Throughout its whole history, most research conducted in language assessment refers to testing. It is only since 2000 that language formative assessment started being recorded in research publications. This book tells the story of language formative assessment in two ways, the one complementing the other: in the forms of a systematic review and a descriptive and evaluative annotated bibliography, from the very first published work on the subject in 2000 to 2020. While the systematic review gives the story of language formative assessment in a chronological order and gives an overview of different aspects, the annotated bibliography gives more details for research work published. Τhe main purposes of the book are to (1) give a substantial background in the area, (2) describe how this topic has been approached, (3) contribute to the development of critical thinking, (4) help in establishing the relevance and quality of the annotated material, and (5) facilitate language formative researchers as well as practitioners to form an overview of the research in the area during the specific period under study. The book may be of interest to language practitioners, researchers, teacher trainers, and policy makers. The authors hope that the present publication will be viewed as a valuable contribution to the history of language formative assessment.

Many research studies show that the use of technology inside and outside classrooms makes teaching and learning more engaging and motivating. Technology can provide learners with endless opportunities and can improve the learning experience, simplify access to educational resources, enhance autonomous learning, meet individual learning needs, and prepare the learners for future career success when using it to foster 21st-century skills. However, the range and number of technologies currently available can yield challenges for educators if they do not know how to effectively integrate them into their teaching pedagogy. Policies, Practices, and Protocols for the Implementation of Technology Into Language Learning discusses the skills necessary for successful technology use in education and examines technology tools that assist in teaching different languages with a focus on English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Covering a range of topics such as reading, writing, and integrated language skills, this book is ideal for instructors, policymakers, administrators, researchers, practitioners, academicians, and students.

This book presents an overview of revisiting the assessment of language abilities. It also showcases how the measurement of such constructs can result in negative or positive washback and how outcomes might be conducive to repercussions that decide on the future of many stakeholders. The 23 chapters were selected among tens of chapters received from different contexts that addressed the issue of revisiting the assessment of language abilities, such as Tunisia, Ukraine, Algeria, Russia, KSA, Sudan, Egypt, Canada, Kurdistan, UK, USA, Iran, Turkey, etc. These contexts have highlighted the necessity to revisit the different constructs which should be assessed with a clear and straightforward foundation on students’ learning objectives and their actual language ability. To do so, most of the chapters present hands-on use of relevant statistical tests that might serve in revisiting the construct definition both theoretically and operationally. Perhaps the sole and intricate question that the authors of these contributions ask is what it means to revisit the assessment of the construct of individualized language ability and how. In addition, the book accentuates the momentousness and significance of reflecting on test fairness and validation as the mainspring and backbone for democratization of assessment. This book appeals to a broad readership, such as English Language Teaching (ELT) practitioners, language teachers, students, testing organizations, policy-makers, test designers, writers of test specifications, testing experts, researchers, program evaluators, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as well as other international contexts.

This book responds to the call for praxis in L2 education by documenting recent and ongoing projects around the world that see partnership with classroom teachers as the essential driver for continuing to develop both classroom assessment practice and conceptual frameworks of assessment in support of teaching and learning. Taken together, these partnerships shape the language assessment literacy, the knowledge and skills required for theorizing and conducting assessment activities, of both practitioners and researchers. While united by their orientation to praxis, the chapters offer considerable diversity with regard to languages taught, learner populations included (varying in age and proficiency level), specific innovations covered, research methods employed, and countries in which the work was conducted. As a whole, the book presents a way of engaging in research with practitioners that is likely to stimulate interest among not only language assessment scholars but also those studying second language education and language teacher education as well as language teaching professionals themselves.

Typically, books on evaluation in the second and foreign language field deal with large programs and often result from large?scale studies done by the authors. The challenge for ordinary second and foreign language classroom teachers is that they must extrapolate techniques or strategies for evaluation from a very large scale to a much smaller scale, that of the course. At the same time, classroom teachers are responsible for outcomes of their courses and need to do evaluation on a scale and for needs of their choosing. Evaluating Second Language Courses is designed for classroom teachers who are dealing with a single course, and who wish to understand and improve some aspect of their course.

This volume was conceived as a "best practices" resource for assessment in the way that Vocabulary Myths by Keith S. Folse is one for reading and vocabulary teachers. Like others in the Myths series, this book combines research with good pedagogical practices. The book opens with an introduction that reviews many key assessment terms and concepts. The myths examined in this book are: Assessment is just writing tests and using statistics. A comprehensive final exam is the best way to evaluate students. Scores on performance assessments are preferable because of their accuracy and authenticity. Multiple choice tests are inaccurate measures of language but are easy to write. We should test only one skill at a time. A test’s validity can be determined by looking at it. Issues of fairness are not a concern with standardized testing. Teachers should never be involved in preparing students for tests. Implications for teaching and an agenda for research are discussed in a conclusion.