C-Test digitized: a new format for measuring proficiency in Arabic.

Inventory of a project and an outlook

Abstract

How can higher education language assessment in the form of placement tests best be conducted in both a reliable and cost-benefit-optimised way, while simultaneously taking into account different institutions and their varying needs? How can language teaching in higher education be supported digitally in a user-oriented way? Which kinds of digital methods can help learners achieve a high level of proficiency in a foreign language?
How can texts be classified according to difficulty level? Which framework is conducive to effective progression in language learning? In this paper we address these questions, outlining the processes of conceptualising user-oriented C-tests for Arabic and generating suitable software for online testing while taking into account language-specific challenges, in a cooperation between LEAD Graduate School & Research Network and the Department of Oriental and Islamic Studies at the University of Tübingen. We also provide an approach for designing digital language learning exercises for Arabic which offer individualised feedback and scaffolding in order to supplement classroom teaching on the one hand and language assessment within a module on the other.