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Challenges and Innovations in Speaking Assessment: Edited by Larry Davis and John M.Norris, New York, Routledge, 2024, 234 pp., $44.49 (paperback), ISBN 9781138707153. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315201504.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Challenges and Innovations in Speaking Assessment: Edited by Larry Davis and John M.Norris, New York, Routledge, 2024, 234 pp., $44.49 (paperback), ISBN 9781138707153. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315201504.
Authors: Susanto, Andrias1 (AUTHOR) andrias@iastate.edu
Source: Language Assessment Quarterly. Jan-Mar2026, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p114-117. 4p.
Subject Terms: *Language ability testing, *Test design, *Test validity, *Oral examinations (Education), *Grading of students
Company/Entity: Educational Testing Service
Abstract: The article reviews *Challenges and Innovations in Speaking Assessment*, a volume documenting the evolution of speaking assessments developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) from the 1970s to the present. It highlights ETS’s historical development of major speaking tests such as the Test of Spoken English (TSE), TOEFL Speaking, and TOEIC Speaking, alongside research on validity, scoring, and task design. The book also explores innovations including spoken dialogue systems for assessing pragmatic competence, the integration of video in speaking tasks, and automated speech scoring technologies. While praised for its detailed historical account and insights into technological advances, the volume is noted for organizational inconsistencies, limited justification of methodological choices, and a lack of engagement with the latest developments like generative AI. Overall, it serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in the challenges and progress in standardized speaking assessment. [Extracted from the article]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:The article reviews *Challenges and Innovations in Speaking Assessment*, a volume documenting the evolution of speaking assessments developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) from the 1970s to the present. It highlights ETS’s historical development of major speaking tests such as the Test of Spoken English (TSE), TOEFL Speaking, and TOEIC Speaking, alongside research on validity, scoring, and task design. The book also explores innovations including spoken dialogue systems for assessing pragmatic competence, the integration of video in speaking tasks, and automated speech scoring technologies. While praised for its detailed historical account and insights into technological advances, the volume is noted for organizational inconsistencies, limited justification of methodological choices, and a lack of engagement with the latest developments like generative AI. Overall, it serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in the challenges and progress in standardized speaking assessment. [Extracted from the article]
ISSN:15434303
DOI:10.1080/15434303.2025.2605208