Resources in Testing for Foreign and Second Language Teachers

Date:

May 1997

Issue:

The Language Teacher - Issue 21.5; May 1997

Writer(s):

Greta J. Gorsuch Mejiro University

This is the final installment in a series of four articles on testing.

Fortunately, the number of books, journals, and articles on testing for foreign and second language teachers has steadily increased over recent years. There is much more out there now than there was ten years ago, and even better, the general trend seems to be more towards helping regular, non-specialist teachers get away from the idea that testing is something that only experts can and should do. As was stated in the first article in this series (see the January issue of The Language Teacher), tests mean a great deal to our students, to the institutions we work for, and to the society that we serve. We should know as much as we can about tests and ensure that they are used appropriately. It is hoped this resource list will help teachers in this process.

This list of resources has been divided under the following subheadings: books, journals, courses, databases, and relevant addresses. Individual articles are not listed, as testing is a very broad area. It would be best for teachers to determine their specific areas of interest themselves and search in the journals and other resources listed.

The author assumes this resource list is not complete and hopes that all interested readers will contact her concerning any books, journals, courses, or addresses that are not reported below. Her contact address appears at the end of this resource list.

Books

Alderson, J. C., Clapham, C., & Wall, D. (1995). Language test construction and evaluation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This is a new teacher's resource book which really brings home the realities of developing valid and reliable tests locally. There is very detailed commentary on writing test items, piloting tests, analyzing the results, and revising the test items. This book should be required reading for anyone involved in writing university entrance examinations, and placement tests at the local level.
Amano, I. (1990). Education and examination in modern Japan (W. K. Cummings & F. Cummings, Trans.). Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press.
The author provides historical and social commentary on the development of the current examination system in Japan. Provides a good, if abstract, context for educators in Japan.
Bachman, L. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This book should be read for background by those who are somewhat beyond the beginner stage of teaching/testing. Rather than telling teachers/testers how to "do" testing, the author raises many important issues in testing. There is an excellent section on the validation of tests. The author argues that validation (developing a test that "fits" the students taking it) is a continuous process, and not something achieved overnight.
Brindley, G. (1989). Assessing achievement in the learner-centred curriculum. Sydney: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, Macquarie University.
This is an excellent book for teachers who understand the basics of testing. It details assessment undertaken in a large scale curriculum project in Australia.
Brown, J. D. (1996). Testing in language programs. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.
This is a "must have" book about language testing which includes concrete, specific guidelines on adapting, adopting, and creating tests. The book also includes exercises at the end of each chapter with answer keys which add to its "how to" and "can do" sense overall. It is essential for beginners to testing, giving a good, solid foundation in testing concepts, terminology, and practice.
Brown, J. D., & Yamashita, S. O. (Eds.). (1995). JALT applied materials: Language testing in Japan. Tokyo: Japan Association for Language Teaching.
This is a collection of 18 articles written by various Japan-based authors on topics such as standardized testing, classroom testing, oral proficiency testing, program level testing, and "innovative" testing. The articles are practical and immediately applicable to many testing situations in Japan.
Cohen, A. (1994). Assessing language ability in the classroom (2nd ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
This book places testing firmly in the classroom, and provides basic terminology and concrete guidelines for writing, developing, and revising test items. The author emphasizes the dynamic relationship classroom tests can have with students' learning, and discourages "questionable" classroom testing, which includes using tests as an exclusive measure for grading, testing material that was not taught, and using only one testing method. Such advice is meaningful in many high school EFL teaching situations in Japan.
Davies, A. (1990). Principles of language testing. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
This introduction to testing is not as accessible as others on the market, in the sense that it remains quite abstract throughout. However, the book contains some descriptions of testing in large scale EFL projects.
Douglas, D., & Chapelle, C. (Eds.). (1993). A new decade of language testing research: Selected papers from the 1990 Language Testing Research Colloquium. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
