Lecture 'Challenges and best practices of placement test development in Spanish language courses'
- For whom
- Alumni , Employees , Private individuals , Students
- When
- 19-10-2026 from 15:00 to 16:30
- Where
- Vergaderzaal A1.04, Mercator A, Campus Mercator, Abdisstraat 1, 9000 Ghent
- Language
- English
- Organizer
- Department of Translation, Interpreting and Communication - Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
- Contact
- nausica.marcosmiguel@ugent.be
This lecture will detail the challenges and best practices of evaluating second language and heritage language students for second language placement.
The literature on testing for placement purposes in second language acquisition and language testing provides some insight, but language programs must make many decisions that draw from their specific student base and program characteristics to develop appropriate instruments that can reliably serve to evaluate students’ abilities.
This lecture will offer a practical guide to test development and assessment based on her work developing an online placement test. Supported by research on second language acquisition and language testing, the lecture will focus on the steps used to develop test content, pilot the test, evaluate results for reliability and validity, incorporate student and faculty input, and tailor versions for heritage language students.
The information presented in the lecture can be applied to second languages beyond Spanish.