22nd EALTA Conference

Literacies across different stakeholder groups 

9-14 June, 2026, Siena, Italy

The role of language assessment literacy (LAL) of different stakeholders involved in the assessment process has been a central concept within the field of language testing and assessment. Definitions of LAL include stakeholders’ background knowledge of measurement, linguistic terms and concepts, and practical skills involving test analysis, development, implementation, and use (Fulcher, 2021). LAL is a dynamic process in which stakeholders draw on social and experiential resources within a particular educational context to participate in assessment through collaboration (Levi & Inbar-Lourie, 2020).  

However, in recent years, our field has identified the need for a number of distinct literacies that different stakeholders need to participate meaningfully in assessment processes. For teachers, assessment literacy involves designing and interpreting assessments that both support learning and meet accountability requirements, but they also need digital (AI?) literacy to be able to deal with recent technological advances that affect traditional assessment approaches. Learners rely on several literacies: assessment literacy to understand how their performance is judged, digital literacy to navigate technology-based tests, and academic literacy to interpret tasks and respond appropriately. Policy-makers and administrators require assessment literacy to interpret test results responsibly, make evidence-based decisions, and promote fairness across educational systems. For test developers and researchers, literacies extend further: technological literacy to design and analyse digital assessments, ethical literacy to ensure responsible use of data, intercultural literacies to recognise and address cultural assumptions in assessment design and interpretation, and critical literacy to question underlying constructs and engage with the social consequences of assessment. 

The growing role of digital and technological literacies is reshaping assessment practices, while ethical, intercultural, and critical literacies highlight the social and political dimensions of testing. At the same time, disparities across stakeholder groups and educational systems underscore the need for inclusive, context-sensitive approaches. 

This conference seeks to explore the evolving constellation of literacies shaping our field today. We invite contributions that examine theoretical perspectives, share empirical insights, and highlight innovative practices, with a focus on how literacies can be developed and sustained across contexts. 

Possible areas of contribution include: 

  • Rethinking literacies: new conceptualisations in language testing and assessment 
  • Stakeholder voices: how teachers, learners, policy-makers, administrators, and test developers engage with assessment 
  • Digital frontiers: assessment in the age of technological and data literacies 
  • Ethics and equity: critical, intercultural, and ethical literacies in assessment practices 
  • Bridging gaps: addressing unequal literacy development and its washback effects 
  • Learning from practice: case studies of literacy development in schools, universities, and professional settings 
  • Breaking new ground: innovative ways to foster and expand assessment-related literacies