In this article, I’m going to tackle tests as the main form of language assessment and the alternative forms that teachers can use instead of tests.
Reasons For Using Tests
There are many reasons for including a test in the language course. Some of them are as follows:
- A test can give the teacher valuable information about where the students are in their language learning.
- A test can guide the teacher on what to cover or review next.
- Tests help teachers to decide if their teaching is effective.
- A Test can be a tool for learning and a starting point for the next teaching.
- Tests can give students a sense of accomplishment and progress.
- Tests can highlight areas for students to work on and tell them what has and hasn’t been effective in their learning.
- Tests can encourage students to consolidate and extend their knowledge.
- Effective feedback after a test can be invaluable in helping students to understand something they couldn’t do during the teaching.
Reasons For Not Using Tests
On the other hand, there are many reasons for not using tests as the main form of language assessment. These reasons are as follows:
- Tests don’t usually give a true account of students’ knowledge or skills.
- Students often become so nervous when performing tests and this affects their results.
- Some students may do well in the tests despite not having worked throughout the course.
- Once the test has finished, most students forget all that they have learned.
- Many students focus more on passing the tests rather than improving their language skills.
Alternatives To Tests
Using only tests as the main form of assessment has obvious drawbacks so tests should not be the only criteria for assessment. There are other alternatives that can be used instead of or alongside tests such as portfolios, take-home assessments, summaries, reports, etc.
Choosing a combination of the following alternative forms is the most effective approach to assessment.
What alternative assessments should you try out in EFL classes? There are a number of choices you can use. There are 8 examples you can explore in this article.
In this article you will learn more about:
- What Alternative Assessment is.
- Characteristics of Alternative Assessment.
- Advantages of Alternative Assessment.
- Disadvantages of Alternative Assessment.
- 8 Alternatives To Tests To Use In EFL Classes For English Language Assessment.
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