Key Issues in Language Testing Research

The term "e;language testing"e; can refer to language assessment activities in the teaching and learning process for the purpose of promoting learning; it can also refer to language assessment tools that use assessment results as the basis for level assessment; it can also refer to the discipline of language testing, which is closely related to, mutually reinforcing, and integrating with the disciplines of language teaching and learning, language acquisition, and education and psychometrics. This book focuses on the key research issues in the discipline of language testing, and selects 12 research "e;slices"e; to help readers understand the core content of the current discipline of language testing. Each of the 12 chapters consists of an introduction, historical perspectives, current perspectives, issues and challenges, directions, and research resources. Topics include validity validation, construct definition, classroom assessment, translation testing, teacher competence, assessment literacy, automated scoring, cognitive diagnostics, Rasch's model, the role of counterfactuals, and testing ethics and fairness. This book is particularly suitable for college teachers, graduate students, and related practitioners who are interested in language testing research, and is a useful reference for keeping abreast of the discipline, clarifying the focus of controversy, and finding research options.