Fairness of language tests and testing practices has been a concern among test developers and test users. The 19th annual Language Testing Research Colloquium held in 1997 in Florida, brought this concern into focus. The papers in this volume offer an introduction to fairness and validation in the field of language assessment.

A state-of-the-art reference work exploring the crucial topics for practitioners and scholars of language teaching and assessment, their impact on language learners, and specific approaches to assessment employed around the world Includes 140 thematically-organized chapters exploring the contexts where assessment occurs, including learners and their abilities; developmental tools and approaches to assessment; and qualitative and quantitative interdisciplinary approaches to evaluation and language assessment in 35 languages Brings together an international team of scholars under the editorship of Antony John Kunnan, one of the foremost scholars in this field Combines the leading voices and cutting-edge research in a reference work spanning the fields of language teaching and learning, language policy and planning, testing and evaluation, and education 4 Volumes www.companiontolanguageassessment.com

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Illustrations -- Series Editor Preface -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1 The Need for Evaluation -- 2 Past Frameworks and Evaluations -- 3 Ethics-Based Approach to Assessment Evaluation -- 4 Building the Fairness and Justice Argument -- 5 Opportunity-to-Learn -- 6 Meaningfulness -- 7 Absence of Bias -- 8 Washback and Consequences -- 9 Advancing Fairness and Justice -- 10 Applications and Implications -- Index

This book has two goals, each related to the validity of language assessment. The first goal is to explore the difference between fairness and justice in language assessment. The authors distinguish internal and external dimensions of the equitable and just treatment of individuals taking language tests which are used as gatekeeping devices to determine access to education and employment, immigrant status, citizenship, and other rights. The second goal is to show how the extent of test fairness can be demonstrated and improved using the tools of psychometrics, in particular the models collectively known as Rasch measurement. “This book will have an enormous impact on the field of language assessment. Using Rasch analysis models to explore and identify sources of unfairness, the authors make a compelling case for fairness in the design and implementation of language assessment instruments and for justice in the interpretation and use of test results. A real strength of the book is that it guides readers through analytical techniques in an accessible way.” Dan Douglas, Professor Emeritus, Applied Linguistics Program, Iowa State University.

Language tests play pivotal roles in education, research on learning, and gate-keeping decisions. The central concern for language testing professionals is how to investigate whether or not tests are appropriate for their intended purposes. This book introduces an argument-based validity framework to help with the design of research that investigates the validity of language test interpretation and use. The book presents the principal concepts and technical terms, then shows how they can be implemented successfully in practice through a variety of validation studies. It also demonstrates how argument-based validity intersects with technology in language testing research and highlights the use of validity argument for identifying research questions and interpreting the results of validation research. Use of the framework helps researchers in language testing to communicate clearly and consistently about technical issues with each other and with researchers of other types of tests.

This second edition of The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing provides an updated and comprehensive account of the area of language testing and assessment. The volume brings together 35 authoritative articles, divided into ten sections, written by 51 leading specialists from around the world. There are five entirely new chapters covering the four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as a new entry on corpus linguistics and language testing. The remaining 30 chapters have been revised, often extensively, or entirely rewritten with new authorship teams at the helm, reflecting new generations of expertise in the field. With a dedicated section on technology in language testing, reflecting current trends in the field, the Handbook also includes an extended epilogue written by Harding and Fulcher, contemplating what has changed between the first and second editions and charting a trajectory for the field of language testing and assessment. Providing a basis for discussion, project work, and the design of both language tests themselves and related validation research, this Handbook represents an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners working in language testing and assessment and the wider field of language education.

Validation in Language Assessment contributes to the variety of validation approaches and analytical and interpretive techniques only recently adopted by language assessment researchers. Featuring selected papers from the 17th Language Testing Research Colloquium, the volume presents diverse approaches with an international perspective on validation in language assessment.