Testing and Assessment: An Applied Linguistics Perspective

Various methods of discourse analysis are used to investigate student interaction with not only conventional testing but certain forms of alternative assessment. This investigation provides considerable evidence that assessment tasks can elicit a greater complexity of response than are allowed for in scoring rubrics. An approach to assessment in early childhood education is then described that is more respectful of such complexity, which is documented in three major ways: (a) test-like activities that are built around familiar classroom routines, (b) work samples that are collected over time, and (c) observational records that are maintained both at school and at home. Finally, both the educational benefits and practical difficulties of this approach are explored from a policy perspective.