1st Edition
The Politics of English Second Language Writing Assessment in Global Contexts
Reflecting the internationalization of the field of second language writing, this book focuses on political aspects and pedagogical issues of writing instruction and testing in a global context. High-stakes assessment impacts the lives of second language (L2) writers and their teachers around the world, be it the College English Test in China, Common Core-aligned assessments in the U.S., English proficiency tests in Poland, or the material conditions (such as access to technology, training, and other resources) affecting a classroom. With contributions from authors working in ten different countries in a variety of institutional contexts, the chapters examine the uses and abuses of various writing-related assessments, and the policies that determine their form and use. Representing a diverse range of contexts, methods, and disciplines, the authors jointly call for more equitable testing systems that consider the socioeconomic, psychometric, affective, institutional, and needs of all students who strive to gain access to education and employment opportunities related to English language proficiency.
1. The Intersections of Politics and Second Language Writing Assessment: What We Know, Todd Ruecker and Deborah Crusan
Part I: Local and National Policy Contexts
2. Worlds Apart, but in the Same Boat: How Macro-Level Policy Influences EFL Writing Pedagogy in China, Mexico, and Poland, Estela Ene and Katarzyna Hryniuk
3. Vignette: The Importance of Context in Second Language Writing Evaluation, Theresa A. Orlovsky
4. Foreign Language Writing Assessment and Brazilian Educational Policies, Luciana C. de Oliveira, Solange Aranha, and Fernando Zolin-Vesz
5. Sociopolitical Contexts of EFL Writing Assessment in Vietnam: Impact of a National Project, Xuan Minh Ngo
6. Vignette: Policy Makers, Assessment Practices, and Ethical Dilution, Hadi Banat
7. English Writing Assessment in the context of Iran: The Double life of Iranian Test-takers, Fahimeh Marefat and Mojtaba Heydari
Part II: High Stakes Assessment
8. High-Stakes English Writing Assessment in Egyptian Secondary Schools: Historical Testing Orientations and Current Instructional Practices, Muhammad M. Abdel Latif and Abdelbaset Haridy
9. Vignette: Error Recognition: A So-Called "Writing" Assessment? Pornpimol Sukavatee and Bee Chamcharatsri
10. "Write an E-mail to Your Friend in England": Assessment of the Written English Matura Exam in Poland, Aleksandra Swatek and Aleksandra Kasztalska
11. Vignette: Assessing English Linguistic Knowledge and Writing Skills in Secondary Schools Through State Matura Exam: The Case of Macedonia, Mira Bekar
12. Righting Writing Practices? An exam reform’s impact on L2 writing teaching and assessment, Benjamin Kremmel, Kathrin Eberharter, and Michael Maurer
13. Impacts and Responses to a University High Stakes Writing Test, Gordon West and Bala Thiruchelvam
Part III: Seeking Solutions: Assessing Better Locally and Internationally
14. Writing Academically and Creatively: Moving Beyond Test-Driven Writing Instruction in a Chinese University, Chenchen Huang and Xiaoye You
15. Vignette: When Are Students Ready Enough?: Issues and Dilemmas Around Assessment of L2 Writers in a WAC Program, Hee-Seung Kang
16. Accommodating Writing Tests for Second Language Learners with Disabilities, Natalie Nordby Chen and Renee Saulter
17. E-portfolio Project: Assessing Language Teacher Learning in the Chilean Desert, Betsy Gilliland, Katterine Pavez Bravo, and Andrea Muñoz Galleguillos
18. The Value of Usage-based Approaches to Diagnostic Placement Assessment in Graduate EAP, Megan M. Siczek and Natalia Dolgova
19. Vignette: Challenging the Deficit Mindset: The WIDA Can Do Philosophy in a Second Language Writing Context, Mark Chapman, Ahyoung Alicia Kim, Jing Wei, and Tanya Bitterman
Afterword, Christine Pearson Casanave
Biography
Todd Ruecker is Assistant Professor of English at the University of New Mexico, USA.
Deborah Crusan is Professor of English at Wright State University, USA.
