ASSESSMENTS, REFLECTION

It is necesary to bring up the concepts for each one of the test to understand better this reflection about the following kind of assessments.

Placement test

Once students are accepted for a course, there may be a placement test to help decide which class/group they are to go in. The test may consist of multiple-choice grammar and vocabulary questions, reading comprehension, close passages, etc. It may test all the language skills rather than focus on one or two.

This test is necessary for recognize in what level the student has to stay and what topics need to be reinforce, I like this test because is an opportunity to begin in the correct level to study.

Diagnostic test

Such tests have several functions: they provide information on progress being made and areas of difficulty remaining. Judgment is needed about the frequency of such tests: if they are given too often, they become an end in themselves, and any pleasure there might be in learning is destroyed.

This test allow to the teacher identify the necessities in the classroom, is excellent do it before to start any topic or lesson because not only recognize the requirements but also the previous knowledge.

Achievement/attainment test

At the end of a course a final test is often conducted to see if students have learned what they should have been taught. The final test on an EAP course may reflect the language needs of the target situation and contain a simulation of study skills in use (e.g. listening to a talk, making notes, writing a report, etc.). A true achievement test will have constant standards from one course to the next and from year to year.

This is one of the most important due to that in this test we as teachers can observe what goals or objectives were achieved on the classes.

Proficiency test

A proficiency test looks forward, assessing the suitability of students for specific courses, from the point of view of their control of the language. Such tests are not based upon particular syllabuses, books or teaching programmes. This aims to assess the ability of a student to follow a university course in an English-speaking country.

This test is excellent when we are teaching languages for the reason that we know how the students are acquiring the skills, how is the management of it.

All the previous assessments are important each one in their essence because complement the in a major time the teaching and learning.

Reference

     Hutchinson, T. y Waters, A (2010). (pp. 157-163).English for Specific Purposes. NY: Cambridge University Press.