The call for papers is open!

Call for Papers

Language Assessment in Specific Contexts 

Language assessments are expected to provide valid, reliable, and comparable measures of language ability across diverse contexts and populations. And yet, we know that “one size does not fit all” (Dimova et al., 2020, p.27).  Language use, learning, and assessment are very much embedded within particular contexts and influenced by myriad educational, professional, institutional, technological, cultural, social, economic, and political factors. These factors not only shape what is assessed but also how assessments are designed, implemented, interpreted, and used. 

The 23rd EALTA Conference invites participants to explore the role of context in language assessment. We welcome contributions that examine how assessments are developed, adapted, implemented, and validated in response to the needs of specific learners, institutions, professions, and communities in light of ongoing global and local shifts (e.g., geopolitical, technological) 

The conference provides an opportunity to consider how assessments can be meaningful across contexts while remaining relevant to local settings within accepted frameworks of validity, quality, comparability, and fairness. We encourage discussions of local tests, test localisation and test “glocalisation”, the interplay between global assessment frameworks and local needs, and the opportunities and challenges provided by evolving technologies and the shifting educational landscapes.  

Possible topics include (but are not limited to): 

  • How assessment constructs change across educational, professional, or cultural contexts 
  • How tests can be adapted or localised without compromising validity or comparability 
  • What evidence is needed to validate an assessment for a specific context or population 
  • How contextual knowledge, familiarity, and resources influence test performance 
  • How local stakeholders can contribute to assessment design, standard setting, and interpretation 
  • How AI and digital technologies affect the contextual relevance and fairness of assessment 

We welcome theoretical, methodological, and empirical papers, case studies, and practice-oriented contributions that illuminate the role of contexts in assessments. 

Proposals that are not directly related to the theme can be submitted if they provide timely and important contributions to our field in terms of new theory and empirical research findings. 

Please submit your abstract online here. 

Deadline: 30 November 2026 (23:59 pm, CET) 

 

Please see the information on the presentation categories and the guidelines for submission below. If you have any questions during the process of submitting your proposal, please send an email to ealta2027@gmail.com

 

 

Presentation categories 

Papers (20-minute presentation, followed by a 5-minute discussion) 

Paper presentations can either be empirical or theoretical. They offer researchers the opportunity to present their work, typically followed by a Q&A. Each presentation will be allotted 25 minutes, during which presenters are expected to discuss the objectives, methodology, key findings, and implications of their research, and answer follow-up questions from the audience. 

 

Works-in-Progress (10-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute discussion) 

Work-in-Progress (WiP) presentations provide researchers with the opportunity to present early-stage projects. Each presenter will have 10 minutes to outline their research goals and the challenges they are currently facing. In the abstract, presenters should phrase questions for discussion, specifying the areas they want to get constructive feedback on from the audience. This format encourages an open dialogue, offering valuable insights to guide future stages of the research project presented. 

 

Posters 

Poster presentations provide an interactive platform for researchers to showcase their work in a visual format. Accepted posters will be displayed during a dedicated session, where presenters engage with conference attendees, discuss their findings, and receive valuable feedback. Posters should highlight key aspects of research, but are also suitable for presenting test development projects, new forms of assessments, and technological innovations. 

 

Symposia (90 minutes) 

A symposium addresses a topic from multiple perspectives. It should begin with an introduction to the topic, followed by individual presentations (max. 4) and a synthesis by a discussant. Please consider ample time for discussion with the audience in the scheduling of the symposium.

 

Guidelines 

We would like to encourage as many people as possible to submit proposals, but every year we receive far more than can be included in the programme. The following guidelines will help you make your proposal as effective as possible and give you the best chance of success. Please note that authors should not submit more than one proposal on which they are first author in the same category (e.g. papers). 

 The proposals for papers, works-in-progress and posters must:

  1. contain a clear explanation of how the paper relates to the conference theme, or if it is not related to the theme, why it is of significance to the field
  2. keep to the stipulated maximum word count (250 words max.)
  3. be well-structured
  4. clearly outline:
  • the objectives of the paper 
  • for empirical papers: its methods (design, participants, instruments, procedures); for theoretical papers: its theoretical framework or literature upon which it is based 
  • the contribution it makes to the field of Language Testing and Assessment 
  • the novelty it may offer in terms of concepts, approaches or methods 
  1. be likely to promote discussion and interaction amongst conference participants

 

The proposals for symposia must:

  1. contain a clear rationale for the symposium (500 words max.) which
  • is well-structured 
  • outlines the objectives of the symposium 
  • explains how the papers (a maximum of four) within the symposium relate to each other and contribute to the symposium goals 
  1. contain a separate abstract for each contribution which
  • outlines its relation to the conference theme and contribution to the symposium 
  • is well-structured 
  • keeps to the stipulated word count (250 words max.) 
  • clearly outlines the objectives, its methods or its theoretical framework, and the novelty it may offer in terms of concepts, approaches or methods 
  1. be likely to promote discussion and interaction amongst conference participants.

 

Each proposal is rated by independent reviewers. 

We want to ensure an anonymous and impartial vetting procedure. Therefore, we will collect your contact details and the abstract separately. The data containing your name, affiliation etc. go to the conference administrators. They will use IDs to match your personal details with your abstract. You will submit your abstract in a separate file, which goes to the reviewers. 

NB: To ensure anonymity, you are required to avoid any information in your title and abstract that may lead to identifying you or your institution as the author or origin of the proposal.