Name : Siti Asyifa Anindya (1610117320032)

Subject : Language Testing and Assessment A1

1. Assessment and Teaching

Assessment can be defined as the process of gathering the data and fashioning them into interpretable
form for decision-making. It involves collecting data with a view of making valve judgment about the
quality of a person, object, group or event (Ajuonnma, 2006). Assessment is the process of gathering
information to monitor progress and make educational decisions if necessary. An assessment may
include a test, but, also includes methods such as observations, interviews, behaviors, monitoring, etc.
Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal. On
the other hand, teaching sets up the practice of games of language learning: the opportunities for
learners to listen, think, take risks, set goals, process feedback from the "coach" and then recycle
through the skills that they are trying to master.

2. Informal and Formal Assessment

Informal assessment can take a number of forms, starting with incidental, unplanned comments and
responses, along with coaching and other impromptu feedback to the student. Examples include saying
"Nice job!" "Good work!" "Did you say can or can't” "I think you meant to say you broke the glass not
you break the glass" or putting a symbol on some homework. On the other hand, formal assessments
are exercises or procedures specifically designed to tap into a storehouse of skills and knowledge. They
are systematic. planned sampling techniques constructed to give teacher and student an appraisal of
student achievement. To extend the tennis analogy, formal assessments are the tournament games that
occur periodically in the course of a regimen of practice.

3. Formative and Summative Assessment

Formative assessment is evaluating students in the process of "forming" their competencies and skills
with the goal of helping them to continue that growth process. The key to such formation is the delivery
(by the teacher) and internalization (by the student) of appropriate feedback on performance, with an
eye toward the future continuation ( or formation) of learning. Beside that, Summative assessment aims
to measure, or summarize, what a student has grasped, and typically occurs at the end of a course or
unit of instruction. A summation of what a student has learned implies looking back and taking stock of
how well that student has accomplished objectives, but does not necessarily point the way to future
progress. Final exams in a course and general proficiency exams are examples of summative assessment.

4. Norm-referenced test and Criterion-referenced test

In norm-referenced tests, each test-taker's score is interpreted in relation to a mean (average score),
median (middle score), standard (extent of variance in scores), and/or percentile rank. The purpose in
such tests is to place test-takers along a mathematical continuum in rank order. Scores are usually
reported back to the test-taker in the form of a numerical score (for example, 230 out of 300) and a
percentile rank (such as 84 percent, which means that the test-taker's score was higher than 84 percent
of the total number of test takers, but lower tan 16 percent in that administration). Beside that,
Criterion-referenced tests are designed to give test-takers feedback, usually in the form of grades, on
 specific course or lesson objectives. Classroom tests involving the students in only one class, and
connected to a curriculum are typical of criterion-referenced testing. Here, much time and effort on the
part of the teacher (test administrator) are sometimes required in order to deliver useful, appropriate
feedback to students, or what Oller (1979, p. 52) called "instructional value."

5. Discrete-point and Integrative test

Discrete-point tests constructed on the assumption that language can be broken down into its
component parts and that those parts can be tested successfully. These components are the skills of
listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and various units of language (discrete points) of phonology/
graphology, morphology, lexicon, syntax, and discourse. It was claimed that an overall language
proficiency test, then, should sample all four skills and as many linguistic discrete points as possible. On
the other hand, Integrative test has two types of tests that have historically been claimed to be
examples integrative tests: cloze tests and dictations. A cloze test is a reading passage (perhaps 150 to
300 words) in which roughly every sixth or seventh word has been deleted; the test-taker is required to
supply words that fit into those blanks. Dictation is a familiar language teaching technique that evolved
into a testing technique. Essentially, learners listen to a passage of 100 to 150 words read aloud by an
administrator (or audiotape) and write what they hear, using correct spelling. The listening portion
usually has three stages: an oral reading without pauses; an oral reading with long pauses between
every phrase (to give the learner time to write down what is heard); and a third reading at normal speed
to give test-takers a chance check what they wrote.

6. Traditional and Alternative Assessment

Traditional Assessment Alternative Assessment

One-shot, standardized exams Continuous long-term assessment
Timed, multiple-choice format Untimed, free-response format
Decontextualized test items Contextualized communicative tasks
Scores suffice for feedback Individualized feedback and washback
Norm-referenced scores Criterion-referenced scores
Focus on the "right" answer Open-ended, creative answers
Summative Formative
Oriented to product Oriented to process
Non-interactive performance Interactive performance
Fosters extrinsic motivation Fosters intrinsic motivation