Postgraduate Course: Language Testing (EDUA11045)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Language testing aims to provide an introduction to important issues in language testing (through relevant literature), practical experience of designing language test items (through a test design project), a wider understanding of research in the field of language testing (based on current research articles) and an additional insight into socio-cultural and ethical aspects of language testing. |
| Course description |
The course aims to cover these topics:
1. Accountability, validity and fairness in language testing.
2. Reliability and rating scales.
3. Assessing productive skills (writing and speaking)
4. Assessing receptive skills (listening and reading)
5. Testing techniques and procedures
6. Evaluating test items.
7. Considering ethics.
The course will be taught through a workshop-based interaction with a focus on group interaction. Students are also expected to engage with the topic outside the class, for example by working in small project groups. The outcomes of this engagement will be directly relevant for their written assignment.
The course links directly into knowledges established through previous modules of the programme. For example, it enhances the understanding of language skills and system. It aligns language assessment within the larger context of learning outcomes and curriculum aims and investigates how language is learned and thus how it should be tested.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2026 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 8,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 8,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
172 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One summative assignment consisting of different parts, for example, a number of reflective journals on the test project, demonstrating critical development of knowledge and understanding of test concepts, a comparison of two language tests, demonstrating critical awareness of issues regarding different types, domains and purposes of language tests, or similar issues, evidence of test development etc.
Assessment Weighting:
This assignment is divided into three parts:
Part 1: Reflective Blogs (2000 words) (LO 1, 2, 5)
Part 2: Critical Analysis of language tests (1500 - 1750 words) (LO 1, 2, 3, 4)
Part 3: Evidence of Test Development (LO 3, 5)
Part 1 'Reflective Blogs' is made up of 4 x 500-word blogs. This equals 50% of overall assessment.
Part 2 ¿Critical Analysis¿ is made up of a document including tables, text and visuals. This equals 40% of overall assessment.
Part 3 ¿Evidence of Test Development¿ is based on uploaded materials and engagement on a sharing platform. This equals 10% of overall assessment.
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| Feedback |
Students submit an aspect of their reflective writing to provide feedback on the nature of critical reflection. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- show familiarity with a wide range of current ideas and methods in language testing.
- relate them critically to theories and assumptions about language, teaching and learning.
- have a working competence in writing classroom tests.
- have a working competence in evaluating published tests.
- show critical understanding with issues in test development and design. .
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Reading List
Kunnan, A. J. (Ed.). (2024). The concise companion to language assessment. John Wiley & Sons.
Bachman, L., & Adrian, P. (2022). Language assessment in practice: developing language assessments and justifying their use in the real world. Oxford University Press.
Winke, P., & Brunfaut, T. (Eds.). (2021). The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and language testing. Routledge.
Harding, L., & Fulcher, G. (Eds). (2021). The Routledge handbook of language testing. 2nd edition. Routledge.
McNamara, T., Knoch, U., & Fan, J. (2019). Fairness, justice, and language assessment: the role of measurement. Oxford University Press.
Tsagari, D., & Banerjee, J. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of second language assessment (Vol. 12). de Gruyter.
Green, A. (2013). Exploring language assessment and testing : language in action. Routledge.
O'Sullivan (ed.) (2010). Language testing: theories and practices. Palgrave Macmillan.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students develop their evaluative skills through the critical engagement with existing language tests.
Students develop their communication skills through project group work on developing language tests.
Student develop their autonomous learning skills through the project group work. |
| Keywords | language testing construct items validity |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Claudia Rosenhan
Tel: (0131 6)51 6464
Email: Claudia.Rosenhan@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Ethan Williamson
Tel:
Email: Ethan.Williamson@ed.ac.uk |
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