Background: This study examines the evolution of English speaking proficiency test methods, which have traditionally relied on face-to-face interactions to assess communicative language competence. Recently, computer-based language tests have also been used on a larger scale, albeit with concerns about their impact on measurement. Objectives: This…

Mobile-assisted Language Learning (MALL) has been widely adopted in teaching and learning, yet there has been scant research concerning speaking test adaptation. An emerging type of mobile application is designed to facilitate test takers' performance in a high-stakes speaking test (e.g., the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)).…

A direct test of English speaking is important to evaluate what learners can do in real-life situations. However, due to challenges in test administration, especially with a large number of test-takers, a direct speaking test may not be feasible in many contexts and thus indirect tests, such as conversational cloze tests, are mainly used. In…

Chiang Mai Rajabhat University Test of English Proficiency (CMRU-TEP) is a required English proficiency test for all CMRU students before graduation. Despite its meticulous design, there is an opportunity for students to improve their scores through focused efforts and targeted support. This study employs an explanatory sequential mixed-methods…

This study sought to identify the challenges and needs of TOEFL iBT candidates in achieving C1 level scores in the speaking and writing sections of the exam. To this end, the researcher employed a mixed-method approach to collect data from a population of 46 students, both male and female, between the ages of 22 and 30. The participants were…

This study investigated U.S. undergraduates' perceptions of non-native speakers' (NNS) speech which had received 100% proficiency scores on the TOEFL iBT test. Fifty-five U.S. undergraduates rated 20 speech samples for comprehensibility, accentedness, and acceptability. The speech samples were also analyzed for acoustic fluency. Descriptively,…

Background: Research on the test-taker perception of assessments has been conducted under the assumption that negative test-taker perception may influence test performance by decreasing test-taking motivation. This assumption, however, has not been verified in the field of language testing. Building on expectancy-value theory, this study explored…

Recent technology advancements have increased the prospects for automated spoken language technology to provide feedback on speaking performance. In this study we examined user perceptions of using an automated feedback system for preparing for the TOEFL iBT® test. Test takers and language teachers evaluated three types of machine-generated…

This article reports on a study conducted with 42 participants from a Chilean university, which aimed to determine the effect of mode of response on test performance and test-taker perception of test features by comparing a semidirect online version and a direct face-to-face version of a speaking test. Candidate performances on both test versions…