Using multiple-choice tests to separate language competence from knowledge and understanding of course content in the context of CLIL courses

This paper looks at the way that language and content-oriented questions can be distinguished in multiple choice tests in the context of CLIL courses and to identify which factors, in particular linguistic competence and content knowledge, have greatest affect on each Our discussion will be centred on studies of quizzes assessing linguistic competence and knowledge of course content for students of two different academic disciplines taught in English. To do this, we set up two cases studies, the first looking at the results of self-access online tests taken by students on a an English for Specific Purposes course rather than a bona fide CLIL one. In the second case study, we examine the results of three specially designed paper-based multiple choice tests given to students on a CLIL course. The two teaching contexts and means of test delivery are different but the results are found to be similar in some profound respects, shedding vital light on the whole issue of how and by which precise factors student performance is affected in courses where language and content are taught and tested together.