Uses of Language Assessments

Abstract

Language assessments and tests are used in many contexts and for a variety of purposes. This entry presents their various uses and explains the relationship between language test use and validity. In assessment of individual test takers, language tests can be used for gatekeeping, placement, and diagnostic purposes as well as for assessing learners' achievements. Additionally, language tests are used to evaluate the effectiveness of language programs or for research purposes. Language test use plays a central role in test validation, driving the validity argument. A validity argument provides an overall evaluation of the proposed interpretations and uses of test scores through an analysis of evidence for and against the intended interpretations and uses in addition to their consequences.