Validity Argument in Language Testing: Case Studies of Validation Research (Cambridge Applied Linguistics)

Language tests play pivotal roles in education, research on learning, and gate-keeping decisions. The central concern for language testing professionals is how to investigate whether or not tests are appropriate for their intended purposes. This book introduces an argument-based validity framework to help with the design of research that investigates the validity of language test interpretation and use. The book presents the principal concepts and technical terms, then shows how they can be implemented successfully in practice through a variety of validation studies. It also demonstrates how argument-based validity intersects with technology in language testing research and highlights the use of validity argument for identifying research questions and interpreting the results of validation research. Use of the framework helps researchers in language testing to communicate clearly and consistently about technical issues with each other and with researchers of other types of tests.

Carol A. Chapelle is Distinguished Professor in the Department of English, Iowa State University. She received the 2012 Cambridge-International Language Testing Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2015 Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award from the American Association for Applied Linguistics. She is co-editor of the Cambridge Applied Linguistics series and is founding editor of the Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics.

Erik Voss is Lecturer in Applied Linguistics & TESOL at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is a member of the International Language Testing Association's (ILTA) executive board and has co-authored the book, Flipping Academic English Language Learning: Experiences from an American University (2019).