The use of digital tools for second and foreign language lexical learning is increasingly popular and research in this area is constantly expanding. However, little has been written about specific criteria that could be used to identify tools with high-quality lexical input, as available checklists and frameworks for digital media tend to neglect…

The present study adopted a praxis orientation to second language (L2) research and pedagogy to explore the professional development needs of three English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers after their first attempt at implementing dynamic assessment (DA) of essay writing. To date, few studies have examined how teachers learn to implement DA,…

Testing practices and the construct of English both serve separately and interactionally to promote activities of modernity and coloniality. Tests categorize and rank learning and knowledge in discrete, static ways. The construct of the English language through standardization and other processes upholds linguistic purism ideologies. Such concerns…

As the number of English language learners in mainstream classrooms increases, so too does the need for teachers skilled in classroom-based language assessment (CBLA). All teachers must be able to monitor, evaluate, and support the English language development of their students. With a paucity of research on how to prepare teachers to enact…

For teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) to be seen as having substantial impact, learning that occurs in the classroom must transfer to situations outside the classroom. Unfortunately, education research shows that transfer can be difficult to promote. Therefore, ESOL teachers may want to ensure that their classes are as…

This study demonstrates the application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in English language teaching materials evaluation, focusing in particular on its potential for systematically integrating different components of evaluation criteria in a variety of teaching contexts. AHP is a measurement procedure wherein pairwise comparisons are made…

Developing assessments within a program can create more useful measures of our students' language. This includes rating scales used in performance assessments such as writing or speaking tests. This article describes the process of development, use, and revision of a writing placement scale by teachers in an intensive English language program. To…

This article shares the results of a multisemester effort to create learning outcomes and related assessment measures for a graduate-level teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) teacher preparation program. It starts by explaining what learning outcomes are, why they are important, and how to create them. It then describes the…

Although the use of structured interview protocols for selecting and hiring teachers is not new, the use of online screeners such as the TeacherInsight interview is relatively recent and becoming more common. These online tools are being used not only to screen candidates for full-time teaching positions but also to filter out candidates for…

This article discusses theoretical and practical aspects pertaining to oral presentations in the EFL context. It discusses issues and proposes ideas concerning the advantages of presentations, types of presentations, ways of arranging presentations in the classroom, possible topics of presentations and sources of data and information obtained for…

Reports on the work of the International Language Testing Association's (ILTA) Task Force on Testing Standards, which has compiled 109 bibliographic records from 24 countries on existing standards documents and solicits feedback for the development of an ILTA code of practice. (MDM)

Discusses the use of alternative assessment procedures in English-as-a-Second-Language classrooms, focusing on three issues: (1) definitions of alternative assessment; (2) issues related to validity, reliability, and objectivity that are often raised as objections to alternative assessment; and (3) the power of alternative assessment to provide…

Describes the development of a project designed to build a positive role for peer observation in a language program, reports the reactions of the participants, and gives guidelines for the use of peer observation in a language program. (seven references) (GLR)

Argues that student evaluation that focuses explicitly on the relationship between the teacher's intentions or goals and the students' perception of learning in terms of those goals is distinct. Defines goals-based evaluation and provides a conversation with individuals who have used it in various English-as-a-Second/Foreign-Language teaching and…

Reports the results of a survey that asked English-as-a-Second-Language educators to define and describe academic language, give examples of students who use it proficiently in speaking and writing, discuss problems students have with it, and provide examples of how best to assess it. (CK)