The Empirical Dimension of Communicative Language Tests: The Case of Selected Philippine Universities

Vol. 1 No. 1

Year: 2011

Issue: January-March

Title: The Empirical Dimension of Communicative Language Tests: The Case of Selected Philippine Universities 

Author Name: Alejandro S. Bernardo 

Synopsis: 

This study examined the 'communicativeness' of 22 English language tests designed and administered by 22 English instructors from 22 different colleges and universities in the Philippines. Its key objective was to answer the question “How communicative are the language tests used in assessing students' competence (knowledge of the language) and performance (actual use of the language in concrete situations)?” The results indicate that there is a preponderance of test items that focus on language accuracy alone and not on the use of language in actual or real-life contexts. Further, the language examinations deemed communicative by the teacher-respondents themselves still use discrete-point, paper and pencil, and decontextualized test items. Thus, it seems that the perused examination items lack the requisite elements or qualities that make a language test genuinely communicative. The results also suggest that language teachers' assessment practices must be further (re)examined to ensure that they do match the approach that underpin language instruction i.e. they must ascertain that the learners are taught and tested the communicative way.