Language assessment | British Council

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How bilingual schooling affects students from different socio-economic backgrounds: the student perspective

Discover how bilingual education can help bridge socio-economic gaps in English language learning.

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Advanced speech fluency measurement: innovations and applications

This research tests a new way to measure fluency in second language speech without manual transcription, and looks at how it could support language assessment.

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The Comprehensive Learning System

For learning programmes to succeed, they should be seen as a system where curriculum, delivery and assessment work together.

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Language testing as cultural relations

Explore how the British Council’s work in testing and assessment has contributed to the organisation’s cultural relations agenda.

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Scoring second language spoken and written performance: issues, options and directions

Speaking and writing are key skills in language learning, but scoring these performances is complex and has attracted a lot of attention in both first and second language learning contexts.

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Validity: Theoretical development and integrated arguments

A deep dive into what makes a test valid, from theory to real-world practice, highlighting the evidence needed to prove test quality.

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Time-extension and the second language reading performance of children with different first language literacy profiles

Can extra time help those with learning difficulties perform better on reading tests? This study puts common assumptions to the test with real data from Aptis for Teens.

Rethinking the second language listening test

This monograph explores common myths about listening tests and offers fresh, practical ideas for how they can be rethought.

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China's Standards of English language ability (CSE): linking UK exams to the CSE

Researchers from the UK and China explore a methodology for linking UK examinations to the China Standards for English (CSE).

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Assessing writing at lower levels: research findings, task development locally and internationally, and the opportunities presented by the extended CEFR descriptors

Explore how writing tests for beginner language learners are designed by international test providers and language teachers.