Assessing Specific Language Ability: A Theoretical Framework

(Mohammed Naoua)

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Abstract

Assessing specific language ability can be defined as the process of administering tests to specific types of test takers in order to gather information about their levels of language competence, and about their capacity of using this competence in situations similar to their fields of interest whether academic or job-related. This paper attempts to provide a theoretical ‘Doglassan’ framework, which can be used as a checklist for describing and isolating the specific constructs to be tested, and for telling how these constructs can be tested. The research concludes with a set of recommendations relevant to testers, test takers, and test tasks. In this context, the paper recommends the spread of assessment and measurement literacies amongst teachers. It also calls for the identification of test takers’ specific communicative needs, and their levels of language and background knowledge before test design. Regarding tasks, and for reinforcing the concept of interactiveness between test takers’ language ability and the test input, the research recommends the enrichment of test content with subject-specialist cues. Key Words: Assessment, Communicative competence, Languages ability, Measurement, Tests.
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