Resumen de From colonialism to self-determination: A historical study of language testing and institutional policy

Azrifah Zakaria, Vahid Aryadoust

• This study examines the development of institutional policies on language testing, taking the case of a former British colony, Singapore. Using historical narrative inquiry to analyse the Ministry of Education’s archived documents, we investigate how institutions form part of the assessment ecosystem that continues to function in the present day. We identified two main themes in the development of English language testing in Singapore. The first theme From Free Enterprise to Governance describes the trajectory of language testing from the colonial era to independence, with a fragmented assessment landscape gradually moving towards centralized planning. The second theme Individual Agency and Institutional Change illustrates how the needs of the individual interact with the institution. Responses by the ministry and examination board provide important insights into the processes of test development from a micro perspective and how consequences for the individual intersect with macro issues. We highlight the necessity of taking a historical perspective to provide a more holistic picture of how we currently practice language testing.