Comprehensibility in Language Assessment - A Broader Perspective - Parvaneh Tavakoli
Conclusion
Comprehensibility in Language Assessment - A Broader Perspective - Parvaneh Tavakoli
Parvaneh Tavakoli [+]
University of Reading
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Parvaneh Tavakoli is a Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Reading. Parvaneh's main research interest lies in the interface of second language acquisition, language teaching, and language testing. Parvaneh has led several international research projects investigating the effects of task and task design on performance, acquisition, assessment and policy in different contexts. Her research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and books.
Sheryl Cooke [+]
British Council
Sheryl Cooke is an Assessment Researcher with the British Council Assessment Research Group. Sheryl has 20 years’ experience in various areas of language assessment and her qualifications include an MA Language Testing (Lancaster University) and an MA Linguistics (SOAS). She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), focusing on the assessment of spoken English and the potential implications for English as a Lingua Franca. Her research interests include assessment of speaking, the use of new technologies in language testing and the ethics of language assessment in the global context.
Description
In this chapter, we will provide an overview of issues related to comprehensibility and its key features that are central to successful communication. This chapter will also draw together the analytical framework discussed in the monograph to demonstrate the key aspects of the framework that benefit different language professionals. We highlight the contexts that potentially influence comprehensibility in significant ways and highlight the dynamic relationship between speakers and listeners. We will argue that adopting the broader perspective we have suggested will enable language professionals to have a more objective assessment of comprehensibility.