A collection of papers presented at the twelfth annual Language Testing Research Colloquium sponsored by TESOL, this book contains fairly technical reports. Still, the reports focus on very practical issues which everyday teachers may encounter. Examples: "The Role of Instructions in Testing Summarizing Ability," and "A Comprehensive Criterion-Referenced Language Testing Project."
Fradd, S. H., & McGee, P. L. (1994). Instructional assessment: An integrative approach to evaluating student performance. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
A hefty, comprehensive book designed for teachers/testers working in U.S.-based ESL programs, it is nonetheless valuable for teachers in EFL program contexts in that the authors advocate creating a very broad, program-wide profile of students' abilities through many kinds of assessment. This may be of help to teachers at colleges and universities where foreign language programs are being revamped due to downturns in the pool of 18 and 19 year olds available for enrollment.
Henning, G. (1987). A guide to language testing: Development, evaluation, research. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
This book is another "must have" book for testers/teachers at all levels who work on tests from the classroom to the program level. Testing terminology is introduced in a thorough and comprehensive manner. There's also an excellent section on computer adaptive testing and item banking. This latter concept would be very useful for teams of teachers involved in the frequent writing of tests.
Heywood, J. (1989). Assessment in higher education. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons.
This is an excellent overview of testing in higher education. It is grounded on research on testing and curriculum conducted in the U.K., U.S., and Scandinavia. The book includes many taxonomies of cognitive and social development, and explicitly discusses how course objectives can be based on these taxonomies. Also included is a case study of Alverno College in the U.S., which completely revamped its liberal arts curriculum and undertook the implementation of many unconventional but highly valid assessment systems. Unfortunately this book is not widely available, although one copy known to the author can be found in the Temple University Japan (Tokyo) library (see address below).
Hill, C., & Parry, K. (Eds.). (1994). From testing to assessment: English as an international language. London: Longman.
This is a collection of articles on tests used in largely EFL contexts. Each article centers on situations that teachers in EFL situations may encounter, such as ESP programs in Brazil, and university entrance exams in Japan. The real gem of the book is a lengthy article on the development of reading comprehension items on the much mentioned and used TOEFL® test. This book is not really designed for beginners to testing.
Hughes, A. (1989). Testing for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This book is a basic introduction to language testing. It introduces many important testing concepts and includes suggestions for testing major areas of concern for language teachers, such as writing, reading, and listening. There are brief sections on statistical analyses of test results.
Madsen, H. (1983). Techniques in testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This is one of the earlier books on language testing available in the market. It is ideal for those who are truly "number phobic," in that it introduces simple, small scale ways to score and analyze quiz or test results. The author creates yet one more good argument for using classroom quizzes and tests to enhance students' learning. Specific guidelines on testing vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, communication skills, reading, writing, and listening are included.
Milanovich, M., & Saville, N. (Eds.). (1996). Studies in language testing 3: Performance testing, cognition and assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This is a somewhat technical and diverse collection of papers prepared by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) on such topics as evaluating extensive reading programs and comparing placement tests. Don't be put off by the idea of the book being "technical" -- there are some numbers involved but all the articles are couched in concrete, practical terms.
Oller, J. (1979). Language tests at school. London: Longman.
This is a weighty, comprehensive book on testing. Beginners to testing will find it potentially hard going, but it is full of very concrete suggestions for various testing situations, such as oral testing. Also included is an excellent chapter on assessing students' attitudes -- if you are contemplating using a questionnaire in your classroom or for research, this is required reading.
Spolsky, B. (1995). Measured words. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This comprehensive history of language testing includes a valuable discussion on "pedagogical tests" (CRTs).
Weir, C. (1990). Communicative language testing. New York: Prentice Hall.
This book gives a good introduction to testing concepts, particularly the notion of test validity, about which communicative test developers are naturally concerned. The final two thirds of the book is devoted to a large bibliography, and appendices describing test items, and formats of tests better known to British/Australian/New Zealand ELT teachers: IELTS, UCLES, and TEEP.
Weir, C. (1993). Understanding and developing language tests. New York: Prentice Hall.
This is another very practical, basic testing book which introduces fundamental testing concepts and terminology. It includes short, non-mathematical exercises for teachers/readers to use for reflection.

