Studies in Language Testing is a series of academic volumes edited by Dr Michael Milanovic and Prof Cyril J Weir. It is published jointly by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations and Cambridge University Press (CUP). The series addresses a wide range of important issues and new developments in language testing and assessment and is an indispensable resource for test users, developers and researchers. There are currently over 25 titles available; a full list of these, plus content summaries, is provided below.
Copies of the volumes are available from booksellers or can be ordered direct from the Cambridge University Press website.
Published volumes:
- Volume 26: Examining Writing: Research and practice in assessing second language writing
- Volume 25: IELTS Washback in Context: Preparation for academic writing in higher education
- Volume 24: Impact Theory and Practice: Studies of the IELTS test and Progetto Lingue 2000
- Volume 23: Assessing Academic English: Testing English proficiency, 1950-1989 - the IELTS solution
- Volume 22: The Impact of High-stakes Testing on Classroom Teaching: A case study using insights from testing and innovation theory
- Volume 21: Changing Language Teaching through Language Testing: A washback study
- Volume 20: Testing the Spoken English of Young Norwegians: A study of test validity and the role of ‘smallwords’ in contributing to pupils’ fluency
- Volume 19: IELTS Collected Papers: Research in speaking and writing assessment
- Volume 18: European Language Testing in a Global Context: Proceedings of the ALTE Barcelona Conference July 2001
- Volume 17: Issues in Testing Business English: The revision of the Cambridge Business English Certificates
- Volume 16: A Modular Approach to Testing English Language Skills: The development of the Certificates in English Language Skills (CELS) examinations
- Volume 15: Continuity and Innovation: Revising the Cambridge Proficiency in English Examination 1913-2002
- Volume 14: A Qualitative Approach to the Validation of Oral Language Tests
- Volume 13: The Equivalence of Direct and Semi-direct Speaking Tests
- Volume 12: An Empirical Investigation of the Componentiality of L2 Reading in English for Academic Purposes
- Volume 11: Experimenting with Uncertainty: Essays in honour of Alan Davies
- Volume 10: Issues in Computer-Adaptive Testing of Reading Proficiency: Selected papers
- Volume 9: Fairness and Validation in Language Assessment: Selected papers from the 19th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Orlando, Florida
- Volume 8: Learner Strategy Use and Performance on Language Tests: A structural equation modeling approach
- Volume 7: Dictionary of Language Testing
- Volume 6: Multilingual Glossary of Language Testing Terms
- Volume 5. Verbal Protocol Analysis in Language Testing Research: A handbook
- Volume 4: The Development of IELTS: A study of the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension
- Volume 3: Performance Testing, Cognition and Assessment: Selected papers from the 15th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Cambridge and Arnhem
- Volume 2: Test taker Characteristics and Test Performance: A structural modeling approach
- Volume 1: An Investigation into the Comparability of Two Tests of English as a Foreign Language: The Cambridge TOEFL Comparability Study
Forthcoming volumes:
Volume 27 (due mid-2008)
Multilingualism and Assessment: Achieving transparency, assuring quality, sustaining diversity – Proceedings of the ALTE Berlin Conference, May 2005
Edited by Lynda Taylor and Cyril J Weir
Published volumes:
Volume 26
Examining Writing: Research and practice in assessing second language writing
Stuart D Shaw and Cyril J Weir (2007)
This volume describes the theory and practice of Cambridge ESOL’s approach to assessing second language writing ability. A comprehensive test validation framework is used to examine the tasks in Cambridge ESOL writing tests from a number of different validity perspectives that reflect the socio-cognitive nature of any assessment event. The authors show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its components can assist test developers to operationalise their tests more effectively. As well as providing an up-to-date review of relevant literature on assessing writing, it also offers an accessible and systematic description of the different proficiency levels in second language writing. The volume will be of interest to examination boards who wish to validate their own writing tests in a systematic and coherent manner, as well as to academic researchers and students in the field of language assessment more generally.
