I know we can’t get rid of all testing in schools. It would be like removing one of the eyeballs (the only one?) from a monster. He wouldn’t like it.
But the testing monster doesn’t see very well in the first place, with his vision limited to, precisely, only what he can see, which is not much in the case of foreign language education.
At least in other subjects of study there is some correlation and accuracy of results to be gained from testing, but in our field if one really understands the research, it’s just a dumb thing to do, and it tears down confidence in both teachers and students.
A little testing is great, but it would have to be formative, because the kids’ psychological make-up is such that they expect to be tested. But those longitudinal summative tests are jokes and we all know it. Why?
Read the research about how people acquire languages, then try to build a case for summative assessment. You can’t, any more than you can test a five year old on how much of their first language they know. Oh, it’s in there, but you can’t measure it. Silly us!
Here is the kicker, and it’s a big kicker with a size 13 shoe with metal cleats on it: We in language education – only when we use comprehensible input well – don’t need to test. We don’t.
I’m going to repeat that. When a child walks into our room and we start talking in a way that everyone can completely understand, and everyone else in the room seems to be having a good time, then that one child who is in their to throw shade on our class by their suck vibe and the way they sit, that kid can’t help but listen. It’s like they can’t stand in the rain and not get wet either.
So during this next decade why don’t we push for muchless summative testing in our buildings? Give everyone a break. Save some district money. Give a few quick quizzes. Use a rubric based on the Interpersonal Skill of the Three Modes of Communication of ACTFL. Live a little.