Testing in Language Teaching: Classification and Functions

Abstract

The article analyzes testing as one of the means of teaching the language. It is devoted to different types of testing. Different approaches to classifying tests are discussed. Ways of testing are suggested. Advantages and disadvantages of each type are discussed. All classifications of language tests have different theoretical and practical grounds. A practical approach to classifying tests is that on the basis of its purpose. We distinguish diagnostic, placement, achievement and proficiency testing. The most important for the teacher is the division of ways or forms of testing each having its advantages and disadvantages. The main types of testing include questions and answers, true/false, multiple-choice, gap-filling and completion, dictation, transformation, rewriting, translation, essay, error recognition, and word-formation. Each of them has certain restrictions as to which language skill it is supposed to test.