Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency

The Interface between Learning and Assessment

J. Charles Alderson

• Publisher: Continuum
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9780826493880
• eBook ISBN: 9781441147592
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Teaching Language Arts
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

This book addresses the need for tests that can diagnose the strengths and weaknesses in learners' developing foreign language proficiency. It presents the rationale for, and research surrounding, the development of DIALANG, a suite of internet-delivered diagnostic foreign language tests funded by the European Commission. The word 'diagnosis' is common in discussions in language education and applied linguistics, but very few truly diagnostic tests exist. However, the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency is central to helping learners make progress. This volume explores the nature of diagnostic testing, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the nature of appropriate diagnosis. The book starts with a debate about how diagnostic testing might most appropriately be developed. Charles Alderson argues that the field has neglected to construct diagnostic tests, partly because other forms of testing have dominated the field. Alderson examines how proficiency has been diagnosed in the key areas of language: reading, listening, writing, grammar and vocabulary. The value of self-assessment is discussed and exemplified as a key component in developing learners', and teachers', awareness of the complexity of language learning. The book ends with a consideration of and recommendations for future developments in the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Diagnosing foreign language proficiency: a teaching/testing interface
• 2 Diagnosis in other fields
• 3 Introduction to DIALANG
• 4 The history of DIALANG
• 5 Piloting in DIALANG
• 6 Setting standards
• 7 The Vocabulary Size Placement Test
• 8 The role of self-assessment in DIALANG
• 9 Reading
• 10 Listening
• 11 Writing
• 12 Grammar
• 13 Vocabulary
• 14 The value of feedback and advice
• 15 Experimental Items
• 16 Experiments in the use of self-assessment
• 17 The future of diagnostic testing
• References
• Index