• Semester 1 (Day)
• Semester 1 (External)

Synopsis

Teachers  constantly  have to make judgements  about  the  proficiency
levels  of their students. With the present emphasis on the  goals  of
second  language teaching being more communicative, teachers  have  to
develop skills beyond pen and paper tests to developing skills in oral
and  aural tests also. This unit examines the current knowledge  about
second language testing.

The  unit  will introduce students to the different types of  language
tests and their purposes. It will look at how language proficiency  is
measured and the ways the scores are interpeted. It will also  discuss
the  criteria  for  good  tests: reliability  and  validity.  Finally,
students will have practice in devising their own tests in which  they
will  demonstrate  their  understanding of the  principles  of  second
language testing.