Encyclopedia of Language and Education

2008 Edition
| Editors: Nancy H. Hornberger

Assessment at the Workplace

  • Kieran O'Loughlin
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30424-3_168
How to cite

Introduction

The assessment of second language skills at the workplace is an important part of Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), which is an established branch of applied linguistics. Within LSP a common distinction is made between languages for academic purposes and languages for occupational purposes. Assessments in language for academic purposes generally focus on whether students have the language skills to commence higher or vocational education whereas assessments in language for occupational purposes (or the workplace) are typically designed to assess whether an individual has the language skills to assume the relevant professional or vocational duties. Most well‐known assessments of LSP are proficiency tests that aim to assess an individual's readiness to operate successfully in a particular academic or workplace setting. These tests are normally performance‐based assessments in the sense that they require test‐takers to achieve particular communicative functions rather...

Keywords

Proficiency Test Target Language Language Proficiency Language Ability Test Task 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Alderson, J.C. (ed.): 2005, ‘Special issue: Language assessment in Europe’, Language Testing 22, 3.Google Scholar
  2. Bachman, L.F. and Palmer, A.S.: 1996, Language Testing in Practice, Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
  3. Basturkmen, H. and Elder, C.: 2004, ‘The practice of LSP’, in A. Davies and C. Elder (eds.), The Handbook of Applied Linguistics, Blackwell, Malden, MA, 672–694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Berry, V. and Lewkowicz, J.: 2000, ‘Exit‐tests: Is there an alternative?’, Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics 5(1), 19–49.Google Scholar
  5. Cambridge ESOL: 2006, http://www.cambridgeesol.org/index.htm, accessed 11 May.
  7. Council of Europe: 2001, The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
  8. Davies, A., Brown, A., Elder, C., Hill, K., Lumley, T., and McNamara, T.: 1999, Dictionary of Language Testing, Studies in Language Testing 7, UCLES/Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
  9. Davies, A.: 2001, ‘The logic of testing languages for specific purposes’, Language Testing 18(2), 133–147.Google Scholar
  10. Douglas, D.: 2000, Assessing Languages for Specific Purposes, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
  11. Douglas, D.: 2001a, ‘Language for specific purposes assessment criteria: Where do they come from?’, Language Testing 18(2), 171–185.Google Scholar
  12. Douglas, D.: 2001b, ‘Three problems in testing language for specific purposes: Authenticity, specificity and inseparability’, in C. Elder, A. Borwn, E. Gove, K. Hill, N. Iwashita, T. Lumley, T. McNamara, and K. O'Loughlin (eds.), Experimenting with Uncertainty: Essays in honour of Alan Davies, Studies in Language Testing 11, UCLES/Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 45–52.Google Scholar
  13. Elder, C.: 2001, ‘Assessing the language proficiency of teachers: Are there any border controls?’, Language Testing 18(2), 149–170.Google Scholar
  14. Elder, C. and Davies, A.: 2006, ‘Assessing English as a lingua franca,’ in M. McGroarty (ed.), Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 26, 282–304.Google Scholar
  15. Hamp‐Lyons, L. and Lumley, T.: 2001, ‘Assessing language for specific purposes’, Language Testing 18(2), 127–132.Google Scholar
  16. Hymes, D.H.: 1967, ‘Models for the interaction of language and social setting’, Journal of Social Issues 32(2), 8–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Hymes, D.H.: 1972, ‘On communicative competence’, in J.B. Pride and J. Holmes (eds.), Sociolinguistics: Selected Readings, Penguin, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, 269–293.Google Scholar
  18. Jacoby, S. and McNamara, T.: 1999, ‘Locating competence’, English for Specific Purposes 18(3), 213–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Jenkins, J.: 2006, ‘Current perspectives on teaching world Englishes and English as a lingua franca’, TESOL Quarterly 40(1), 157–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Jones, R.L.: 1979, ‘Performance testing in second language proficiency’, in E.J. Briere and F.B. Hinofotis (eds.), Concepts in Language Testing: Some Recent Studies, TESOL, Washington, DC, 50–57.Google Scholar
  21. Jones, R.L.: 1985, ‘Second language performance testing: An overview’, in P.C. Hauptman, R. LeBlanc, and M.B. Wesche (eds.), Second Language Performance Testing, University of Ottawa Press, Ottawa, 15–24.Google Scholar
  22. Kay, M.: 2005, The Development of an ESP Proficiency Test for Civil Airline Pilots: Investigating Construct Validity, Unpublished Masters thesis, Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, University of Melbourne.Google Scholar
  23. Long, M.: 2005, Second Language Needs Analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
  24. Lumley, T.: 2003, ‘Assessing English for employment’ in C.A. Coombe and N.J. Hubley (eds.), Assessment Practices. Alenandra, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, 135–147.Google Scholar
  25. Mathews, E.: 2004, ‘New provisions for English proficiency are expected to improve aviation safety’, ICAO Journal 59(1), 4–6.Google Scholar
  26. McNamara, T.F.: 1996, Measuring Second Language Performance, Longman, London.Google Scholar
  27. Nickerson, C.: 2005, ‘English as a lingua franca in international business contexts’, English for Specific Purposes 24, 367–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Rea‐Dickins, P.: 1987, ‘Testing doctors’ written communicative competence: An experimental technique in English for specialist purposes’, Quantitative Linguistics 34, 185–218.Google Scholar
  29. Seidlhofer, B.: 2004, ‘Research perspectives on teaching English as a lingua franca’, in M. McGroarty (ed.), Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 24, 209–239.Google Scholar
  30. Spolsky, B.: 1995, Measured Words, Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kieran O'Loughlin
    • 1
  1. 1.Faculty of EducationUniversity of MelbourneVictoriaAustralia