Abstract
Which professional book have you read recently that impressed you the most?
As I have been teaching language assessment, I am always on the lookout for new books in this area, especially ones aimed at practitioners. I was therefore very excited to come across Language Assessment for Classroom Teachers.
I was first attracted by the promise of an ‘entirely new approach to developing and using classroom-based language assessments’ (back cover). Secondly, Lyle Bachman, well-known for earlier publications in this area (Bachman and Palmer, 1996: 2010) was the co-author. I was interested in how Bachman’s own thinking had evolved over the years, especially with current interest in Assessment for Learning.
What aspects of the book did you find the most interesting?
The aspect that impressed me most was that the book really does offer a new way of looking at classroom assessment. Assessment principles and practices are re-envisioned through concepts such as ‘fairness’ (p. 28), ‘values-sensitivity’ (p. 50), ‘equitability’ (p. 51), ‘sufficiency’ (p. 62), ‘meaningfulness’ (p. 64) and ‘impartiality’ (p. 67).
In addition, approaches to assessment development are re-conceptualized. Most books on language assessments begin by introducing terminology, purposes, test types, and principles before moving to what and how to test, score and analyse results (See Brown, 2004; Bachman and Palmer, 1996; Bachman and Palmer, 2010; Green, 2014; Hughes, 2013, for examples). Turning this completely around, Bachman and Damrock urge teachers to first ask what beneficial consequences we want to bring about through our assessments, then decide what and how to assess. The authors assert that this approach will enable teachers to develop and use assessments to support teaching and learning.
Yet the book does not ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’ as the authors address foundational concepts and skills for developing classroom assessments in depth, including practical topics such as developing blueprints (p. 133), preparing the test setting (p. 142), making test instructions understandable (p. 146), and ways to report student achievement (p. 161).
The second strength is the clear presentation of the content and the practitioner-based focus. Part I justifies the need for a new approach, Part II explains the approach, Part III exemplifies application of the approach, and Part IV provides examples of assessments for different age groups, proficiency levels and macroskills based on the approach. Within the chapters are discussions of the key concepts and definitions of terminology, compiled alphabetically in a glossary at the end of the book. Illustrative examples are given throughout followed by activities with answer keys.
Thirdly, the book is replete with resources. A particularly valuable resource which can be photocopied is the ‘Assessment Use Argument’ (AUA) flowchart. This provides the conceptual framework for task development. Illustrative examples followed by guided activities (with answers) are presented to guide the readers through the process of linking intended consequences, intended decisions, intended interpretation and intended assessment record to deciding what student performance is needed and what assessment tasks can elicit the necessary performance. Also useful are the 15 fully-specified examples of classroom-based assessments. Nine are found in the book and six on the companion website: www.oup.com/elt/teacher/lact.
What stands out is the readability of the book, achieved largely through a conversational style that engages and allows readers to digest difficult technical concepts with relative ease.
Who would you recommend read this book, and why?
The book is intended for TESOL teacher educators and pre- and in-service teachers. It will challenge us to consider the beneficial consequences of assessments ahead of questions about what and how to test. Viewed from an Assessment for Learning lens, where assessment is seen ‘to serve the purpose of promoting students’ learning’ (Black et al., 2004: 10), this book reminds us that assessment should be the ‘servant’, helping teachers and students to achieve their goals, rather than the ‘master’, controlling what and how teachers teach and students learn.