AJU5201 Language Testing

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Linda Nepivodová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Linda Nepivodová, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each even Friday 10:00–11:40 G31, except Fri 19. 4.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 14/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course introduces students to fundamental concepts, such as proficiency and communicative competence, validity and reliability, etc., in language testing and assessment. Various test types, techniques and task types will be discussed and analyzed in relation to the Common European Framework of Reference and the context of teaching/testing English in Czech upper secondary schools. Students will also have practice designing, analyzing and evaluating their own tests.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to: 1. Understand the key concepts of language testing and assessment. 2. Differentiate between different types of tests and select, critically evaluate and use appropriate types of tests for a given context. 3. Discuss advantages and drawbacks of a number of test techniques and task types. 4. Understand and work with the CEFR and make informed decisions as to which language abilities are expected at which levels of student proficiency. 5. Design an evaluation and assessment plan for a course and relate it to the CEFR. 6. Design, pretest, analyze, administer and evaluate a test, both pencil and paper and computer-based.
Syllabus
  • 1. Fundamental concepts in language testing and assessment (validity, reliability, practicality, washback, authenticity, proficiency and communicative competence) 2. Test types, test techniques and task types 3. Test design, test development circle 4. Ways of assessing the systems (grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation) and relating the assessment to the CEFR 5. Ways of assessing the skills (productive and receptive) and relating the assessment to the CEFR 6. Coursebook unit analysis and a construction of a progress test 7. Maturita exam and other high-stakes exams relevant to upper-secondary schools (the nature of language abilities measured, alliance to CEFR) 8. Computer-assisted language testing and assessment (recent developments in new task types, automated scoring) 9. Analyzing test data (facility value, discrimination index, item analysis, basic statistics)
Literature
    required literature
  • Hughes, A. (2003): Testing for Language Teachers, Cambridge: CUP.
  • Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: principles and classroom practices. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Education.
    recommended literature
  • Glenn Fulcher (2010): Practical Language Testing,London: Hodder.
  • Weir, Cyril (2005): Language Testing and Validation, Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Luoma, S. (2004): Assessing Speaking, Cambridge: CUP.
  • Myrick, Jason (2010): Moodle 1.9 Testing and Assessment, Birmingham: PP.
  • Purpura, J.E. (2004): Assessing Grammar,Cambridge: CUP.
  • Read, J. (2000): Assessing Vocabulary, Cambridge: CUP.
  • Bachman, Lyle (2004): Statistical Analyses for Language Assessment, Cambridge: CUP.
  • Glenn Fulcher & Fred Davison (2007): Language Testing & Assessment Oxford: Routledge.
  • Shohamy, E. (2001): The Power of Tests,Longman.
  • McNamara, T. (2000): Language Testing, Oxford: OUP.
  • Underhill, N. (1987): Testing Spoken Language, Cambridge: CUP.
  • Carol A. Chapelle, Carol A. & Douglas, Dan (2006): Assessing Language through Computer Technology,Cambridge: CUP.
Teaching methods
Lectures, group work, collaborative assignments, reading, online tasks
Assessment methods
Attendance is compulsory. The students will submit assignments, such as new test designs, analyses, etc. throughout the course and one final assignment in the examination period (50 points in total). They will also take a final test, which will check their in-depth understanding of the issues discussed in the course (approx. 25 open and closed questions, 50 points). In order to finish the course successfully, students need to submit all assignments (50% of the final mark) and take the final test (50% of the final mark).
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2024/AJU5201