Cathy's McNamara Ch. 1

McNamara, T. (2008). Language Testing. Oxford University Press.

Chapter1: Testing, testing…What is a language test?

This chapter talks about language testing, it’s terms and definitions. Types of tests are described such as performance tests, achievement tests, and criterion-referenced tests. Testing has proved to become a gateway to many careers and/or fields of interest. Language testing has changed over the years. It’s no longer a single performance test but may include a developing a portfolio of written or tape/video recorded oral assessment. Another may include observation in normal settings where language has to be used. Other forms of assessment are also mentioned in the chapter.

This chapter got me thinking about my own research which is currently in its’ planning stages. In regard to oral language assessment, I’m now wondering how I’m going to do that. I know observation is one way I could do it and video recording. As an observer, how am I to evaluate an oral language? What am I looking for? Am I looking for complete sentences? Am I looking for fluency only? I would probably have to come up with a checklist that I as an observer see as important. Are age and amount of time taken into consideration?

I thought it was interesting to read that “[w]hereas achievement tests relate to the past in that they measure what language the students have learned as a result of teaching, proficiency tests look to the future situation of language use without necessarily any reference to the previous process of teaching.” (McNamara, 2008, p. 7) It makes more sense to me to think of tests that are meaningful, meant for real life, and have a real purpose. A purpose that is not necessarily negative but positive in it’s outcome. Unless I misunderstood something as I was reading, this is what I came up with.