Reconceptualizing language teaching: an in-service teacher education course in uzbekistan

SECTION 3.1
Assessment for Learning: Gathering Data 
“Fundamental to teachers becoming responsive to stu-
dent learning needs is the availability of detailed informa-
tion about what students know and can do” (Timperley, 
2009, p. 21).
GOALS
This section focuses on approaches to gathering information about 
student’s language abilities so that as a teacher, you can make informed 
decisions about how to adapt and/or change your teaching processes for 
the betterment of student learning.
By the end of this section, you will be able to…
A) differentiate among testing, assessment, and evaluation;
B) explain the Assessment for Learning construct; 
C) reflect on your own classroom assessment practices; and,
D) discuss ways to use self-, peer-, and continuous assessments.
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Assessment is an inseparable part of teaching, influencing the deci-
sions teachers make, the actions they take, and the suggestions they offer 
for student learning. Classroom assessment, specifically, refers to methods 
and procedures used by the language teacher for gathering, analysing, 
interpreting and using information about student’s language abilities for 
decision making purposes. The terms often identified in the language as-
sessment and testing literature to refer to assessment of students are for-
mative and summative assessment. In this section, we focus on formative 
assessment or what is accurately – and more recently – identified as As-
sessment for Learning (AfL). AfL is about assessments, both formal and in-
formal, which provide information for teachers and students to identify the 
next steps for learning. 
Think about the following:
1) How do student assessment results influence the way we teach, de-
sign syllabi, and/or approach the language classroom context?

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CHAPTER THREE: LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT/TESTING
2) Should we involve students in the language testing and assessment 
process; if so, how?
UZBEK VIGNETTES
An English language teacher at a prestigious ‘foreign language uni-
versity’ discussed assessment at her university. She explained the follow-
ing:
“I have observed that some teachers diagnose their student’s lan-
guage levels at the beginning of the course and some do not. One teach-
er explained the course she teaches does not need to be diagnosed as 
the content is new and, therefore, she simply begins by providing the 
planned input. My other colleague insists on checking students’ lan-
guage level (e.g., knowledge and skills) before providing any instructions. 
However, she struggles with choosing proper ways to learn about the 
student’s abilities.”
REFLECTION
Think about the case above. Are the issues raised in it familiar to you in 
your teaching context? How important is assessing students before a 
course begins? How do you think a teacher could gather information 
about students? 
KEY CONCEPTS
There are eight key concepts in this section: testing; assessment; eval-
uation; Assessment-for-Learning; diagnostic assessment; peer-assessment; 
self-assessment; and continuous assessment. We will briefly explain each 
one below.
Testing, Assessment, Evaluation. Before learning about any concepts 
in the field of language assessment and testing, a teacher should be cogni-
zant of the differences among testing, assessment, and evaluation in order 
to use each in the right place in the right time. There are three popular 
terms in the literature that are sometimes misunderstood and used inter-
changeably. They are testing, assessment, and evaluation. However, each of 
these terms has a different meaning, scope, and function. A test is a specific 
technique for gathering information about students’ knowledge or abilities 
while assessment is a broader process involving various ways of collecting 
data including the use of tests. Therefore, a test is a part and a means of 
assessment; it serves as a tool in this process. Evaluation, in its turn, is the 

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RECONCEPTUALIZING LANGUAGE TEACHING
broadest concept out of the three, which encompasses both assessment 
and a test. It looks at the whole picture of teaching context and functions 
to make decisions based on the obtained evidence regarding the whole 
educational setting. 
Assessment for learning: Why? How? When? Imagine a doctor and 
a patient situation: a doctor cannot start treating a patient until he does 
not learn about the background and the current health condition of the 
patient. Based on a diagnosis, the doctor then can decide what to start 
from and how to treat the patient. A doctor gathers information about his/
her patient in order to make decisions for treating an illness. In the same 
manner teachers first need to gather information about their students be-
fore commencing the learning process. Those teachers who immediately 
provide instructions may not be aware of learners’ background knowledge 
and the strengths and weaknesses of their students, which could have an 
effect on what is taught. This is called Assessment for Learning. From its 
name, we can see that Assessment for Learning or more widely known as