LSMPRJ: Language Testing Project (Summer period)

Module code: LSMPRJ

Module provider: English Language and Applied Linguistics; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Summer (vacation) semester

Module convenor: Professor Parvaneh Tavakoli, email: p.tavakoli@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE LSMTP AND TAKE LSMLAP (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 26 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module draws on the content of previous modules in language assessment (i.e., LSMTP and LSMLAP) to focus on the key concepts of test evaluation, design, validation, development and post-administration analysis. It familiarises students with the key stages of evaluation and design processes and provides opportunities for evaluating an existing language test or designing parts of a language test needed in one’s context. This module provides the students with the skills needed in their professional careers, as language teachers and/or tester designers, to identify, evaluate and use existing tests or to develop new tests and assessment practices.   

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Define the key stages of test evaluation and test design,
2. Evaluate a language test for use in their professional purposes,
3. Develop test specifications,
4. Design/evaluate the design of a test for use in their professional context.

Module content

The topics to be covered during the module are as follows: Principles of test evaluation and test design; test validation, key stages of test evaluation; evaluating tests for one’s professional purposes; key stages of test design process; writing test specifications; designing tests for one’s professional purposes.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The teaching of the module is structured around initial lecture input and supervision meetings. The delivery includes lectures, seminars and interactive tasks in class, one-to-one tutorials and supervision meetings with a nominated project supervisor. The teaching and learning will also be supported by flipped learning of the materials on BlackBoard.

Study hours

At least 8 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs