Testing Times: Research Directions and Issues for Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Areas of current focus in language testing research for the Cambridge University examinations in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) are highlighted to indicate the existing & potential contributions of other disciplines to test development. The increasing relevance of corpus linguist...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	TESOL quarterly 2004-04, Vol.38 (1), p.141-146
Main Author:	Taylor, Lynda B.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Academic learning assessment Cambridge Examinations in English as a Foreign Language Collaborative learning English as a second language English language learners European Council Language Performance tests Research Issues: Current Issues in English Language Testing Research Research methods teaching of language Writing instruction Writing tests
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Areas of current focus in language testing research for the Cambridge University examinations in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) are highlighted to indicate the existing & potential contributions of other disciplines to test development. The increasing relevance of corpus linguistics is emphasized, noting corpora of English learners' speech & writing that have been compiled at Cambridge over the past decade & the challenges of spoken corpus construction for insight into the nature of second-language (L2) talk. Other issues addressed include the comparability of computer-adaptive tests, the development of frameworks of reference for languages in Europe & Canada, & the measurement & evaluation of the effects of tests on educational processes (washback) & at the societal level (impact). 19 References. J. Hitchcock
ISSN:	0039-8322 1545-7249 1545-7249