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The increasing use of digital educational technologies in higher education (HE) means that the nature of communication may be shifting. Assessments of English for academic purposes (EAP) need to be reconceptualized accordingly to reflect the new and complex ways in which language is used in HE. With a view to inform EAP assessments, our study set out to identify key trends related to academic English using a scoping review of the literature. Findings revealed two major trends: (1) a shift towards multimodal communication which has in turn resulted in the emergence of new types of academic assignments, multimodal genres, and the need for students to acquire new skills to operate within this multimodal arena; and (2) the limitations of existing skills-based approaches to assessment and the need to move towards integrated skills assessment. We discuss the implications of these findings for EAP assessments.

This mixed methods study examined holistic, analytic, and part marking models (MMs) in terms of their measurement properties and impact on candidate CEFR classifications in a semi-direct online speaking test. Speaking performances of 240 candidates were first marked holistically and by part (phase 1). On the basis of phase 1 findings--which suggested stronger measurement properties for the part MM--phase 2 focused on a comparison of part and analytic MMs. Speaking performances of 400 candidates were rated analytically and by part during that phase. Raters provided open comments on their marking experiences. Results suggested a significant impact of MM; approximately 30% and 50% of candidates in phases 1 and 2 respectively were awarded different (adjacent) CEFR levels depending on the choice of MM used to assign scores. There was a trend of higher CEFR levels with the holistic MM and lower CEFR levels with the part MM. Although strong correlations were found between all pairings of MMs, further analyses revealed important differences. The part MM was shown to display superior measurement qualities particularly in allowing raters to make finer distinctions between different speaking ability levels. These findings have implications for the scoring validity of speaking tests.

There is limited research on second language (L2) vocabulary teaching and learning which provides fine-grained descriptions of how vocabulary explanations (VE) are interactionally managed in beginning-level L2 classrooms where learners have a limited L2 repertoire, and how the VEs could contribute to the learners' conceptual understanding of the meaning(s) of the target vocabulary items (VIs). To address these research gaps, we used a corpus of classroom video data from a beginning-level adult ESOL classroom in the United States and applied Conversation Analysis to examine how the class teacher employs various gestural and linguistic resources to construct L2 VEs. We also conducted a 4-month microgenetic analysis to document qualitative changes in learners' understanding of the meaning of specific L2 VIs which were previously explained by the teacher. Findings revealed that the learners' use of gestures allows for an externalisation of thinking processes providing visible output for inspection by the teacher and peers. These findings can inform educators' understanding about L2 vocabulary development as a gradual process of controlling the right gestural and linguistic resources for appropriate communicative purposes.

This study explores the extent to which topic and background knowledge of topic affect spoken performance in a high-stakes speaking test. It is argued that evidence of a substantial influence may introduce construct-irrelevant variance and undermine test fairness. Data were collected from 81 non-native speakers of English who performed on 10 topics across three task types. Background knowledge and general language proficiency were measured using self-report questionnaires and C-tests respectively. Score data were analysed using many-facet Rasch measurement and multiple regression. Findings showed that for two of the three task types, the topics used in the study generally exhibited difficulty measures which were statistically distinct. However, the size of the differences in topic difficulties was too small to have a large practical effect on scores. Participants' different levels of background knowledge were shown to have a systematic effect on performance. However, these statistically significant differences also failed to translate into practical significance. Findings hold implications for speaking performance assessment.

We report on a small-scale exploratory study of Japanese students' reactions to the use of a bilingual language assistant on an EFL study-abroad course in the UK and we give an insight into the possible effect of using bilingual assistants on speaking production. First-year university students were divided into three groups all taught by a monolingual (native) speaker of English. Two teachers had monolingual assistants to help them; the third group had a bilingual (Japanese-English) assistant. In the third group, students were encouraged to ask the assistant for help with English meanings and to provide English equivalents for Japanese phrases, especially during student-centred activities. Moreover, the students in the third group were encouraged to code-switch rather than speak hesitantly or clam up in English. In the first two groups, the students were actively discouraged from using Japanese among themselves in the classroom. The data from an open-ended questionnaire suggest that attitudes to having a bilingual assistant were generally positive. Moreover the "bilingual" group made the biggest gains over the three week period in fluency and in overall speaking scores although these gains were not statistically significant. Suggestions for further research are explored particularly in relation to whether a bilingual assistant may provide support with the cross-cultural challenges faced by EFL learners.

This research presents the development of an online speaking test of English for students at the end of primary and beginning of secondary school education in state schools in Uruguay. Following the success of the Plan Ceibal one computer-tablet per child initiative, there was a drive to further utilize technology to improve the language ability of students, particularly in speaking, where the majority of students are at CEFR levels pre-A1 and A1. The national concern over a lack of spoken communicative skills amongst students led to a decision to develop a new speaking test, specifically tailored to local needs. This paper provides an overview of the speaking test development and validation project designed with the following objectives in mind: to establish, track, and report annually learners' achievements against the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) targeting CEFR levels pre-A1 to A2, to inform teaching and learning, and to promote speaking practice in classrooms. Results of a three-phase mixed-methods study involving small-scale and large-scale trials with learners and examiners as well as a CEFR-linking exercise with expert panelists will be reported. Different sources of evidence will be brought together to build a validity argument for the test. The paper will also focus on some of the challenges involved in assessing young learners and discuss how design decisions, local knowledge and expertise, and technological innovations can be used to address such challenges with implications for other similar test development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]