Classroom-based Language Assessment: The Case of TAFL

Abstract

There was a 92% increase in the number of Arabic as Foreign Language (AFL) programs in the US between 1998 and 2002 (Wells, 2004), and in the past 10 years this trend has continued. However, this surge has not yet been met by an equally rapid activity in the field of Teaching Arabic as Foreign Language (TAFL). One particularly under-researched area is classroom-based language assessment, especially in light of the diglossic nature of Arabic. The present discussion aims to problematize the issue of classroom-based assessment in an AFL context. One major issue confronting theorists as well as practitioners is finding a clear definition of Arabic language ability in light of diglossia. A second issue has to do with training teachers to use assessment to promote learning rather than only measure students’ achievement.