Main qualities of test in language testing and assessment terminology systems in English, Russian and Spanish languages

Abstract

The existing demand for developing and unifying the terminology of language and assessment is precipitated both by the overall public interest in learning foreign languages, requiring a standardized system of evaluating the learning outcomes, and globalization and integration of educational institutions, as well as intensification of professional contacts among the experts of the field. English is one of the most popular foreign languages in the world, thus, many language testing terms are originally English as well, and later are borrowed by other languages. However, as it frequently happens with borrowings, modification and even distortion of the term meaning are expected, hindering the terminology standardization and even interfering with effective communication. This study is aimed at describing the changes in English terms of testing and assessment (namely, the ones referring to the properties of a test as a skill evaluation tool) after their transfer into Russian and Spanish. Translation and comparative analyses of seven English, Russian and Spanish terms, describing properties of a test, were used to reveal the discrepancies in their form and meaning. The study showed that original and borrowed terms display certain differences due to using various translation methods for their transition from the source language into a target one along with certain inconsistencies in their semantic structures and contextual usage. It is suggested that these discrepancies stem from insufficient knowledge of lan guage testing experts about the term meaning and usage, and such inconsistencies might complicate developing standardized tasks for language assessment. The issue deserves further indepth study.