Language Assessment Literacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region - Critical paper on teachers

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper

Language assessment literacy (LAL) is a critical issue in English language teaching since the late 1990s, especially because many teachers lack assessment knowledge and the skills to write strong language tests, evaluate their effectiveness, and interpret results in meaningful ways. This paper examines the status of LAL in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It defines LAL, explains why assessment-literate teaching matters, reviews barriers, and proposes an improvement pathway, including an Assessment Competency Framework and regional initiatives by TESOL Arabia’s TAE SIG.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

What is LAL?

Is LAL Necessary?

Language Assessment Literacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region Peter Davidson, Zayed University, Dubai Christine Coombe, Dubai Men’s College, Dubai Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics e-ISSN 2490-4198 Vol. 4, No. 2, July 2019, 1-23 © The Authors [http://www.arjals.com](http://www.arjals.com) Abstract Language assessment literacy (LAL) has become a critical topic in English language teaching since the late 1990s. Unfortunately, this is mainly due to the fact that so many English language teachers are not assessment literate. In other words, many English language teachers lack the knowledge and skills to write good language tests, evaluate the effectiveness of their tests, and use test results in meaningful ways. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the status of LAL in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. After defining what LAL is, we will discuss why it is important that teachers are assessment literate, and we will examine some of the barriers to teachers becoming assessment literate. We will then propose a course of action to improve LAL amongst teachers, such as devising an Assessment Competency Framework, and helping teachers to become more assessment literate. We will then move on to look at the state of LAL in the MENA region, and finally we will report on a number of initiatives that the Testing, Assessment and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TAE SIG) of TESOL Arabia has implemented to improve LAL amongst English language teachers in the region. Key words: Language assessment literacy, language testing, , English language, MENA region What is LAL? Tsagari and Vogt (2017) note that the concept of ‘literacy’ has expanded considerably in recent years to include domains such as computer literacy and science literacy. Other forms of literacy could also be added to this list, including digital literacy, technology literacy, media literacy, information literacy, cultural literacy, and multi-cultural literacy, amongst others. In 1991, Richard Stiggins coined the term ‘assessment literacy’. More recently, the term language assessment literacy (LAL) has been used to differentiate it from other forms of assessment literacy. Early definitions of LAL focused on the knowledge and skills associated with assessment. Stiggins (1995) notes that teachers with a high level of assessment literacy know what they assess, why they assess, how to assess, what the possible problems with assessment are, how to prevent these problems from occurring, and they are familiar with the possible negative consequences of poor, inaccurate assessment. Paterno (2001, p. 2), further elaborates when he maintains that LAL is "the possession of knowledge about the basic principles of sound assessment practice, including terminology, the development and use of assessment methodologies and techniques, familiarity with standards of quality in assessment" . Later definitions of LAL move beyond LAL as just knowledge and skills of testing to include awareness of the impact that assessment can have on individuals and society at large. Inbar-Lourie (2008, p. 389), for example, defines LAL as the capacity to ask and answer critical questions about the purpose for assessment, about the fitness of the tool being used, about testing conditions, and what is going to happen on the basis of the test results. This criticality of the impact of assessment is also highlighted in O’Loughlin’s (2013, p. 363) definition of LAL as “a range of skills related to test production, test score interpretation and use, and test evaluation in conjunction with the development of a critical understanding about the roles and functions of assessment within society”. Fulcher’s (2012) oft-cited definition of LAL is perhaps the most broad and comprehensive to date: LAL is: The knowledge, skills and abilities required to design, develop, maintain or evaluate large-scale standardized and/or classroom-based tests, familiarity with te

FAQs

What does language assessment literacy (LAL) mean in this paper?

The paper presents LAL as encompassing knowledge and skills of assessment, later expanding to include critical awareness of assessment’s purposes, conditions, and impacts on individuals and society.

Why does the paper argue that LAL is necessary for teachers in the MENA region?

It highlights that teachers spend a substantial share of professional time on assessment-related work, making it essential that they understand assessment theory, can write tests, and can evaluate tests for fairness and usefulness.

What actions does the paper propose to improve LAL among teachers?

It proposes improving teachers’ assessment literacy through measures such as devising an Assessment Competency Framework and supporting teachers to become more assessment literate, along with describing regional initiatives by TESOL Arabia’s TAE SIG.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper