"Counter Responsibility for planning language teaching programs now carries with it a strong element of accountability. Evaluation of the whole process of course design, development, and implementation is therefore a necessary area of activity for course designers, language planners, and researchers. This book brings together accounts of recent work in this increasingly important field and will be a valuable resource both for those already engaged in evaluation and for those in training. Part One presents a review of the literature, covering past developments in the wider field of educational evaluation, as well as specifically in second language education. Part Two contains a series of eight original case-studies, written by scholars involved in evaluations in widely divergent settings. The focus in each case is on how the evaluator addresses the difficulties central to each study, and the findings are also included. The final Part Three provides practical guidance for evaluators, offering suggestions about how to set up and carry out evaluations in any given setting."--Publisher's website.

Providing a much-needed critical synthesis of research on teaching vocabulary and grammar to students of a second or foreign language, this book puts the research into perspective in order to distil recommendations for language teaching. Boers evaluates a comprehensive range of both well-established and lesser-known research strands and classroom practices to draw out the most effective instructional approaches to teaching words, multiword expressions and grammar patterns. Chapters discuss learning as a by-product of communicative activities, language-focused instruction, diverse types of exercises, mnemonic techniques and more, with a view to building bridges between the available research on such instructional approaches and how they are commonly implemented in actual language courses and textbooks. This book helps teachers make research-informed decisions regarding their instructional approaches to words, phrases and patterns, and direct researchers to specific areas in need of further inquiry. Boers not only demonstrates how research findings can inform effective teaching, but also calls for a deeper appreciation on the part of researchers of the realities of the teaching profession, making this a worthwhile text for preservice teachers, teacher educators, graduate students and scholars.

"Counter Responsibility for planning language teaching programs now carries with it a strong element of accountability. Evaluation of the whole process of course design, development, and implementation is therefore a necessary area of activity for course designers, language planners, and researchers. This book brings together accounts of recent work in this increasingly important field and will be a valuable resource both for those already engaged in evaluation and for those in training. Part One presents a review of the literature, covering past developments in the wider field of educational evaluation, as well as specifically in second language education. Part Two contains a series of eight original case-studies, written by scholars involved in evaluations in widely divergent settings. The focus in each case is on how the evaluator addresses the difficulties central to each study, and the findings are also included. The final Part Three provides practical guidance for evaluators, offering suggestions about how to set up and carry out evaluations in any given setting."--Publisher's website.

Understanding, Evaluating, and Conducting Second Language Writing Research speaks to the rapidly growing area of second language writing by providing a uniquely balanced approach to L2 writing research. While other books favor either a qualitative or quantitative approach to second language acquisition (SLA) research, this text is comprehensive in scope and does not privilege one approach over the other, illuminating the strengths of each and the ways in which they might complement each other. It also provides equal weight to the cognitive and socio-cultural approaches to SLA. Containing an array of focal studies and suggestions for further reading, this text is the ideal resource for students beginning to conduct L2 writing research as well as for more experienced researchers who wish to expand their approach to conducting research.

Second Language Educational Experiences for Adult Learners explains the latest research on adult learning and then applies that work to specifically address second language learning. In the foundational chapters, this book introduces some of the differences between language learning for adults. In the second half of the volume, the authors move to consider educational design in chapters on curriculum, materials, assessment, and technology. This is an essential book for researchers and students interested in the science of language learning or anyone looking to better understand the science of adult education.

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

Classroom-based Evaluation in Second Language Education has been written to help foreign and second language educators in planning and carrying out effective and comprehensive evaluations in their classrooms. The book emphasizes the value of classroom-based assessment as a tool for improving both teaching and learning. The presentation is non-technical and does not require a specialized background in psychometrics, statistics, or research. The suggested assessment procedures are useful for a broad range of proficiency levels, teaching situations, and instructional approaches. Preview questions and follow-up activities assist the reader in applying the material discussed in each chapter.

This landmark volume provides a broad-based, state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and research into second language teaching and learning. Fifty-seven chapters are organized in eight thematic sections: *social contexts of second language learning; *research methodologies in second-language learning, acquisition, and teaching; *contributions of applied linguistics to the teaching and learning of second language skills; *second language processes and development; *teaching methods and curricula; *issues in second or foreign language testing and assessment; *identity, culture, and critical pedagogy in second language teaching and learning; and *important considerations in language planning and policies. The Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning is intended for researchers, practitioners, graduate students, and faculty in teacher education and applied linguistics programs; teachers; teacher trainers; teacher trainees; curriculum and material developers; and all other professionals in the field of second language teaching and learning.

Second language assessment is ubiquitous. It has found its way from education into questions about access to professions and migration. This volume focuses on the main debates and research advances in second language assessment in the last fifty years or so, showing the influence of linguistics, politics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and psychometrics. There are four parts which, when taken together, address the principles and practices of second language assessment while considering its impact on society. Read separately, each part addresses a different aspect of the field. Part I deals with the conceptual foundations of second language assessment with chapters on the purposes of assessment, and standards and frameworks, as well as matters of scoring, quality assurance, and test validation. Part II addresses the theory and practice of assessing different second language skills including aspects like intercultural competence and fluency. Part III examines the challenges and opportunities of second language assessment in a range of contexts. In addition to chapters on second language assessment on a national scale, there are chapters on learning-oriented assessment, as well as the uses of second language assessment in the workplace and for migration. Part IV examines a selection of important issues in the field that deserve attention. These include the alignment of language examinations to external frameworks, the increasing use of technology to both deliver and score second language tests, the responsibilities associated with assessing test takers with special needs, the concept of 'voice' in second language assessment, and assessment literacy for teachers and other test and score users.

The testing and assessment of second language learners is an essential part of the language learning process. Glenn Fulcher's Testing Second Language Speaking is a state-of-the-art volume that considers the assessment of speaking from historical, theoretical and practical perspectives. The book offers the first systematic, comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the testing of second language speaking. Written in a clear and accessible manner, it covers: Explanations of the process of test design Costing test design projects How to put the test into practice Evaluation of speaking tests Task types for testing speaking Testing learners with disabilities It also contains a wealth of examples, including task types that are commonly used in speaking tests, approaches to researching speaking tests and specific methodologies that teachers, students and test developers may use in their own projects. Successfully integrating practice and theory, this book demystifies the process of testing speaking and provides a thorough treatment of the key ethical and technical issues in speaking evaluation.