Volume 25
IELTS Washback in Context: Preparation for academic writing in higher education.
Anthony Green (2007)
Based upon a PhD dissertation completed in 2003, this volume reports an empirical study to investigate the washback of the IELTS writing subtest on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) provision. The study examines dedicated IELTS preparation courses alongside broader programmes designed to develop the academic literacy skills required for university study. Using a variety of data collection methods and analytical techniques, the research explores the complex relationship that exists between teaching and learning processes and their outcomes. The role of IELTS in EAP provision is evaluated, particularly in relation to the length of time and amount of language support needed by learners to meet minimally acceptable standards for English-medium tertiary study. This volume will be of direct interest to providers and users of general proficiency and EAP tests, as well as academic researchers and graduate students interested in investigating test washback and impact. It will also be relevant to teachers, lecturers and researchers concerned with the development of EAP writing skills.
Volume 24
Impact Theory and Practice: Studies of the IELTS test and Progetto Lingue 2000
Roger Hawkey (2006)
This book describes two recent case studies to investigate test impact in specific educational contexts: one analyses the impact of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), while the second focuses on a major national language teaching reform programme introduced by the Ministry of Education in Italy. With its combination of theoretical overview and practical advice, this volume is a useful manual on how to conduct impact studies and will be of particular interest to language test researchers and students of language testing. It will also be relevant to those who are concerned with the process of curriculum and examination reform.
Volume 23
Assessing Academic English: Testing English proficiency, 1950-1989 - the IELTS solution
Alan Davies (2008)
This volume presents an authoritative account of academic language proficiency testing in the UK. It chronicles the early development and use of the English Proficiency Test Battery (EPTB) in the 1960s, followed by the creation and implementation of the revolutionary English Language Testing Service (ELTS) in the 1970s and 1980s, and the introduction of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in 1989. The book offers a coherent socio-cultural analysis of the changes in language testing and an explanation of why history matters as much in this field as elsewhere. It discusses the significant factors which impact on language test design, development, implementation and revision and presents historical documents relating to the language tests discussed in the volume, including facsimile copies of original test versions. The volume will be of interest to language test developers and policy-makers, as well as teachers, lecturers and researchers interested in assessing English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and in the role played by ELTS and IELTS.
Volume 22
The Impact of High-stakes Testing on Classroom Teaching: A case study using insights from testing and innovation theory
Dianne Wall (2005)
This volume gives an account of one of the first data-based studies of examination ‘washback’. Through a detailed analysis of the impact of examination reform in one specific educational setting, it considers the effects of a test which was meant to serve as a lever for change and describes how the intended outcome was shaped by factors in the test itself, as well as by features of the context, teachers and learners. The volume provides a helpful model for researching washback and impact as well as practical guidelines for the planning and management of change within an educational context. It is of particular relevance to all who are involved in the process of curriculum and examination reform, and to academic researchers, university lecturers, graduate students and practising teachers.
Volume 21
Changing Language Teaching through Language Testing: A washback study
Liying Cheng (2005)
This volume presents a study of how the introduction in 1996 of a high-stakes public examination impacted on classroom teaching and learning in Hong Kong secondary schools. The washback effect was observed among different stakeholder groups within the local educational context, and also in terms of teachers’ attitudes, teaching content and classroom interactions. The volume is of particular relevance to language test developers and researchers interested in the consequential validity of test, as well as to teachers, curriculum designers, policymakers and others concerned with the interface between language testing and teaching practices.
Volume 20
Testing the Spoken English of Young Norwegians: A study of test validity and the role of ‘smallwords’ in contributing to pupils’ fluency
Angela Hasselgreen (2004)
This volume reports on a study to validate a test of spoken English for secondary school pupils in Norway. The study included a corpus-based investigation of how conversational fillers or ‘smallwords’ contribute to spoken fluency. Findings from this work informed the development of rating scale descriptors for assessing fluency levels. The volume will be of particular interest to those concerned with the design and validation of spoken language tests, as well as those interested in features of spoken communication and in how classroom practice can help develop learners’ fluency.
