Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D.
Table of ContentsLanguage Assessment: What it measures and how Dimensions of L2 Fluency Talking Dimensions of L2 Fluency Vocabulary & Syntax Dimensions of L2 Fluency Knowing the Rules Dimensions of L2 Fluency Creativity with Language Commercial Assessment Instruments |
Author: Jill Kerper Mora
Source: Fillmore, C.J. (1979). On fluency. In C.J. Fillmore,
D. Kempler, & W. S-Y Wang, (Eds.) Individual Differences in Language Ability and
Language Behavior, pp. 85-101. New York:
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Additional On-line Resources about Language Assessment on Dr. Mora's CLAD Website
Click here for Dr. Mora's analysis of the 2003-04 CELDT data and the LAO's 2004 report on progress on the CELDT
Click here for Dr. Mora's analysis of the Reclassification Debate
Click here for Dr. Mora's testimony on assessment of LEP students before the National Assessment Governing Board (1998).
Click here for a description of procedures for administering the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix.
Click here for a description of a language assessment case study assignment using the Primary Acquisition of Languages (PAL) instrument
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: Myths & Reality
Jill Kerper Mora
1. Language assessment is based on theories and principles of language structures and language learning and/or acquisition.
2. Language assessment instruments are limited by the validity and reliability of the theoretical models on which they are designed.
3. Language assessment can be undertaken for descriptive and/or diagnostic purposes. Not all instruments are valid for both purposes.
4. Language assessment instruments are limited by the practical aspects of test administration and scoring.
5. Few language assessment instruments evaluate both the Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and the Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) simultaneously. Most instruments only assess BICS with any level of reliability and validity.
6. Educators must not rely on a single instrument to make program placements or entry/exit decisions for students who are bilingual/L2 learners.
7. It is important to have language assessment data in the student’s primary language. Much information can be gained by comparing proficiency levels in L1 and L2.
8. Language assessment can be global or holistic in nature, or based on discrete points of language such as grammar or vocabulary.
This page was last updated on 07/19/07
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