This volume explores the use of summary tasks as an effective means of assessing reading comprehension ability. It reports on a series of empirical studies that investigated the development and trialling of text-removed summary completion tasks and discusses the correlation of these tasks with results from independent measures to validate text-removed summary completion as a measure of reading comprehension ability.

This volume examines the nature of second language listening proficiency and how it can be assessed. The book highlights the need for test developers to provide a clear explication of the ability constructs which underpin the tests they offer in the public domain. This is increasingly necessary if claims about the validity of test score interpretation and use are to be supported both logically and with empirical evidence. It operationalises a comprehensive test validation framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework embraces six core components, examining and then analysing Cambridge ESOL listening tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker; Cognitive Validity; Context Validity; Scoring Validity; Criterion-related Validity; and Consequential Validity.

This volume reports research that informs the development of reading and listening assessment in IELTS. This volume brings together a set of eight IELTS-related research studies - four on reading and four on listening - conducted between 2005 and 2010. Findings from these studies provide valuable evidence on the validity, reliability, impact and practicality of the IELTS test; they are also instrumental in highlighting aspects needing attention, and thus directly inform the continuing evolution of the IELTS reading and listening tests. The volume reviews and comments on the specific contribution of each study to the ongoing process of IELTS reading and listening test design and development.

This volume describes differing approaches to understanding academic reading ability that have emerged in recent decades and goes on to develop an empirically-grounded framework for validating tests of this skill. The framework is then applied to the IELTS Academic Reading module to investigate a number of different validity perspectives that reflect the socio-cognitive nature of any assessment event. The authors demonstrate how a systematic understanding and application of the framework and its components can help test developers to operationalise their tests so as to fulfill the validity requirements for an academic reading test.

Written by a selection of his friends and collaborators, this multi-authored volume is intended as a tribute to the academic achievements of Professor Cyril J Weir. Each contribution will refer to a particular aspect of Cyril's legacy to the field of language testing and assessment, both nationally and internationally, in order to discuss and reflect upon some of the specific lessons we have learned from him for our profession.

This edited volume develops a theoretical framework for validating tests of second language ability. The chapter authors show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its components can assist test developers to operationalise their tests more effectively, especially in relation to the key criteria that differentiate one proficiency level from another. The book provides an up-to-date review of the relevant literature on assessing speaking, an accessible and systematic description of the different proficiency levels in second language speaking and a comprehensive and coherent basis for validating tests of speaking. It will be of considerable interest to examination boards who wish to validate their own speaking tests in a systematic and coherent manner, as well as to academic researchers and graduate students in the field of language assessment more generally.

Language Testing Matters explores the social and educational impact of language testing and assessment at regional, national and international level. It brings together a collection of 20 edited papers based on proceedings of the 2008 ALTE Conference in Cambridge. The selected papers focus on three core strands addressed during the conference: new perspectives on testing for specific purposes; insights on testing policy and practice in the context of language teaching and learning in different parts of the world; reflections on the impact of testing among differing stakeholder groups. With its broad coverage of key issues, combining theoretical insights and practical advice, this volume is a valuable reference work for academics, employers and policy-makers in Europe and beyond. It is also a useful resource for postgraduate students of language testing, for practitioners, and anyone else seeking a better understanding of the social and educational impact of language assessment.

This Studies in Language Testing volume explores the impact of multilingualism on language assessment. It considers ways of describing and comparing language qualifications to establish common levels of proficiency, balancing the need to set common standards and at the same time sustain linguistic diversity. Three broad themes are explored. Quality and diversity are addressed via avenues such as the quality of examinations and codes of practice, as well as the research on impact in various state certification projects. In relation to ethics and diversity, several papers focus on the complex relationships between linguistic identity and diversity on one hand, and immigration and citizenship policy on the other, as assessment increasingly interfaces with language proficiency requirements for citizenship and for active participation of newcomers in social, occupational and democratic processes. Transparency and diversity are examined through the relationship of examinations to the Common European Framework from a number of different perspectives.

This volume brings together a set of ten IELTS-related research studies - four on Speaking and six on Writing - conducted between 1995 and 2001. The ten studies were funded under the auspices of the British Council/IELTS Australia Joint-funded Research Program which promotes research activity among IELTS test stakeholders around the world. Findings from the studies provided valuable evidence on the validity, reliability, impact and practicality of the IELTS test; they were also instrumental in highlighting aspects needing attention, and so directly informed the revised design and implementation of the IELTS Speaking and Writing Modules introduced in 2001 and 2005. The volume reviews and comments on the specific contribution of each study to the ongoing process of IELTS speaking and writing test development; it also evaluates the range of research methodologies used in the projects and discusses their usefulness for researchers working in the broader field of performance assessment.

Topics are often used as a key speech elicitation method in performance-based assessments of spoken language and yet, the validity and fairness issues surrounding topics are surprisingly under-researched. Are different topics 'equivalent' or 'parallel'? Can some topics bias against or favour individuals or groups of individuals? Does background knowledge of topics have an impact on performance? Might the content of test taker speech affect their scores - and perhaps more importantly, should it? This monograph draws on original data as well as insights from empirical and theoretical research to address these questions. Grounded in the real-world assessment context of IELTS, this volume explores issues related to topic validity against the backdrop of one of the world's most high stakes language tests.