Volume 19
IELTS Collected Papers: Research in speaking and writing assessment
Edited by Lynda Taylor and Peter Falvey (2007)
This book brings together ten research studies conducted between 1995 and 2001 under the auspices of the British Council/ IELTS Australia Joint-funded Research Program. The studies - four on speaking and six on writing assessment - provided valuable test validity evidence and directly informed the revised IELTS Speaking and Writing tests introduced in 2001 and 2005. Volume 19 chronicles the evolution of the Writing and Speaking tests in ELTS/IELTS from 1980 to the present day and discusses the role of research in their development. In addition, it evaluates a variety of research methods to provide helpful guidance for novice and less experienced researchers. This collection of studies will be of particular value to language testing researchers interested in IELTS as well as to institutions and professional bodies who make use of IELTS test scores; it will also be relevant to students, lecturers and researchers working more broadly in the field of English for Academic Purposes.
Volume 18
European Language Testing in a Global Context: Proceedings of the ALTE Barcelona Conference July 2001
Edited by Michael Milanovic and Cyril Weir (2004)
The ALTE Conference, European Language Testing in a Global Context, was held in Barcelona in 2001 in support of the European Year of Languages. The contents of this volume represent a small subset of the many presentations made at that event and papers were selected to provide a flavour of the issues that the conference addressed which included: technical dimensions of language testing; matters of fairness and ethics in assessment; aspects of education and language policy in the European context; and reports of recently completed research studies and work in progress.
Volume 17
Issues in Testing Business English: The revision of the Cambridge Business English Certificates
Barry O'Sullivan (2006)
This book explores the testing of language for specific purposes (LSP) from a theoretical and practical perspective, with a particular focus on the testing of English for business purposes. A range of tests - both past and present - is reviewed, and the development of business English testing at Cambridge ESOL is discussed. The description of the revision of the Business English Certificates (BEC) in 2002 forms a major part of the book and offers a unique insight into an approach to large-scale ESP test development and revision. The volume will be of particular relevance to test developers and researchers interested in language testing for specific purposes and contexts of use; it will also be of interest to ESP teachers, especially those teaching English for business, as well as to lecturers and postgraduates working in the field of LSP.
Volume 16
A Modular Approach to Testing English Language Skills: The development of the Certificates in English Language Skills (CELS) examinations
Roger Hawkey (2004)
This volume documents in some detail the development of the Cambridge ESOL Certificates in English Language Skills (CELS), a suite of modular examinations first offered in 2002. The book traces the history of various important English language exams offered by UCLES and other examination boards which significantly influenced the development of CELS including: the Communicative Use of English as a Foreign Language (CUEFL) exams; the Certificates in Communicative Skills in English (CCSE); the English language tests of reading and writing produced by the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations; and the Oral English exams offered by the Association of Recognised English Language Schools (ARELS) Examinations Trust.
Volume 15
Continuity and Innovation: Revising the Cambridge Proficiency in English Examination 1913-2002
Edited by Cyril Weir and Michael Milanovic (2003)
This volume documents in some detail the most recent revision of the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) which took place from 1991 to 2002. CPE is the oldest of the Cambridge suite of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) examinations and was originally introduced in 1913. Since that time the test has been regularly revised and updated to bring it into line with current thinking in language teaching, applied linguistics and language testing theory and practice. The volume provides a full account of the revision process, the questions and problems faced by the revision teams, and the solutions they came up with. It is also an attempt to encourage in the public domain greater understanding of the complex thinking, processes and procedures which underpin the development and revision of all Cambridge ESOL’s tests and as such it will be of interest and relevance to a wide variety of readers.
