Language Testing (Oxford Introduction to Language Series) [Paperback]

Tim McNamara (Author), H. G. Widdowson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0194372227 | ISBN-13: 978-0194372220

This book examines test design, the rating process, validity, measurement and the social dimension of language testing. Traditional and newer forms of language assessment are considered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... provides with clarity and concision all the teacher or trainee will need to know in this area.' - EL Gazette

`'Handy, pocket-sized brief survey for readers new to the subject containing an up-to-date overview, short readings and study questions, references and glossary.'' The Teacher Trainer

About the Author

Professor Henry Widdowson is Emeritus Professor of Education, University of London, and has also been Professor of Applied Linguistics at Essex University and Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Vienna.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0194372227
• ISBN-13: 978-0194372220
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Efficient, August 26, 2007

By 

Bu-Chan (Aotearoa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Language Testing (Oxford Introduction to Language Series) (Paperback)

Like all of the "Oxford Introductions to Language Study", I found "Language Testing" to be both accessible and an informative, yet brief, introduction to the whole area of testing in language. Written with the absolute ignoramus in mind, (that would include me), McNamara's book is simply excellent.

Although it is not an in-depth analysis of the field, there is enough substance to give you a good overview and equip you with some of the more salient terminology and concepts. Lots of the terminology is printed in bold face, which makes it easy to highlight those words that will be used again and again throughout the book, and other books should you read more.

The book itself covers some of the history that has gone before us in testing, as well as chapters that discuss some of the issues facing test designers today. These include aspects like test design cycles, test validation, the rating process and more. There is also a good section of selected readings at the rear that relate to the chapters in the previous section.

Overall, if you are looking at beginning some reading on language testing, I would seriously recommend this book as the launching point. Pithy, concise and without a shred of waffling tripe, McNamara cuts to the chase effectively. It is a great book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perspective Matters, April 12, 2011

By 

Stephen Pellerine (In a bookshelf somewhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Language Testing (Oxford Introduction to Language Series) (Paperback)

Testing in TESOL is, as seen by many in the area, a business. This book does not address this, but it does address concepts, construction, and considerations necessary for someone in the industry.

It looks at types of tests, tests that attepmy to assess various aspects of language (listening, speaking), and how valid tests are (test validity). If you are doing an MA in language teaching and are new to such concepts I would really suggest adding this to the cart. I think it is a great review regardless of your vantage point: excluding advanced authors in the field.

Great book

4.0 out of 5 stars Short and to the point, April 6, 2010

By 

S MacLeod "newzild" (Malaysia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Language Testing (Oxford Introduction to Language Series) (Paperback)

This book is very short. That is a good and a bad thing.

It is good because the book strips down the elements of language testing to the bare essentials. Most of the important issues are dealt with, and all are dealt with succinctly and in plain language.

It is bad if, as a reader, you are hoping for an in-depth discussion of testing-related issues.

I read the book because it was a core text for a course I took as part of an MA Applied Linguistics. Each chapter served as a bare-bones introduction to the topic of the week. It served this purpose well, but it was necessary for my lecturer to supplement each chapter with other readings.

The book is a good introduction to language testing in the EFL/ESL environment, and did a good job of structuring the university course that I took. I'd recommend it for both of those purposes.