Language Testing--A Historical Perspective.

Autor/in	McGarrell, Hedy M.
Institution	Public Service Commission of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).
Titel	Language Testing--A Historical Perspective.
Quelle	In: Medium, 6 (1981) 4, S.17-40 (25 Seiten)Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Applied Linguistics; Audiolingual Methods; Communicative Competence (Languages); Educational Objectives; Grammar Translation Method; Language Tests; Notional Functional Syllabi; Psycholinguistics; Second Language Instruction; Sociolinguistics; Teaching Methods; Testing + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Linguistics; Linguistik; Angewandte Linguistik; Communicative competence; Languages; Kommunikative Kompetenz; Sprache; Educational objective; Bildungsziel; Erziehungsziel; Grammatik-Übersetzungsmethode; Language test; Sprachtest; Funktional-notionaler Ansatz; Psycholinguistik; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Soziolinguistik; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Testdurchführung; Testen
Abstract	Three major stages in the development of language testing have been identified and correlated with corresponding stages in teaching. These are: (1) the pre-scientific stage associated with the grammar-translation method; (2) the psychometric-structuralist stage concomitant with the audio-lingual method; and (3) the integrative-sociometric stage which goes along with recent communicative methods. The three trends are discussed in terms of views of language and learning, language teaching and the learner, testing, and strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The study shows the progression from lack of concern for statistical information and no accounting for validity, reliability, or objectivity in the pre-scientific stages through an atomistic approach towards language that concentrated on form, towards an integrative or global approach that concentrates on meaning. This third trend calls for testing instruments that allow an assessment of the learners' communicative competence. It would seem that a large number of tests will have to be developed if they are to evaluate different learners' communicative competence and if they are based on the learners' communicative needs. (AMH)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2004/1/01