“An invaluable case book for training language testers and teachers…. Makes explicit the developing philosophy of good testing practice…With its wealth of illustrative examples and detailed statistics, this study clearly presents an exceptional case study of a well-managed and professionally-serviced English language test… An important study, showing the possibilities of good language testing.”
Bernard Spolsky (2004) ELT Journal, 58, 3, 305-309
Volume 14
A Qualitative Approach to the Validation of Oral Language Tests
Anne Lazaraton (2002)
Language testers have generally come to recognize the limitations of traditional statistical methods for validating oral language tests and have begun to consider more innovative approaches to test validation which can illuminate the assessment process itself, rather than just assessment outcomes (i.e. test scores). One such approach is conversation analysis (or CA), a rigorous empirical methodology developed by sociologists, which employs inductive methods in order to discover and describe the recurrent, systematic properties of conversation. This book aims to provide language testers with a background in the conversation analytic framework and a fuller understanding of what is entailed in using conversation analysis in the specific context of oral language test validation.
“… this book provides an excellent, and clearly written, introduction to the use of discourse analysis, especially CA, in examining the functioning of oral language tests… I would recommend this book to teachers or test developers who might be developing oral language tests as well as those who are intending to carry out research using discourse analytic techniques. Finally, also, it must be said, the book was enjoyable to read; in particular I found Lazaraton’s discussion of the literature on oral interview research to be well-organised and clear, and her discussion of CA theory to be extremely accessible.”
Annie Brown (2005) Language Assessment Quarterly 2(4), 309-313
Volume 13
The Equivalence of Direct and Semi-direct Speaking Tests
Kieran O'Loughlin (2001)
This book documents a comparability study of direct (face-to-face) and semi-direct (language laboratory) versions of the speaking component of the access: test, an English language test designed in the 1990s by the Language Testing Research Centre (University of Melbourne) as part of the selection process for immigration to Australia. The study gathered a broad range of quantitative and qualitative evidence to investigate the issue of test equivalence and this multi-layered approach yields a complex and richly textured perspective on the comparability of the two kinds of speaking tests. The findings have important implications for the use of direct and semi-direct speaking tests in various high-stakes contexts such as immigration and university entrance. As such, the book will be of interest to policy-makers and administrators as well as language teachers and language testing researchers.
"... this book makes an important contribution to the language testing literature… For its insights and multifaceted approach to examining test equivalence, it is a valuable resource to language test developers, researchers, graduate students, and even language programs considering using either of these test formats. ... a very readable tale of two tests and the complexity needed to unravel what actually happens in them."
Lindsay Brooks (2006) Language Assessment Quarterly 3 (4), 369-373.
Volume 12
An Empirical Investigation of the Componentiality of L2 Reading in English for Academic Purposes
Edited by Cyril J Weir, Yang Huizhong, Jin Yan (2000)
This volume describes the development and validation of an advanced level test for evaluating expeditious (skimming, search reading and scanning) and careful EAP reading abilities at tertiary level in China. It reports on the methodological procedures which led to the development of the test and discusses the results of empirical investigations carried out to establish its validity both a priori and a posteriori. It is of particular interest and value to teachers, researchers and test developers.
"... this book is a systematic presentation of the authors' dual-purpose pioneering work in EFL reading. On the one hand, they focus on the research question of the componentiality of academic EFL reading... On the other hand, the researchers' experimental work has rewarded them with a unique academic EFL reading test, whose development process is a wonderful model for other test developers to follow."
Ning Chen (2006) Language Assessment Quarterly 3 (1), 81-86.
Volume 11
Experimenting with Uncertainty: Essays in honour of Alan Davies
Edited by C. Elder, A. Brown, E. Grove, K. Hill, N. Iwashita, T. Lumley, T. McNamara, K. O'Loughlin (2001)
This festschrift brings together 28 invited papers surveying the state of the art in language testing from a perspective which combines technical and broader applied linguistics insights. The papers, written by key figures in the field of language testing, cover issues ranging from test construct definition to the design and application of language tests, including their importance as a means of exploring larger issues in language teaching, language learning and language policy. The volume locates work in language assessment in a context of social, political and ethical issues at a time when testing is increasingly expected to be publicly accountable.
