Course syllabus

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Semester 2, 2016

A 15-point course in the MTESOL programme. Also available to students enrolled in the PGDipLT and the MA in Applied Linguistics.

Course convenor:

Professor John Read                       Email: ja.read@auckland.ac.nz

Course aims and outcomes

This is a course on current concepts, procedures and issues in language assessment.  By the end of the course, students should have:

  1.  an awareness of various approaches to language assessment and current issues in the field
  2. an ability to evaluate particular testing or assessment procedures, with particular references to their purpose and context of use
  3. experience of developing a small-scale test or assessment procedure.

 

Weekly topics

Week

Topic

1

Introduction:  What is a language test?

Principles and purposes of assessment

2

Models of language ability and their implications for test design

3

Stages of test development

4

The assessment of listening and reading skills

5

The design of speaking and writing tests

6

The rating process

7

Validity and the process of validation

8

Statistical analysis of tests

9

Alternative forms of assessment

10

Formative assessment in the classroom

11

The educational and social impact of language tests

12

Computer-based testing and other innovations

 

Teaching format

This is an online course originally designed to meet the needs of students undertaking the MTESOL degree through distance study. It is also available to on-campus students.  There are weekly study guides and students are expected to contribute to the Discussion Forum on each topic. There is also a one-hour meeting each week, which students can participate in either on campus or through videoconferencing.

Workload

Following the Faculty workload guideline, students are expected to spend ten hours a week on study for this course.

Learning resources

The set textbook for this course is: McNamara, T. (2000). Language testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Each week's study guide specifies other set articles and chapters for the various course topics.

Assessment

The course grade is based on two assignments (worth 30% and 50%), plus contributions to the Discussion Forum (20%).

Course summary:

Date Details Due