Alternative assessment (as opposed to formal testing) is gaining a great deal of
attention in current educational discussion. This article attempts to address some
of the epistemic and practical issues facing alternative assessment, with particular
reference to teacher assessment of spoken English as an additional language/second
language (EAL/ESL) in the early years of primary (elementary) education in England
and Wales. We first examine the claims made by advocates of alternative assessment
in terms of validity and educational relevance. It is argued that such claims are
founded on an uneasy articulation of different principles underpinning psychometric
measurement and pedagogy. Next we look at some of the reasons why psychometric
approaches may not provide an adequate response to pedagogic and policy
developments. Then some of the theoretical and practical problems involved in
teacher assessment of speaking, focusing on learners with EAL in primary education,
are discussed. We focus on the importance of clarity about the epistemological bases
of different types of assessment. Additionally, the article highlights the need to
be alert to the ways in which political and ideological concerns - together with the
influence of professional (teaching) culture - are influential in shaping the
properties of assessment systems.
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