“The breadth of perspectives of [Experimenting with uncertainty: Essays in honour of Alan Davies, Studies in Language Testing 11, Elder et al (eds) (2001), CUP/UCLES] is wide enough, providing critically informative commentaries on the issues that language testers should be aware of, particularly in these times when assessment and accountability are increasingly valued in overall circles of education as well as the field of language testing. … Providing a readable introduction … this book will guide … readers in how to grapple with thorny issues that language testing researchers may encounter in their professional career.”
Hyeong-Jong Lee (2005) Language Testing 22 (4), 533–545.
Volume 10
Issues in Computer-Adaptive Testing of Reading Proficiency: Selected papers
Edited by Micheline Chalhoub-Deville (1999)
This volume is an important resource for those interested in research on and development of computer-adaptive (CAT) instruments for assessing the receptive skills, mainly reading. It includes selected papers from a conference on the computer-adaptive testing of reading held in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 1996, as well as a number of specially written papers.
“For those interested in developing and appreciating CAT for reading measurement, the volume [Issues in Computer-Adaptive Testing of Reading Proficiency, Studies in Language Testing 10, Chalhoub-Deville (Ed.) (1999), CUP/UCLES] has, to date, had no parallel in its value as an excellent resource book.”
Jungok Bae (2005) Language Assessment Quarterly 2 (2), 169–173.
“[T]he chapters in this book represent state-of-the-art thinking in computer-adaptive language testing. The book will remain a key volume in the field for many years to come.”
Glenn Fulcher (2000) Language Testing 17 (3), 361-367.
Volume 9
Fairness and Validation in Language Assessment: Selected papers from the 19th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Orlando, Florida
Edited by Antony John Kunnan (2000)
Fairness of language tests and testing practices has always been a concern among test developers and test users. In the past decade educational and language assessment researchers have begun to focus directly on fairness and related matters such as test standards, test bias and equity and ethics for testing professionals. The 19th annual Language Testing Research Colloquium held in 1997 in Orlando, Florida, brought this overall concern into sharp focus by having 'Fairness in Language Testing' as its theme. The conference presentations and discussions attempted to understand the concept of fairness, define the scope of the concept and connect it with the concept of validation of test score interpretation. The papers in this volume offer a first introduction to fairness and validation in the field of language assessment.
Volume 8
Learner Strategy Use and Performance on Language Tests: A structural equation modeling approach
James E. Purpura (1999)
This volume investigates the relationship between learner strategy use and performance on second language tests, by examining the construct validity of two questionnaires designed within a model of information processing that measures test takers' self-reported cognitive and metacognitive strategy use. The book investigates how learner strategy use influences test performance, and how high performers use strategies differently from low performers.
Volume 7
Dictionary of Language Testing
Alan Davies, Annie Brown, Cathie Elder, Kathryn Hill, Tom Lumley, Tim McNamara (1999)
This volume constitutes a valuable resource for anyone seeking a better understanding of the terminology and concepts used in language testing. It contains some 600 entries, each listed under a headword with extensive cross-referencing and suggestions for further reading. The selection of headwords is based on advice from specialists in language testing around the world, combined with the scanning of current textbooks in this field and of dictionaries and encyclopaedias in adjacent fields (e.g. psychometrics, applied linguistics, statistics).
“Multilingual Glossary of Language Testing Terms (Studies in Language Testing 6, ALTE [1998], CUP and UCLES) and Dictionary of Language Testing (Studies in Language Testing 7, Davies et al [1999], CUP/UCLES) are monumental work in the field of language testing.”
Yoshinori Watanabe (2005) Language Assessment Quarterly 2 (1), 69–75.
“... the book can act as a specific point of reference for language testing terminology and concepts, and students will find it increasingly useful as their understanding within the field develops.”
