http://pages.nyu.edu/~lbg2909/testing.html

New York University | School of Education | Department of Teaching and Learning
Multilingual/Multicultural Studies Program

GO TO: Texts | Syllabus | Testing Links | Reserve Materials | Other

TEXTS:

Hughes, Arthur. Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press, 1989.

O'Malley, J. Michael and Lorraine Pierce. Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners. Addison-Wesley, 1996.

This syllabus will be revised as necessary as the semester progresses. Assignments are described briefly below.

• Assignment: Prepare one test item on a transparency, and fill out accompanying form to the best of your ability. Note: The test item can be testing any language skill (reading, speaking, listening, or writing), or you may choose to test vocabulary or grammar. If the test item is not in English, please be prepared to provide a translation. (due second week of class)
• Project 1: analysis of an authentic assessment technique. (due 2/19/98)
• Project 2: Plan and create a language test. (due 4/2/98)
• Project 3: Critique a standardized test. Prepare a presentation for the class with overheads and handouts, and a brief report summarizing your findings. Group-work is strongly encouraged. (due 4/30/98)

LINKS:

Language assessment, evaluation and testing resources on the web...continuously in development. Check frequently, and email me if you would like to comment on a link, or suggest one.

• University of Surrey's Resources in Language Testing WWW Page is the most complete resource available on the web. This is your jumping-off point for surfing the web for information about foreign/second language testing and assessment. Also at the University of Surrey, and worthy of your attention, is the The Language Tester's Guide to Cyberspace; this is not a list of links but rather an overview of what is available on the internet. It is a good place to go first, before you start surfing, if you are unsure of what you should/could be looking for.
• Another introduction to language testing resources on the Web is this article by Kenji and Kathleen Kitao. The Kitao's also have a well-organized and annotated list of links which includes languages others than English.
• The ACTFL (American Council in the Teaching of Foreign Languages) home page should definitely be bookmarked by those of you teaching languages other than English.
• FL-TEACH is an e-mail discussion list for foreign language teachers. Their archives are a rich source of information about many topics, including assessment and evaluation. You can also get subscription information at this site.
• A good source of links for foreign language teachers in general and, for ESL/EFL language tests in particular, is the Ohio University CALL Lab Teaching Resources page.
• Another site to bookmark as a reference: the WWW Applied Linguistics Virtual Library.
• The Center for Applied Linguistics has many research projects, including several relating to assessment and evaluation of English and other languages. This link will take you directly to a description of their testing projects.
• The Education Week web site has, among other things, a look at key issues confronting education today. Go here to get their overview of the topic of assessment, which includes web links, a reading list and a glossary. Other topics include bilingual education. These pages contain "brief but thorough background essays..." Each page also includes links to definitions of related educational terms and to the most relevant stories from the Education Week and Teacher Magazine archives. You'll also find a carefully selected and annotated list of pertinent sites on the World Wide Web, selected background readings, and a hyperlinked roster of related organizations."
  
• New York State Standards:
• Languages other than English
• Foreign Language & ESL
• STANDARDIZED TESTING:
• The Educational Testing Service, AKA the makers of the TOEFL, SAT, etc. have a page devoted to their research efforts. From the main ETS site (www.ets.org) you get get information about the TOEFL, TOEIC, and TWE.
• From this College Board (sister organization of the ETS and sponsors of the Advanced Placement--AP--exams) site, you can get information about Spanish, French, and German AP exams, as well as their new "International English Language" exam. You can also find out more about the SAT II Subject Tests, which include French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, and English Language Proficiency.
• British English Examinations site--lists the major English language tests offered by British examinination boards which are open to non-native speakers of English.
• At this test locator resource, you can search for standardized tests by name, category, etc. Information given for each test includes a description of the test, its publisher or distributor, its target audience, testing time, and number of items. It is part of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment & Evaluation.

RESERVE MATERIALS:

BRITISH:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) & other
  IELTS info
First Certificate in English (FCE)
Chart-English Language Exams from Britain

CENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS:
Basic English Skills Test, Core Section, Scoring Booklet
Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews (SOPI)-2 flyers
French Speaking Test-flyer
German Speaking Test-flyer
Portugese Speaking Test-flyer
Spanish Speaking Test-2 flyers
Japanese Speaking Test-flyer
Japanese Speaking Test-Preliminary Japanese Speaking Test--Combined
  Examinee Handbook
Japanese Speaking Test & Preliminary Japanese Speaking Test--Combined
  Test Manual
Chinese Proficiency Test & Preliminary Chinese Proficiency Test--Combined
  Test Interpretation Manual
Chinese Proficiency Test & Preliminary Chinese Proficiency Test--Combined
  Examinee Handbook

MICHIGAN TEST
English Placement Test, Form C
English Placement Test, Examiner's Manual
English Placement Test, Answer Sheet

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS
AP Course Description: French, Level 3
AP Course Description: German, Level 3
AP Course Description: International English Language
"A guide the the Advanced Placement Program"
Copy of a released 1993 AP French exam

SAT II:
English Language Proficiency Test, Practice Test
"Taking the SAT II Subject Tests", includes info about languages (Chinese,
French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish, English
Language Proficiency)

COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP)
Photocopy from a prep book

SPANISH REGENTS
Pupil copy
Teacher dictation copy

SECONDARY LEVEL ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST (SLEP)
Test form 3
Script for section 1 (listening)

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT BATTERY
Some sample pages of English Level II, Form B, grades 3-5 (for test-taker
& examiner)

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANUALS FOR SPECIAL
EDUCATION TEACHERS:
Early Childhood Level (not yet on reserve)
Upper Elementary Level (not yet on reserve)
Intermediate & Junior H.S. Level

NEW YORK CITY PAL
Performance Assessment in Language Arts:
Student Response Book, Grade 4, 1997
Scoring Guide, March 1997

STANDARDIZED TESTS-RESOURCES
Brief descriptions and contact information for a variety of commercial
language tests.

PROMOTING EXCELLENCE: ENSURING ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR LIMITED ENGLISH
PROFICIENT STUDENTS
A kit containing 6 guiding principles representing "best practices". This
is *not* related to standardized testing per se, but it does provide a
framework for understanding how standards and assessment can work in
school systems.

MISCELLANEOUS: