How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

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Chapter 2: Embrace testing

in the nails that keep the instrument together However, I would not recommend using a hammer to actually play the thing! In other words, it’s the needs and goals of the teaching situation that enable proper evaluation of a particular test Testing, like it or not, is part of what we do Nation (2013) notes that it is one of the four core jobs of a teacher, along with planning courses, training learners, and teaching classes Testing is important because it provides us with clear feedback on student progress, helps students monitor their own progress, and can help motivate the students to learn A well-designed test can also serve as a diagnostic tool that enables us to teach more effective ly Madsen (1983: 5) writes persuasively on this point: Our tests can help us answer the important question, Have I been effective in my teaching? In other words, we can use them to diagnose our own efforts as well as those of our students. As we record test scores, we might well ask ourselves the following questions: Are my lessons on the right level? Or am I aiming my instruction too high? Am I teaching some skills effectively but others less effectively? What areas do we need more work on? Which points need reviewing? Should I spend more (or less) time on this material with next year’s students? As you can see, without testing, we would not be able to function effectively as teachers Many of the decisions we make about every aspect of our job come from the feedback we get from assessing our students The better we accomplish this essential task, the better job we can do All tests are not the same The next step towards realizing positive washback in your teaching practice is understanding that not all tests are the same This may