1. Does Testing Hinder Instructional Success?
Branka Petek
Slovenia

2. Negative motivation
The demand to pass STANAG tests at the end of the course
Students as well as teachers feel threatened by the tests
They feel that the demands are impossible to meet
Test anxiety hinders the learning process (and has a very strong negative washback)

3. Blaming the mirror
Tests can hardly be blamed if the level of proficiency is not as high as we would like it to be
Instead students should ask themselves what is that they should do about it and take the responsibility for their progress
To achieve that we need to do something about test anxiety and negative washback

4. Military approach to testing
Our students are exposed to testing very frequently
Some demands are extremely difficult to meet
They frequently take tests as challenges and are prepared to do anything to reach the goals and pass the tests
Why should language learning be any different? Is the answer in internalising the goals?

5. Internalising the goals
Some standards easier to identify with
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6. ****

7. ****

8. Can understand common familiar phrases and short simple sentences about everyday needs related to personal and survival areas such as minimum courtesy, travel, and workplace requirements when the communication situation is clear and supported by context.

9. However, the individual writes in a way that is generally appropriate for the occasion, although command of the written language is not always firm.

10. Can readily understand such language functions as hypothesising, supporting opinion, argumentation, clarification, and various forms of elaboration.

11. Teaching and testing - a joint venture
Every individual has to internalise learning goals to become a successful learner.
Questions like:
Why am I doing this?
Why is this necessary?
How will this help?...
need to be addressed and students should get the answers that work towards internalisation of STANAG descriptors.

12. Possible solutions Class discussions Students’ presentations
Self-assessment grids
Professional visits
Talks given by people who worked abroad

13. What we want to achieve is …
A student saying (or thinking): “ …if I am not able to understand this, then I will face great difficulties when having to travel on my own… so what do you say when you … in English… I really need to remember that.” or “…if I work abroad and I have to write then I should really know how to…”.

14. When students learn things because they know they need to learn them
And they go to STANAG tests to show what they learned and to prove they can survive, function and/or perform professional duties abroad

15. The point when testing no longer hinders but boosts instructional success