Delivering Development podcast logo

This is the thirteenth episode of Delivering Development, our podcast on continuing professional development for language teachers and administrators. You can listen to the episode below on the embedded player, and you can also listen and subscribe to this and future podcasts at the various locations shown at the bottom of the show notes.
We welcome comments and feedback, which can be left either here or at the various other locations where you can get our podcast. We also welcome information on specific CPD opportunities, such as online courses, webinars, conferences etc., and also suggestions for future topics.

Listen to “Episode 13” on Spreaker.

Show notes

Introduction

It is the 13th of January, 2021. Welcome to episode 13 of the Delivering Development podcast, helping language teachers and others in the field to enhance their professional development. My name is Kevin Westbrook, and I am joined today by Neil Bullock.

Topics

Last episode the team discussed some questions to ask before even starting to develop a language assessment:

  • Why are you assessing?
  • What are you assessing?
  • Who are you assessing?

Ín this episode, Neil and I looked at some of the things you need to think about after you have written your test items. The discussion revolved around the following points:

  • Do your items and tasks actually test what you wanted to test? For example, just because they are asked to read a text doesn’t make it a reading test when all you do is ask about vocabulary.
  • What aspects of the skill are you testing? For example, is reading all at the word or clause level? It might be more important in fulfilling the construct to be testing at the whole text level or paragraph level.
  • Are you using any models of the skills? See below for links.

Our podcast is hosted on Spreaker. This is the link to the show page: https://www.spreaker.com/show/delivering-development

Links

Neil mentioned the Cambridge “Studies in Language Testing” series. It would be quite expensive to get a range of these, but maybe you can access them through a library. They can be found here:

Studies in Language Testing – Cambridge University Press

The Cambridge Language Assessment Series is more compact and more affordable. A starting point is here:

https://www.amazon.com/Assessing-Speaking-Cambridge-Language-Assessment-dp-0521804876/dp/0521804876/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1611608100

Here is a link to the Khalifa and Weir model of reading:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267298823_4_The_cognitive_processes_underlying_the_academic_reading_construct_as_measured_by_IELTS_Authors/figures?lo=1

And here is a link to a model of writing:

(2) (PDF) New Directions in Writing Theory (researchgate.net)

You can find others by searching for “models of (speaking, listening, etc.).

Conclusion

This is a monthly podcast. You will be able to access it at the Pete Sharma Associates web site in the blog section. The address is www.psa.eu.com. It is also available from spreaker.com and the usual podcasting aggregators such as Apple and Google. Links are below. Thank you for listening to Delivering Development. Check out our web site if you want to know more, and join us next month.

Delivering Development is also available at the following locations:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5G5o9xLESa5hLPn4DBBIxB?si=HUngSxfxQLC3mXjGb46OfQ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/delivering-development/id1466935749

iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-delivering-development-45910562/

Google Podcasts (might not yet be accessible outside the USA and Canada): https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvMzU0NTM2OC9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVk

Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id2152936

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/466762

Contact details for the participants on this podcast:

Neil Bullock:

http://linkedin.com/in/neil-bullock-919ba151

Laura Styles:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljstyles/

Pete Sharma and Kevin Westbrook:

http://kevwes9.dreamhosters.com/about/

Music:

The intro and outro are by permission of Katrina Monis. You can find the album the music is from by this talented singer and musician here:

Sunny Day

Episode 13

Leave a Reply