Cultural fairness in a placement test?

by | 17 May 2018

In this video, Andrew Stokes discusses how we can ensure that a placement test — or any other kind of language test — is culturally fair. He starts by defining cultural fairness and goes on to look at four different measures that should be taken to achieve it.

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Sieon Lau, Senior Editor, ClarityEnglish

Sieon Lau, Senior Editor, ClarityEnglish

5 Comments

  1. Dr. Ahmed Abunowara

    Yes. Cultural fairness is one of the factors that should be taken into consideration in writing any placement test. Another factor is language typology. Differences among languages’ written expressions effect the performance of the test takers from different language background.

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  2. Fitria Wulan Siska

    i think culture is very important in the test because it’s the one who can arouse and build a love for each other’s culture and preserve it well. then students will more easily learn and remember the culture they have.

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  3. Ines Siska Amelia

    Yes, this placement test must be culturally fair. In making test questions, like Andrew Stokes said test makers must ensure that there is no group of test takers who have a particular advantage or disadvantage over any other. Make sure the topics and questions are fair (questions are made based on general knowledge, which approximately all students will know about the topic in the question). Must avoid culturally sensitive topics. Each question must be examined by editors from different cultures. Must pay attention to the data analysis too. So, this cultural fairness must be considered in making placement tests and other tests.

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  4. Neli Agustina

    Yesss, in the all test, the cultural fairness is one of important things that we shoud do as a teacher. In the placement test cultural fairness that also should do it, but we as a teacher should make sure that this things should do in our class.
    Thank you…

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  5. Ayu Suhesti

    Yes, I think cultural fairness is one of the important things that we should be considered when we make a language test. Because culture is sensitive subject and everyone have different culture. In culture fair test, the validity of interpretation is similiar in cultural groups. It is impossible that any kind of test can fully eliminate influence of culture in learning, because content of test, language, instruction and criteria of validity are related culturally. But, test maker should avoid the topics or items that loaded culturally, items that are found to be unfair to particular group. For example that use pictures or general information that are different from other particular culture and it can make the test is uncomfortable for the participants. So to reduce that, test maker should involve the five principles of test.

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