Includes bibliographical references and index.

Language assessments and tests : what do we need to know, and why should we care? -- Making sense of the many approaches to language assessment -- Context, purpose, and impact : the situation matters -- What and who are we measuring? Validity and alignment -- Language assessment consistency : uniformity and reliability -- Assessing comprehension and knowledge with dichotomously scored item types -- Analyzing dichotomously scored items for selecting the most proficient test takers -- Judging the effectiveness of items scored as right or wrong -- Identifying the masters : evaluating criterion-referenced assessments -- Being creative : types and delivery of performance assessments -- Scoring performance assessments : rating, rating scales, and raters -- Judging the effectiveness of performance assessments : validity, reliability, and dependability -- Evaluating our language assessment literacy.

"Focusing on the key concepts and principles of second language assessment, this textbook offers an up-todate, accessible, and transparent introduction to the topic. It explores how to select, create, score, and analyze language assessments within various sociopolitical, cultural, and educational contexts"-- Provided by publisher.