Language assessment literacy (LAL) has been conceptualized in different ways in the research literature. This study has used a qualitative research design to explore how teacher trainers and teachers in Norway understand the construct. The results have important implications for the way the field conceptualizes LAL and for language teaching and learning.
Language assessment literacy (LAL) can be defined as the knowledge, skills and principles needed by assessment professionals in order to carry out good language assessments. This is a concept which has attracted increasing attention over the years, not least in relation to discussions of teacher competency. Different descriptions of the LAL construct exists, and there are different views in the research community regarding its universality. Hence, the existing conceptual framework for LAL can be described as being in an evolutionary phase, and calls have been made for more research in order to get a better grasp of what LAL is and how it can be operationalized in classroom practices (Inbar-Lourie, 2017). In particular, suggestions have been made for studying the construct from an emic perspective, and for promoting the cooperation between teachers, teacher trainers, assessment experts and policy-makers in order to establish a solid underpinning for the identification of the component areas of LAL (Harding & Kremmel, 2016). The current study, which is work in progress, has taken as a starting point Taylor’s (2013) model of LAL to compare Norwegian teacher trainers’ (n=5) conceptions of the construct with that of Norwegian secondary school teachers’ (n=10). Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit the informants’ understanding of LAL. The results have important implications for the way the field conceptualizes LAL and for language teaching and learning. Harding, L., & Kremmel, B. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy and professional development. In D. Tsagari & J. Banerjee (Eds.), Handbook of Second Language Assessment (pp. 413-427). De Gruyter Mouton. Inbar-Lourie, O. (2017). Language assessment literacy. In E. Shohamy, I. G. Or, & S. May (Eds.), Language Testing and Assessment (3rd ed.). Cham: Springer. Taylor, L. (2013). Communicating the theory, practice and principles of language testing to test stakeholders: Some reflections. Language Testing, 30(3), 403-412. doi:10.1177/0265532213480338