Journals

Die Unterreichspraxis is the quarterly journal of the American Association of Teachers of German in Philadelphia, PA (USA). Although this journal is not for EFL teachers per se, EFL teachers will find occasional articles of interest on testing in foreign language situations. To get access to articles in this journal, please see Databases below.
Foreign Language Annals is the quarterly journal of the American Council of the Teachers of Foreign Languages in New York. Once again, there are occasional articles on testing in foreign language situations. To get access to articles in this journal, please see Databases below.
JALT Journal , our very own biannual journal, has featured quite a few relevant articles on testing in Japanese educational contexts over the past several years. Some notable examples:
The Language Teacher, JALT's monthly teaching journal, has published no less than 44 articles on testing since 1979 -- a treasure for teachers/testers in Japan. Articles in this journal tend to be very practical. For back issues, check English language libraries, or friends who have been members for a while. Some notable examples:
Language Testing is a quarterly journal published by Edward Arnold Publishers in London. This journal is a must for any teacher interested in testing. Articles can be quite technical but are always practical and cover a wide range of testing situations. To get access to articles in this journal, please see Databases below.
TESOL Journal is the quarterly pedagogical publication of TESOL in the U.S. It publishes testing articles fairly regularly, usually concerning ESL contexts. To get access to articles in this journal, please see Databases below, or contact TESOL directly for subscription information: e-mail: mbr@tesol.edu
TESOL Quarterly is the quarterly research publication of TESOL. Surprisingly few testing articles appear in this publication, but what there is, is good. A notable example is:
Kirschner, M., Spector-Cohen, E., & Wexler, C. (1996). A teacher education workshop on the construction of EFL tests and materials. TESOL Quarterly, 30(1).

To get access to articles in this journal, please see Databases below, or contact TESOL directly for subscription information (see above).

Courses

For the past several years, J. D. Brown, Professor of Applied Linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has taught a testing course at Temple University Japan during the first summer session in May and June. This is an excellent course for beginners to testing, and is well worth the time and money spent. Also, to take the course, matriculation into the M. Ed. program in not required. For more information, contact the Tokyo or Osaka branches of Temple University Japan directly:

Temple University Japan	Temple University Japan
Graduate Office of Education	Graduate Office of Education
2-8-12 Minami Azabu	Persona OS Biru 16F
Minato-ku, Tokyo. 106	3-3 Komatsubara-cho
Tel: 03-5441-9800	Kita-ku, Osaka. 530
.	Tel: 06-577-1277

Databases

One database widely available to anyone in Japan who has a computer, modem, and a local server is CARL's (Colorado Associated Research Libraries) document retrieval service, UnCover. To access this database of over 180,000 journals in all fields worldwide, log on through your local server at: <telnet database.carl.org>. For more information that is not online via computer, contact CARL at their fax number in the U.S.: 1-303-758-3030. CARL's UnCover service can help you locate references for articles on testing that you may be able to procure at libraries near you. If not, UnCover will fax you the entire article within a day or two for a fee (they accept major credit cards). UnCover also has a service (First Alert) where, for a yearly fee, they will send the table of contents of any journal in their list to your e-mail address, so you can keep apprised of what's appearing in those journals. Very handy!

Another database that is very useful to teachers/testers looking for articles is the ERIC® Clearinghouse on Language and Linguistics. A few universities in Japan have the ERIC® database on CD-ROM which you can access by actually going to the library and using their computers. One location is Temple University Japan in Tokyo (see address above). The database can also be accessed directly at: eric@cal.org. Contact ERIC® directly for further information on direct access and for other libraries in Japan carrying the CD-ROM database:

CAL
Å@1118 22nd Street NW
Å@Washington, D.C. 20037, U.S.A
Å@Fax: +1-202-659-5641

Relevant Addresses

ETS® makes the TOEFL@, SLEP@, and TOEIC® tests, and issues periodical notices of research reports (The Researcher) on the uses of these tests in various educational contexts. Teachers/testers can order The Researcher for a small charge. The address:

Educational Testing Service
Å@Princeton NJ 08541-6161
Å@U.S.A.

UCLES (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate) has developed the local "Cambridge Examinations" well known among British-based teachers. UCLES has also published some titles in testing research, one of which was listed in the section on Books above. The Syndicate's publications