Three heresies of language testing research

This article gives a personal view of the history of Anglo-American language testing over the last half-century. It argues that major developments in the field have tended to be embraced too enthusiastically, so that they have led to unbalanced views (or ʹheresiesʹ) concerning the construct definition of language, the scope of test impact and the value of new methods of test delivery and analysis. The article considers in turn the move to integrative and then communicative testing in the 1970s and 1980s; the recent concerns about washback, impact, ethics and politics in language testing; and the effects of innovations such as item response theory and computer-based testing. Despite their unsettling influence, heresies should be welcomed for the challenge they pose to established theory and practice.