New Technologies in Second Language Spoken Assessment

In second language (L2) spoken assessment, one challenge has been to mimic real-life situations. New technologies may help improve test authenticity by placing language learners into authentic settings. This chapter provides an overview of the use and usefulness of new technologies in L2 spoken assessment and outlines inherent opportunities and challenges presented by these technologies. Specifically, it discusses commonly used technologies for test design, delivery, and scoring of examinees’ responses. It concludes with a visitation of Douglas’s warning that “language testing … driven by technology, rather than technology being employed in the services of language testing, is likely to lead us down a road best not traveled” in light of recent technological advances.