Language for Specific Purposes assessment criteria: where do they come from?

Abstract

Typically in assessment of Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), test content and methods are derived from an analysis of the target language use (TLU) situation. However, the criteria by which performances are judged are seldom derived from the same source. In this article, I argue that LSP assessment criteria should be derived from an analysis of the TLU situation, using the concept of indigenous assessment criteria (Jacoby, 1998). These criteria are defined as those used by subject specialists in assessing communicative performances of both novices and colleagues in academic, professional and vocational fields. Performance assessment practices are part of any professional culture, from formal, gatekeeping examination procedures, to informal, ongoing evaluation built into everyday interaction. I suggest a procedure for deriving assessment criteria from an analysis of the TLU situation and explore problems associated with doing so, recommending a ‘weak’ indigenous assessment hypothesis to assist in the development of LSP test assessment criteria and guide interpretations of test performance.