Why I don’t trust language tests (and neither should you)

为何我不信任语言测试(你们也不应该信任)

Learn Languages with Steve Kaufmann

2025-05-30

6 分钟
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单集简介 ...

In this video, I talk about why I’m skeptical of language tests and their ability to accurately assess someone’s language level.
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单集文稿 ...

  • Today I want to talk about language tests.

  • How important are they?

  • Do I take language tests?

  • What impact do they have on our learning?

  • It might be a little controversial,

  • but to me the fundamental fact of language learning is that it's a fuzzy process.

  • As language learners, we have to be willing to accept uncertainty.

  • For a long, long time the language is unclear to us.

  • There are always moments when we forget words that we know.

  • We know, we have in our memory somewhere, but can't produce, we can't recall them.

  • And the whole process itself.

  • I believe in input-based learning.

  • I believe in the power of reading and listening.

  • And yet, whatever I'm doing in the language... I have no idea what is sticking.

  • Even if we study a table of, you know, declensions, grammatical rules, or lists of words,

  • whatever we're doing with the language, we have no idea to what extent are we learning.

  • It's a fuzzy process.

  • It's not only fuzzy, but it's an error-driven process.

  • In other words, we need to make mistakes in order for the brain to get used to the language.

  • And so, to some extent, if we focus on tests and test results,