APPROACHES TO ASSESSING LANGUAGE SKILLS AT HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Language assessment is widely discussed by specialists in applied linguistics and higher education. A growing body of literature has investigated the selection of appropriate scoring scales to be used in different teaching contexts. Given the significance of assessment in higher educational institutions, the article considers main approaches to testing language skills. It is explained that in the norm-referenced approach, students’ scores are shown in the relationship to other students in the group, university, or country. In the criterion-referenced approach, learners’ skills are assessed against a set of specific criteria. The article discusses the scoring scales for language assessment. Specifically, the holistic marking is based on the lecturers’ overall impression of the language assignment. University teachers assess language tasks analytically when they address each criterion separately. The article provides several recommendations for language teachers and increases awareness about the importance of developing marking scales for ensuring quality assessment in the university.

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