Ethics of Language Testing

Can language testing promote literacy?

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Can language testing promote multilingualism?

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Is language testing valid? If so, how? If not, why not?

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Is language testing fair? If so, how? If not, why not?

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What are the stakes involved in language testing?

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What are the (un)intended consequences involved with language testing?

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Can language testing be unjust? If so, how? If not, how is it immune?

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When is language testing impractical?

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Is anyone disadvantaged in language testing? If so, who is or might be?

This lab addresses the nuts and bolts of language testing. Furthermore, it investigates the social aspects of language testing. Equal attention is devoted to the role of language testing in promoting literacy and multilingualism and to the question of their being unjust and discriminatory. Your instructional team and expert consultants - educators, assessment specialists, language lobbyists, etc. - will introduce you to language proficiency scales and assessment mechanisms. They will also outline the landscape of testing practices in U.S. academia, government, and industry. In teams, you will engage in critical analysis of these practices and design language assessment objects, making them reliable and equitable. One important segment of work will be collaborating with a group of language specialists in Serbia, who are attempting to establish assessment practices in that country. Other products from this course may include: creating resources for test takers and developers, such as reading lists, guides, etc. and spreading the knowledge about language assessment intra- and extramurally. 

Collaborations

• Collaborators TBA

Ethics of Language Testing in the News

At the Humanities Lab, we strive to ensure our Labs are relevant and current. Here are some recent articles about Ethics of Language Testing in today’s news!

An English Test Is Changed, and Some Foreign Students Worry

Putting Tests to the Test: Assessing High-Stakes Exams for Second Language Learners