Summary:
Understanding Language Testing presents an introduction to language tests and the process of test development that starts at the very beginning. Assuming no knowledge of the field, the book promotes a practical understanding of language testing using examples from a variety of languages.
While grounded on solid theoretical principles, the book focuses on fostering a true understanding of the various uses of language tests and the process of test development, scoring test performance, analyzing and interpreting test results, and above all, using tests as ethically and fairly as possible so that test takers are given every opportunity to do their best, to learn as much as possible, and feel positive about their language learning.
Each chapter includes a summary, suggestions for further reading, and exercises. As such this is the ideal book for both beginning students of linguistics and language education, or anyone in a related discipline looking for a first introduction to language testing.

• Exercises consolodate learning and help students put what they have learned into practice
• End of chapter summaries and a comprehensive glossary aid revision
• Examples from a variety of languages make the text relevant to all students and practitioners with an interest in language testing
• Theories are presented in accessible language with the main purpose of shedding light on the data, rather than as a goal in themselves
• Includes a chapter on the interpretation of statistics in language testing
• The first book to include a chapter on technology and language testing

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction: the rubber ruler
1.1 Why test language learning?
1.2 What is a language test?
1.3 The rubber ruler
1.4 Tests, measurement and evaluation
1.5 Ethical uses of language tests
2 Measuring language ability and making decisions
2.1 Measuring language ability
2.2 Making decisions about learners, teachers, programmes, and policies
2.3 Contexts of language use
2.4 Making valid interpretations of test performance
2.5 Conclusion: bias for best
3 Test development
3.1 What do I need to test? Needs analysis
3.2 How am I going to test language abilities?
3.3 How am I going to give the test? Test administration
3.4 How can my computer assist me in test development?
3.5 Conclusion
4 Alternatives in assessment
4.1 Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests
4.2 Communicative language tests
4.3 ‘General’ and ‘specific purpose’ language tests
4.4 Discrete-point and integrative tests
4.5 Formative and summative assessment
4.6 Alternative approaches to assessment
4.7 Conclusion
5 By the numbers: a statistics mini-course
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Normal distribution
5.3 The average or mean
5.4 Standard deviation
5.5 Correlation
5.6 Probability and statistical significance
5.7 The t-test of the difference between two averages
5.8 Analysis of variance
5.9 Reliability
5.10 The reliability of human raters
5.11 Conclusion
6 Technology and language testing
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Issues in technology and language testing
6.3 Technology and language task types
6.4 The promise and threats of automated scoring
6.5 Test feedback and reporting
6.6 Online and computer-based resources for statistics
6.7 Conclusion
Afterword: the rubber ruler revisited

About the Author(s):
Dan Fouglas is Professor of TESL and Applied Linguistics, Iowa State University, USA.

Readership:
Student teachers taking modules in applied linguistics and TESOL and students of linguistics taking modules in SLA and language teaching.