Measuring lexical diversity in texts that have different lengths is problematic because length has a significant effect on the number of types a text contains, thus hampering any comparison. Treffers-Daller et al. (2018) recommended a simple solution, namely counting the number of types in a section of a given length that was extracted from the…

It is widely believed that raters' cognition is an important aspect of writing assessment, as it has both logical and temporal priority over scores. Based on a critical review of previous research in this area, it is found that raters' cognition can be boiled to two fundamental issues: building text images and strategies for articulating scores.…

Over the last two decades, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has become ubiquitous in ELT. In this article, I consider how differences in the way in which the framework is being interpreted by different powerful actors, including governments and for-profit organizations, affect its usability for ELT practitioners, a…

Language assessment knowledge, the capacity of language instructors to skillfully design, construct, and assess language evaluations, is pivotal for effective language education. This study investigates the language assessment knowledge, encompassing both general and skill-specific aspects, of in-service language educators from Europe and Türkiye.…

Nearly all multidimensional models of communication competence have pragmatic competence at their core. Proper assessment of second language (L2) pragmatics makes many demands on L2 teachers, both in terms of understanding the construct and in language test development. Therefore, being assessment literate helps teachers in developing effective…

The aim of this research was to investigate TESL pre-service teachers' perceptions of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) implementation in primary ESL classroom. The study explored pre-service teachers' awareness, challenges, and potential solutions to overcome any limitations. The research was conducted in five…

The "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" has been a major influence on language teaching in Europe and beyond and its "Companion Volume" will probably have the same significance. It is important therefore that education professionals understand the underlying concepts, including the conceptualisation of the…

Drawing on Glenn Fulcher's extensive work in performance-based language assessment of speaking, this paper explores the assessment of L2 speaking ability in local language testing contexts. For that purpose, I review Fulcher's influential work that highlights the relationship between the speaking construct, the task, the performance, and the…

Classroom assessment practices can be confusing for many teachers. Terminology is numerous and elusive. Different types of assessment serve different purposes. This short discussion paper's contribution originates from my own attempt to determine whether analytic scales would be more appropriate than holistic scales for assessing the L2 writing…

In language performance tests, raters are important as their scoring decisions determine which aspects of performance the scores represent; however, raters are considered as one of the potential sources contributing to unwanted variability in scores (Davis, 2012). Although a great number of studies have been conducted to unpack how rater…

Although much research has compared the functioning between analytic and holistic rating scales, little research has compared the functioning of binary rating scales with other types of rating scales. This quantitative study set out to preliminarily and comparatively validate binary and analytic rating scales intended for use in formative…

Recent years have witnessed an increased interest in automated writing evaluation (hereafter AWE). However, few studies have examined the use of AWE with apprehensive writers. Hence, this study extends research in this area, investigating the effect of using AWE on reducing writing apprehension and enhancing grammatical knowledge. The participants…

This study investigated the effects of two types of classroom instructions on EFL learners' oral proficiency by implementing teachers' judgment. Two intact classes of EFL university students studied a compulsory subject of their department under two different types of classroom instruction. The first group of students was trained with explicit…

As learning and teaching theory experts, university educators are constantly asked to review and reflect on their methodologies and to co-generate them with all members of the educational community. Teachers understand that students constantly shape the object of study, and thus embrace differences among individuals. In this context, a dialogic…

Analysis of second language (L2) learners' language development can allow valid and reliable assessment of the learners' L2 linguistic knowledge, which can enable the teachers and researchers to choose appropriate teaching or experimental materials (Bardovi-Harlig & Bofman, 1989; Wolfe-Quintero et al., 1997). However, most language development…