Japan Language Testing Association
September 10, 2017
Invited Plenary Speaker
Dr. John M. Norris

Title of the plenary address
Task-based language assessment: Aligning designs with intended uses and consequences
Abstract
Tasks have captured the attention of testers and educators for some time (e.g., Cureton, 1951), because
they present goal-oriented, contextualized challenges that prompt examinees to deploy cognitive skills
and domain-related knowledge in authentic performances. Such performances present a distinct
advantage when teaching, learning, and assessment focus on what learners can do rather than merely
emphasizing what they know (Kane, 2001; Wiggins, 1998). Over the past several decades, tasks havecome to play a crucial role in language assessments on a variety of levels, from classroom-based tests, toprofessional certifications, to large-scale language proficiency exams (Norris, 2016). However, not all
task-based assessments are alike. Indeed, the types of tasks in focus, the nature of performances
elicited, and the criteria used for scoring responses all depend on the ways in which assessments arebeing used and the consequences that are intended. In this talk, I will provide numerous examples of theincorporation of tasks into language assessment practice across diverse settings and for distinct
purposes. In doing so, I would like to challenge the common misinterpretation that language tests areeither task-based or not. Instead, I will demonstrate how communicative language tasks serve as a core
construct underlying many language assessments, while features of their design vary in specific ways
based on how they are being interpreted and what decisions or actions ensue. In particular, I will
highlight design differences between classroom-based, learning-oriented assessments and standardized
language proficiency assessments, both of which can benefit from adopting a task-based approach. I will
also suggest some of the positive consequences of task-based assessment for language learners,teachers, and programs, and I will point to the dangers of using certain assessments that do notincorporate communicative tasks in their designs. Finally, I will discuss some of the validity challenges
for task-based language assessment, and I will recommend a variety of solutions.

Biographical information
John Norris is Principal Research Scientist and Senior Research Director in the Center for English
Language Learning and Assessment at Educational Testing Service, where he manages research on
English language teaching, learning, and assessment. Prior to joining ETS, he was associate professor at
Georgetown University, where he was founding director of the Assessment and Evaluation Language
Resource Center. He also worked as associate professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and asassessment specialist at Northern Arizona University. John’s teaching and research focus on language
education (task-based language teaching, in particular), assessment, program evaluation, and researchmethods. He has published widely on language education and assessment, including recent books on“Second language educational experiences for adult learners”, “Improving and extending quantitative
reasoning in second language research”, “Innovation and accountability in foreign language programevaluation”, and “Student learning outcomes assessment in college foreign language programs”. John
speaks and conducts research on German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and he is currently working on
acquiring Japanese.