A Proposed Design and Rationale of Task-Based Activity as a Learning Assessment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31973/aj.v1i125.37Abstract
Language assessments are tests used to evaluate student communication ability. They are employed to source information critical to making decisions for education programs. Furthermore, language assessment can indicate a person’s level of ability to acquire, learn and use a new language (Bachman 1990 p. 94). The current article aims to design an English language assessment test to assess the language skills of listening and writing of fourth year students in a senior public secondary school in Iraq. First, the teaching context in which the assessment is designed for will be explained. Next, an illustration of the test’s purpose in language evaluation will be given. Following, the rationale underling the assessment will be addressed, with reference to theory of language and language learning. Furthermore, construct validity of the test through analysis of the outcomes of the test will be presented. Finally, the detailed procedures and the rubrics of the assessment shall be summarized.
Downloads
References
Press, Baghdad.
Bachman, LF 1990, Fundamental Consideration in Language Testing, Oxford University
Press, Oxford.
Bachman, LF & Palmer, AS 1996, Language Testing in Practice, Oxford University Press,
Oxford.
Beale, J 2002, ‘Is communicative language teaching a thing of the past?’, in Babel, Vol. 37,
No. 1, Winter 2002, pp. 12-16.
Chamot, A. (2001). The role of learning stratigies in second language acquisition. In M. P.
Breen (Ed.), learners contributions to language learning: new directions in research.
Harlow: Longman.
Cheng, LY & Curtis, A 2004, ‘Washback or backwash: A review of the impact of testing on teaching and learning’ In Washback in language testing: Research contexts and methods, eds. LY Cheng, YJ Watanabe & A Curtis, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah NJ.
Ellis, R 2003, Task-based Language learning and teaching, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Lantolf, JP 2000, ‘Introducing sociocultural theory’ in Sociocultural theory and second language learning, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Lightbown, PM 2000, ‘Anniversary Article Classroom SLA Research and second language teaching’, Applied Linguistics, 21(4), pp.431-462.
McNamara, TF 1996, ‘Second language performance assessment’ in Measuring Second Language Performance, Longman, London.
McNamara, T 2000, Language Testing, Oxford University Press, New York.
Richards, JC & Rodgers, TS 2001, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2nd ed,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Willis, D & Willis, J 2001 ‘Chapter 25: Task-based language learning’, in Carter, R and
Nunan, D (eds) The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright and Licensing:
For all articles published in Al-Adab journal, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work.
Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers: It is absolutely essential that authors obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables or any extract of a text) which does not fall into the public domain, or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyrightholder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyrightholder).
Permission is required for: Your own works published by other Publishers and for which you did not retain copyright.
Substantial extracts from anyones' works or a series of works.
Use of Tables, Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks if they are unaltered or slightly modified.
Photographs for which you do not hold copyright.
Permission is not required for: Reconstruction of your own table with data already published elsewhere. Please notice that in this case you must cite the source of the data in the form of either "Data from..." or "Adapted from...".
Reasonably short quotes are considered fair use and therefore do not require permission.
Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks that are completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition do not require permission.
Obtaining Permission
In order to avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process, you should start obtaining permissions as early as possible. If in any doubt about the copyright, apply for permission. Al-Adab Journal cannot publish material from other publications without permission.
The copyright holder may give you instructions on the form of acknowledgement to be followed; otherwise follow the style: "Reproduced with permission from [author], [book/journal title]; published by [publisher], [year].' at the end of the caption of the Table, Figure or Scheme.