Context, Construct, and Validation: A Perspective from South Africa

This paper will deal, firstly, with the South African context, that cries out for attention to responsible language assessment. The renewed interest in language testing in South Africa is well illustrated in assessments of language ability for educational purposes generally, and more specifically in the assessment of academic literacy. Secondly, the paper presents a meaningful reminder that the assessment of academic literacy in South Africa brings: the benefits of paying diligent attention to the articulation of the construct. This is evident both in the descriptions of the major themes in language assessment in South Africa, and in some commentaries in the international literature about developments here. Finally, the paper describes the way that we are starting to deal with the validation of language tests from the vantage point of a theory of applied linguistics, rather than from the sometimes inconclusive debates on validity. In all three respects, there may be productive insights for those working in other contexts. The most important insight, perhaps, comes from relating the validation of these assessments to a theory of applied linguistics, indicating a way in which test designers may operationalize and satisfy a number of further conditions for their responsible design of language tests. Hierdie artikel handel eerstens oor die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, wat dors na aandag aan die verantwoordelike assessering van taal. Die hernude belangstelling in taaltoetsing in Suid-Afrika word goed illustreer in die assessering van taalvermoe vir onderwysdoeleindes in die algemeen, en meer spesifiek deur die meting van akademiese geletterdheid. Tweedens, met verwysing na die toetsing van akademiese geletterdheid in Suid-Afrika, herinner die artikel ons dat daar betekenisvolle voordele is om noulettend ag te slaan op die artikulasie van die konstruk. Hierdie voordele word onderstreep sowel deur beskrywings van die hooftemas in taaltoetsing in Suid-Afrika as uit sommige internasionale kommentare op ontwikkelings hier. Laastens beskryf die artikel hoe ons poog om die validering van taaltoetse vanuit die hoek van 'n teorie van die toegepaste taalkunde te hanteer, eerder as met verwysing na die soms onbesliste debatte oor geldigheid. In al drie hierdie opsigte mag daar produktiewe insigte wees vir diegene wat in ander kontekste werk. Die belangrikste insig kom moontlik uit die hantering van validering vanuit die hoek van 'n teorie van die toegepaste taalkunde, aangesien dit aantoon hoe toetsontwerpers 'n aantal verdere kondisies vir die verantwoordelike ontwerp van taaltoetse kan operasionaliseer en kan aan voldoen.