ABSTRACT
I have been tasked to examine the issue of assessment in Arabic, defined as being the measurement of Arabic language use in social contexts. The editors have noted certain deficiencies in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines, and have reduced them to the following three issues: First, there is no mutually agreed upon standard/model of what represents native speaker proficiency. Without a standard notion of what an “authentic” situation actually is, testing becomes difficult because it is unclear exactly what one is testing for. Secondly, the availability of testing types varies widely. Although there are many achievement style tests, as well as some proficiency and placement style tests, there are few self-assessment tests available, nor are there opportunities for peer feedback or sufficient numbers of task-based activities. Thirdly, the editors have noted that Arabic language teachers need a “frame of reference” for measuring language use in social contexts, and it is the task of this chapter to outline such a frame of reference.
