Contemporary Second Language Assessment Contemporary Applied Linguistics Volume 4

Includes chapters on key aspects of second language assessment such as test construct, diagnosis, exam design, and the growing range of public policy, social and ethical issues. Each of the contributors is an expert in their area; some are established names while others are talented newcomers to the field.

The chapters present new research or perspectives on traditional concerns such as test quality; fairness and bias; the testing of different language skills; the needs of different groups of examinees, including English language learners who need to take content tests in English; and the use of language assessments for gate-keeping purposes. The volume demonstrates how language assessment is informed by and engages with neighbouring areas of applied linguistics such as technology and language corpora.

The book represents the best of current practice in second language assessment and, as a one volume reference, will be invaluable to students and researchers looking for material that extends their understanding of the field.

Dina Tsagari is Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics/TEFL in the Department of English Studies at University of Cyprus

Jayanti Veronique Banerjee is Research Director at CAMLA, USA

1 Introduction, Dina Tsagari, Lecturer, University of Cyprus, Cyprus & Jayanti Banerjee, Research Director, CaMLA, USA
Section I: Key Theoretical Considerations
2. Defining the Foreign Language Construct, Lin Gu, Associate Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service, USA
3. Presenting Validity Evidence, Dianne Wall, Head of Academic Research and Development, Trinity College London, UK
4. A New National Exam: A Case of Washback, Doris Frötscher Reifeprüfung lebende Fremdsprachen, Koordination Sprachtestung, BIFIE Vienna, Austria
5. Linking to the CEFR: Validation Using Priori and Posteriori Evidence, Ying Zheng, Lecturer, University of Southampton, UK & John de Jong Senior Vice President Standards & Quality Office, Pearson Plc, UK
Section II: Assessment of Specific Language Aspects
6. Authenticity in Listening Assessment, Elvis Wagner, Associate Professor, Temple University, USA
7. Diagnosis of Second/Foreign Language Reading Ability, J. Charles Alderson, Professor, University of Lancaster, UK & Ari Huhta, Professor, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
8. Task Difficulty in Speaking Assessment, Zhengdong Gan, Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong SAR
9. Investigating Rating Processes in Writing Assessment, Jessica Wu, Language Testing and Training Centre, Taiwan
10. The Social Dimension of Language Assessment: Assessing Implicature, Carsten Roever, Lecturer, University of Melbourne, Australia
Section III: Issues in Second Language Assessment
11. Corpora and Language Assessment, Tony Green, Reader, University of Bedfordshire, UK
12. Assessing Young English Language Learners in Content Subjects. Lorena Llosa, Associate Professor, New York University, USA
13. ACCESS for ELLs: Access to the Curriculum, Meg Malone, Associate Vice President, Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington D.C., USA
14. Setting Language Standards for International Medical Graduates, Vivien Berry, Senior Research Fellow, University of Roehampton, UK
15. Using Technology in Language Assessment, Arthur C. Graesser, Professor, University of Memphis, USA
16. Future Prospects and Challenges in Second Language Assessment, Sauli Takala, Professor Emeritus, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
Bibliography
Index

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.