Before reading the articles, please answer the questions below.
1. In your own words, what does “validity” mean in the context of ESL assessments?
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2. Why is it important for an assessment to be valid? What might happen if an assessment lacks validity?
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3. What do you understand by the term “reliability” in ESL assessments?
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4. If two students of similar proficiency levels take the same test but receive significantly different scores, what could that indicate about the reliability of the test?
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5. How would you define “fairness” in an ESL assessment?
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6. What factors could make an assessment unfair to certain students? Can you think of any examples?
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7. Can a test be reliable but not valid? Why or why not?
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