Reconsideration of Validity and Its Application in Language Classrooms

Validity is a critical concept in language testing, which has been a central issue for decades in measurement and language assessment. This paper aims to examine how the validity concepts in recent TESL/TEFL textbooks are relatable to a recent validity theory for potential applications in classroom-based language assessment to promote theory-grounded assessment practices for language teachers. First, a brief overview of validity presents theoretical development of validity and its adaptation in the area of language assessment. Second, this study analyzes the sections of validity and validation in the most frequently used language assessment textbooks for Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL) teacher training at the undergraduate and graduate levels in order to advocate for the significance of validity in classroom-based assessments. Finally, using the Assessment Use Argument (AUA) (Bachman & Palmer, 2010), a new approach of interpretive argument validity, this study connects the four claims of an AUA with language assessment principles such as practicality, washback, authenticity, reliability, and types of validity evidence. The efforts to bridge a new theoretical framework with commonly known textbook concepts of validity would provide practical insights into validity discussions for classroom-based a11ssessments, lowering the affective barrier 28of non-testing experts, including language teachers.