Commonly Used Techniques in Testing Foreign Language Skills and Communicative Language Teaching

Teaching and testing foreign language skills are long and challenging processes which cannot be separated from each other. There are many traditional test items and alternative methods utilized for various testing purposes. However, alternative methods traditional as well as traditional assessment types should be handled in Communicative Language Teaching for a successful evaluation. The basics of Communicative Language Teaching are important to increase foreign language learners’ communicative competence. In this sense, after defining the difference between test and assessment, traditional testing item types illustrated in this review. Secondly, testing language skills and components are put under a critical perspective. Then, the basics of Communicative Language Teaching are explained. Eventually, suggestions about adopting all testing types and methods for an effective assessment are discussed. Also, technology-based assessment tools are recommended for an authentic assessment. Correspondingly, the review mainly tries to shed light on testing language skills and language components. Moreover, it aims to help foreign language teachers prepare exams which follow the basic principles of Communicative Language Teaching.