Roger Barnard (2000) Modern English Teacher 9 (3),89-90.
Volume 6
Multilingual Glossary of Language Testing Terms
Prepared by ALTE Members (1998)
A multilingual glossary has a particularly significant role to play in encouraging the development of language testing in less widely taught languages by establishing terms which may be new alongside their well-known equivalents in the commonly used languages. The glossary contains entries in ten languages: Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. This volume will be of use to many working in the context of European languages who are involved in testing and assessment.
“… exploration of the MG reveals it, in my opinion, to be of real value in its own right, both as a working glossary of language testing terms, and, perhaps more importantly, as an invaluable aid to speakers of the ten represented languages…represents an invaluable resource for the tester and student of testing alike.”
Barry O’Sullivan (2002) Applied Linguistics 23 (2), 273-275.
Volume 5
Verbal Protocol Analysis in Language Testing Research: A handbook
Alison Green (1998)
Verbal protocol analysis (VPA) is a methodology that is being used extensively by researchers. Recently, individuals working in the area of testing, and in language testing in particular, have begun to appreciate the roles VPA might play in the development and evaluation of assessment instruments. This book aims to provide potential practitioners of VPA with the background to the technique and a good understanding of what is entailed in using VPA in the context of language testing and assessment. Tutorial exercises are presented which enable the reader to try out each of the different steps involved in VPA.
“The book is successful in providing a practical guide for graduate students and researchers wishing a better understanding of VPA in language testing…it fulfils the need for a basic introduction to the application of VPA … a stimulating guide for researchers interested in language testing.”
Abdoljavad Jafarpur (1999) Language Testing 16 (4), 483-486.
Volume 4
The Development of IELTS: A study of the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension
Caroline Clapham (1996)
This book investigates the ESP claim that tertiary level ESL students should be given reading proficiency tests in their own academic subject areas, and studies the effect of background knowledge on reading comprehension. It is set against a background of recent research into reading in a first and second language, and emphasises the impact schema theory has had on this. The book is a useful resource for those involved with IELTS and others interested in the testing of English for academic purposes.
“Caroline Clapham has written a major, seminal book. She has examined a dangerous field of landmines, detected them, and disarmed them. This book will serve as a map of that minefield for years to come. Higher-education language departments …who are seriously considering special-fields testing should read this book carefully.”
Fred Davidson (1998) Language Testing 15 (2), 289-301.
Volume 3
Performance Testing, Cognition and Assessment: Selected papers from the 15th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Cambridge and Arnhem
Edited by Michael Milanovic and Nick Saville (1996)
This book contains a selection of research papers presented at the 15th Annual Language Testing Research Colloquium (LRTC). The Colloquium was jointly hosted by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) in Cambridge and CITO in Arnhem, in the Netherlands. At the Cambridge venue, the papers were presented on the themes of performance testing, and at Arnhem they covered aspects of communication in relation to cognition and assessment. A selection of papers has been made in order to achieve a balanced coverage of these themes.
“The book thus provides a valuable resource for readers interested in a variety of approaches to investigating and understanding L2 performance assessment…a useful collection of research summaries and a source for relevant ideas.”
John Norris (1999) Language Testing 16 (1), 121-125.
Volume 2
Test taker Characteristics and Test Performance: A structural modeling approach
Anthony John Kunnan (1995)
This book investigates the influence of test taker characteristics on test performance in tests of English as a foreign language by exploring the relationships between these two groups of variables. Data from a test taker questionnaire and performance on several tests including the FCE and the TOEFL were used for the study.
Volume 1
An Investigation into the Comparability of Two Tests of English as a Foreign Language: The Cambridge TOEFL Comparability Study
Lyle F. Bachman, Fred Davidson, Katherine Ryan, Inn-Chull Choi (1995)
This book documents a major study, which compares the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and investigates similarities in test content, candidature and use.
