Developing Pre-Service Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy: an analysis of classroom tasks

Language assessment literacy (LAL) comprises the knowledge, skills and principles for sound assessment. In this paper, we investigated classroom tasks from two assessment courses from a state university in Brazil; specifically, which LAL components the tasks prioritized, and which of them promoted LAL the most. Data generation instruments included the courses’ calendars, observation protocols and pre-service teachers’ answers to questionnaires. In terms of LAL components, tasks that involved knowledge and skills were top-ranked, and in some cases included principles. Findings also indicate pre-service teachers’ preference for practical activities; their favorable view of educators’ teaching procedures, and recognition of the courses’ relevance to their professional development.