Language teachers the world over inevitably need to engage in assessing their students’ language ability for various purposes – diagnostic, progress, achievement, etc. Because language assessment is a major task for language teachers, language teaching programs should provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to problematize assessment in the foreign or second language classroom. Educating pre-service teachers for assessment should lead to positive consequences on their in-service work. In this book, the author provides a research-based approach to plan, design, implement, and evaluate a language assessment course for pre-service teachers. The following are some of the central issues addressed in the book: • A conceptualization of Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) –the central construct in the book– and its relationship with language teachers’ professional development. • A theoretically and empirically driven approach for planning and designing a language assessment course. • A hands-on approach to teaching language assessment to pre-service language teachers. • Suggestions for teaching the design of assessments for the four language skills. • Suggestions for language teacher educators to discuss and derive ideas for assessment in their language teaching programs. • Real sample items and tasks for teaching and assessing pre-service teachers’ LAL. The author constantly invites teacher educators to reflect upon the theory, research, and practice presented in the book. In doing so, he encourages these stakeholders to plan and teach language assessment courses that foster the LAL of pre-service teachers’, an overlooked stakeholder group in LAL discussions.

The language assessment literacy (LAL) of pre-service teachers is garnering interest in language testing and assessment. Preparing these stakeholders to conduct professional assessment practices should be a major goal of language teaching programs in general. In this book, the author offers a methodological framework to educate pre-service teachers through language assessment. The book has these components: • A definition of teachers' language assessment literacy (LAL), the construct underlying the book. • A project-based framework as the overarching instructional approach for pre-service teachers' LAL development. • Strategies to teach various areas of language assessment to pre-service teachers. • Numerous ideas on classroom techniques to foster pre-service teachers' LAL. • Exercises for pre-service teacher educators to problematize and design their context-sensitive LAL initiatives. • A test to diagnose and/or check achievement of pre-service teachers' LAL. • A glossary of language assessment terms used in the book. The author encourages readers to reflect upon the theoretical and methodological aspects covered throughout the book, while acknowledging the potential benefits and challenges of his proposed pedagogy of LAL. Overall, this book may be a contribution to current and future LAL discussions, especially regarding pre-service teachers' LAL development.

In the field of language testing, there is a growing interest regarding pedagogical approaches to problematize and foster teachers' Language Assessment Literacy (LAL). Although relevant LAL research studies report on the contents and teaching methodologies of assessment courses, few report on their entire design, implemen- tation, and evaluation stages. In Language Assessment Literacy for In-Service Teachers: Online Course Planning and Implementation, the author describes and discusses a systematic approach to plan, teach, and evaluate an online language assessment course for English language teachers in the coffee region of Colombia. In particular, the book explores the following LAL issues: • A discussion of LAL and teachers' professional development, with an emphasis on proposed pedagogies for fostering LAL. • An empirical approach to drawing these teachers' LAL, designing the online course and accompanying materials, implementing the course, and evaluating it. • Ideas for teaching assessment to language teachers and assessing their LAL. in online environments. • Numerous tasks for teacher educators to problematize their own courses for teachers' LAL. • Sample data collection instruments and pedagogical materials to elicit and activate teachers' LAL. Throughout the book, the author constantly invites teacher educators to analyze his proposed approach, while highlighting the challenges and implications inher ent in the enterprise of developing online courses to cultivate teachers' LAL. In conclusion, this book offers conceptual, pedagogical, and research insights into LAL pedagogies involving in-service language teachers

Providing a timely and much-needed resource on LTAs, the book helps readers recognize the importance and nature of teachers’ professional development, while also contributing to the process of educational change. In order to achieve a suitable level of educational and policy change, a research base for LTAs is called for. This book represents a step in the right direction, introducing readers to essential research on the central role of LTAs in language teachers’ development. Although pre-service and in-service education programs, to be found at government and/or private institutions, are of great value, it is impossible to prepare teachers for all the challenges they will face throughout their careers. In response, many professional associations also provide a wide range of professional development activities for their teacher members. The book will be of interest to language teachers, graduate students, teacher educators and researchers, educational leaders and policymakers, as well as teacher associations.

Language teacher education is widely identified as one of the most important areas that needs addressing in order to improve early language instruction, yet research into teacher education for early language teachers remains relatively sparse. This volume responds to this gap by compiling studies with diverse methodological tenets from a wide range of geographical and educational contexts around the world. The volume aims to enhance understanding of early language teacher education as well as to address the need to prepare early language teachers and assist them in their professional development. The chapters focus on the complexity of teacher learning, innovations in mentoring and teacher supervision, strategies in programme development and perceptions, and knowledge and assessment in early language learning teacher education. The volume offers comprehensive coverage of the field by addressing various aspects of teacher education in different languages. The contributions highlight examples of research into current practice in the professional enhancement of early language learning teachers, but with an emphasis on the implications for practitioners.

The field of language testing and assessment has recognized the importance and underlying theoretical and practical underpinnings of language assessment literacy (LAL), an area that is gradually coming to prominence. This book addresses issues that promote the concept of LAL for language research, teaching, and learning, covering a range of topics. It brings together 14 chapters based on high-stakes and classroom-based studies authored by academics, professionals and researchers in the field. The text examines diverse issues through a multifaceted approach, presenting high-quality contributions that fill a gap in a research area that has long been in need of theoretical and empirical attention.

Bringing together a comprehensive range of extended research-based chapters, English Language Teacher Preparation in Asia provides comprehensive insight into policy, research, and practical aspects of teacher preparation for English teachers at pre-service level across multiple contexts in Asia. Written by local and international scholars specialising in TESOL Teacher education, and acknowledging the increasingly complex demands made on teachers of English in view of globalisation, the book explores the multiple factors which are key to effective professional learning. Chapters consider how pre-service teachers are best prepared for the diverse contexts in which English is learnt and taught in settings throughout Asia and draw on in-depth research studies to provide rich, fully contextualised coverage of aspects of teacher preparation including curriculum design, programme development, policy, professional learning communities, assessment education, and teaching practicum. A timely contribution to the field of teacher preparation, this text will be an invaluable resource for teacher educators, pre-service teachers and academics involved in the preparation of English teachers in Asia.

This book contains many suggestions for practical work and discussion, and includes an extended case-study.

Perspectives on Language Assessment Literacy describes how the elements of language assessment literacy can help teachers gather information about when and how to assess learners, and about using the appropriate assessment tools to interpret results in a fair way. It provides highlights from past and current research, descriptions of assessment processes that enhance LAL, case studies from classrooms, and suggestions for professional dialogue and collaboration. This book will help to foster continuous learning, empower learners and teachers and make them more confident in their assessment tasks, and reassure decision makers that what is going on in assessment meets international benchmarks and standards. It addresses issues like concepts and challenges of assessment, the impacts of reflective feedback on assessment, the ontogenetic nature of assessment literacy, the reliability of classroom-based assessment, and interfaces between teaching and assessment. It fills this gap in the literature by addressing the current status and future challenges of language assessment literacy. This book will be of great interest for academics, researchers, and post-graduate students in the fields of language assessment literacy and English language teaching.