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Beyond dichotomies: unravelling the complexities of international standardised English language testing.

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Title: Beyond dichotomies: unravelling the complexities of international standardised English language testing.
Authors: Harding, Luke
Source: ELT Journal: English Language Teaching Journal. Jan2026, Vol. 80 Issue 1, p110-116. 7p.
Subject Terms: *Language ability testing, *Standardized tests, *English as a foreign language, *Test validity, Lingua francas
Abstract: This article discusses the issues raised in O'Sullivan's and Hashimura et al.'s Point-Counterpoint articles with the aim of introducing new angles on the topic of international standardised English language testing and opening the debate further. In the first section, I provide summaries of the positions taken by O'Sullivan and Hashimura et al. contrasting the "tests as a social good" and "critical language testing" paradigms. Second, I explore international standardised English language testing as a site of complexity, focusing on the nature of this complexity in conceptualising language testing as a field, language tests (as social objects), and language testing organisations. Third, I address shifts towards measuring innovative constructs and the prospect of greater localisation. Finally, I conclude with a call for research that explores complexity in greater depth with a view to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of ELT Journal: English Language Teaching Journal is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Availability: 0
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 192320378
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
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  Data: Beyond dichotomies: unravelling the complexities of international standardised English language testing.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22ELT+Journal%3A+English+Language+Teaching+Journal%22">ELT Journal: English Language Teaching Journal</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 80 Issue 1, p110-116. 7p.
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  Data: This article discusses the issues raised in O'Sullivan's and Hashimura et al.'s Point-Counterpoint articles with the aim of introducing new angles on the topic of international standardised English language testing and opening the debate further. In the first section, I provide summaries of the positions taken by O'Sullivan and Hashimura et al. contrasting the "tests as a social good" and "critical language testing" paradigms. Second, I explore international standardised English language testing as a site of complexity, focusing on the nature of this complexity in conceptualising language testing as a field, language tests (as social objects), and language testing organisations. Third, I address shifts towards measuring innovative constructs and the prospect of greater localisation. Finally, I conclude with a call for research that explores complexity in greater depth with a view to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of ELT Journal: English Language Teaching Journal is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1093/elt/ccaf068
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        StartPage: 110
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      – SubjectFull: Language ability testing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Standardized tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English as a foreign language
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Test validity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lingua francas
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      – TitleFull: Beyond dichotomies: unravelling the complexities of international standardised English language testing.
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              Text: Jan2026
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              Y: 2026
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