Advancing the International Recognition of the Locally-Produced GEPT: An Interview with Jessica Wu

ABSTRACT Jessica Wu is Research and Development Program Director at the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC) in Taipei, Taiwan. Jessica has been deeply involved in the development and validation of the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) in addition to a number of other foreign language testing programs. Her research focuses on speaking assessment and the impact of standardized language testing. Jessica is a founding member of the Asian Association for Language Assessment (AALA), for which she has served as both co-president (2016 to 2017) and president (2018 to 2019). She currently serves as an advisor for the development and administration of L1 tests (i.e., Hakka, Southern Min, and Indigenous language proficiency certifications) in Taiwan. Jessica has authored a number of publications, including articles and book chapters in the field of language testing, and has presented her work at conferences around the world. Most recently, she co-edited English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia: A New Paradigm Bridging Global and Local Contexts with Cyril Weir and I-Wen Su. Her contributions to language testing are significant and immeasurable, particularly with regard to Asia. The following interview with Jessica, which was conducted via an online meeting platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic, took place in January 2021.