ITEM TEST SPECIFICATIONS: HOW TO CREATE RECIPES FOR LANGUAGE ASSESSMENTS AND TESTS
ITEM TEST SPECIFICATIONS: HOW TO CREATE RECIPES FOR LANGUAGE ASSESSMENTS AND TESTS

Author(s): José Luis PEREA-HERNÁNDEZ
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Education, Foreign languages learning, Applied Linguistics, Language acquisition, Pedagogy
Published by: Biblioteca Ştiinţifică a Universităţii de Stat Alecu Russo
Keywords: Language Assessment; Item Test Specifications; Testing; Assessment; Test Development and Construction;
Summary/Abstract: Creating tests and assessments for both English language and second language learners has been challenging and has required a lot of theoretical and abstract thought. Conversely, big language testing companies, have shown weaknesses in their production of standardized assessments, especially in the training of test-item-writing. In order to create good language assessments, specifications are needed. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present the fundamental and basic principles to create a recipe or test specifications to create any type of language assessment. The author uses Lynch and Davidson’s five-step model (2002), following the formula derived by James Popham (1978). Further, after having presented the theoretical components of the model, the author proposes practical strategies to the use of this model and provide a sample language item test specification. The idea of this paper is to have teachers visualize and internalize the model to put it into practice in their own testing and assessment contexts.

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