We all know that the languages we use do not stay still, they change over time. We also know that most people in the world know and use more than one language. It is certainly the case that most of us vary and adjust the ways in which we use our language/s in different situations. In this talk I will look at some of the recent research in fields such as workplace multilingual communication and academic language in international universities, and explore their relevance for second/additional language assessment. My overall aim is to explore the need to revise and/or broaden the assumptions and values underpinning some of the established concepts and practices in English language assessment, with a view to stimulating debates among colleagues working in different languages and world locations.
Dr. Constant Leung
Professor of Educational Linguistics in the School of Education, Communication and Society, King’s College London. His research interests include additional/second language teaching and assessment, language policy, and teacher professional development. He is joint-editor of Language Assessment Quarterly, Editor of Research Issues of TESOL Quarterly, and serves as a member of the Editorial Boards of Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Language and Education, and the Modern Language Journal.