University students, especially language learners, have increasingly been using machine translation (MT) systems in the last decade and for all kinds of texts, including homework, assignments and exams. This ubiquity does not translate into visibility as few teachers address the subject in class. Several researchers have shown that MT systems,…

Since its inception in 1990, the Language Testing Research Centre (LTRC) at the University of Melbourne has earned an international reputation for its work in the areas of language assessment and testing as well as program evaluation. The mission of the centre is: (1) to carry out and promote research and development in language testing; (2) to…

Many teachers are increasingly using Social Networking Services (SNS) in their classrooms, which allows for the first time the outside world to peer into students' private learning spaces (Blyth, 2011). However, the adoption of social media has mostly been done without careful consideration of possible ramifications students may suffer.…

When the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) asked the author to undertake a review of modern language provision in England, it was in response to concerns in the sector about falling numbers and diminishing funding. The challenge therefore given to him by HEFCE was both to review the situation and to make recommendations that…