Inconsistencies develop in the educational system both because teachers receive "mixed signals" and because theory and practice become discrepant, a situation which creates dilemmas in language assessment. Some current dilemmas include: (1) the difficulty in determining whether teacher-made and standardized tests measure what they are supposed to; (2) the fact that teachers tend to rely on product rather than process to infer students' ability; (3) the issue of whether holistic or discrete-point assessment is more beneficial; (4) the fact that teachers sometimes measure comprehension without providing comprehension instruction; and (5) the problem that standardized tests may be useful for grading but are of far less use for instruction than other measures of ability. A number of procedures which focus on the formative, on teaching, on the holistic, on the student and on process within the language arts--listening, speaking, reading and writing--are available and should be sought by the classroom teacher since ill-considered tests can lead to a thoughtless curriculum as teachers teach to inappropriate tests. (Fourteen references are attached.) (NH)