© 1984 by Oxford University Press
Articles |
What place for performative tests?
This article examines the case for performative testing on courses of communication skills for purposes of academic study. Our discussion will also relate to some of the work of English language teachers in English-medium secondary schools. We begin with a brief account of what we understand by ‘performative tests’ (which are often called ‘performance’ tests and include ‘communicative’ tests). 1 The merits and limitations of such activities are then examined in relation to two aspects of the testing process. We encourage the use of performative tests (and exercises) where the primary aim of the activity is to reinforce teaching and learning, though we also point out and exemplify some associated problems. We remain less convinced of the advantages of performative testing for selection purposes, and specifically when recommending students for future courses of study.