Assessing Writing

Before looking at specific tasks, we must scrutinize the different genres of written language (so that context and purpose are clear), types of writing (so that stages of the development of writing ability are accounted for), and micro- and macroskills of writing (so that objectives can be pinpointed precisely).

Genres of Written Language
1. Academic writing

Papers and general subject reports
Essays, compositions
Academically focused journals
Short-answer test responses
Technical reports (e.g., lab reports)
Theses, dissertations

2. Job-related writing

Messages (e.g., phone messages)
Letters/emails
Memos (e.g., interoffice)
Reports (e.g., job evaluations, project reports)
Schedules, labels, signs
Advertisements, announcements
Manuals

3. Personal Writing

Letters, emails, greeting cards, invitations
Messages, notes
Calendar entries, shopping lists, reminders
Financial documents (e.g., checks, tax forms, loan applications)
Forms, questionnaires, medical reports, immigration documents
Diaries, personal journal
Fiction (e.g., short stories, poetry)

Types of writing performance
1. Imitative
This category includes the ability to spell correctly and to perceive phoneme-grapheme correspondences in the English spelling system. It is a level at which learners are trying to master the mechanics of writing. At this stage, form is the primary if not exclusive focus, while context and meaning are of secondary concern.
2. Intensive (controlled)
Skills in producing appropriate vocabulary within a context, collocations and idioms, and correct grammatical features up to the length of sentence.
3. Responsive
Require learners to perform at a limited discourse level, connecting sentences into a paragraph and creating a logically connected sequence of two or three paragraphs.
4. Extensive
Implies successful management of all the processes and strategies of writing for all purposes, up to the length of an essay, a term paper, a major research project report, or even a thesis.

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Assessing Writing

Further reading :
Brown, D. (2004). Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices. New York: Pearson Longman.