ERIC Number: EJ1176974
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1936-7384
EISSN: N/A
The Conceptualization and Operationalization of Diagnostic Testing in Second and Foreign Language Assessment
Liu, Heidi Han-Ting
Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, v14 n1 p1-12 2014
Diagnostic testing has long been valued by language testing researchers and practitioners for its ability to inform both teaching and learning. However, the number of well-developed diagnostic language tests is relatively low, most likely due to the difficulty in constructing a diagnostic test that incorporates a wide enough range of language skills. In recent years, the advancement of technologies has allowed for the development of several large-scale, computer-based diagnostic language tests, as well as more sophisticated measurement methods to conduct diagnosis. This article first provides the theoretical ground for how diagnosis has been conceptualized in language testing over the past 60 years. Then, several current approaches to operationalizing diagnosis in second and foreign language assessment, including both tests and methods, are reviewed. The article concludes with reflections on diagnostic testing in second and foreign language assessment at its current state, as well as recommendations for its future directions.
Descriptors: Diagnostic Tests, Language Tests, Second Languages, Computer Assisted Testing, Measurement Techniques, Alternative Assessment, Needs Assessment, English (Second Language)
Teachers College, Columbia University. 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027. e-mail: tcwebjournal@tc.columbia.edu; Web site: https://tesolal.columbia.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A