type measures students’ listening skill, short-term memory span, and the grammatical and lexical familiarity. In the dictation, it is advisable that teachers read the whole passage in normal speed before then repeating each line once or twice using a slightly slower speed to scaffold them in listening, comprehending and writing. Finally, the Communicative approach focuses primarily on testing students to perform language to communicate in real context. Thus, the main focus is on the language effectiveness rather than language accuracy.

   

Brown and Abeywickrama (2010) also mention the approaches of language testing in their book entitled Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. The first approach is the Discrete-point and Integrative Testing. These approaches are popular in the 1980s and still used today. The discrete-point approach views that language are composed of smaller units (the four language skills and some language components like phonology, grammar, syntax, and so on) and that the units can be tested separately. Meanwhile, the integrative approach emphasizes that one’s language performance is determined on the performance of all language skills and components meaning that they are inseparable. The second approach is the Communicative approach which views that language competence is not only about organizational and pragmatic competence but also strategic competence which means the ability to use the language to communicate. The last is the Performance-based Assessment. Within this approach, students are assessed based on their actual performance on certain interactive tasks like oral and written either individual or in groups. This is time consuming but highly valid in terms of the content assessed. The choice of assessment type will be made based on one or more of the approaches discussed above. Each is appropriate to be used provided it matches with the purpose of the test and the students’ needs.

References:

Brown, H.D. & Abeywickrama, P. 2010. Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom

Practices. Second Edition. White Plains: Pearson Education, Inc.

Heaton, J.B. 1988. Writing English Language Tests. New York: Longman Inc.