Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL

Expanding Constructs in Second Language Assessment

Soo Hyoung Joo — 2026-07-02

Over the past several decades, construct definitions in second language (L2) assessment, that is, defining what constitutes language ability, have expanded considerably, from early views emphasizing discrete linguistic knowledge to broader conceptualizations that incorporate communicative competence, strategic competence, interactional competence, and language use in authentic contexts (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Chalhoub-Deville, 2003; Chapelle, 1999; Galaczi & Taylor, 2018; Purpura, 2016; Purpura & Oh, 2024). As language users increasingly engage in complex social, academic, and professional activities, researchers have argued that language assessments should reflect a wider range of cognitive, social, and contextual factors that contribute to successful performance (e.g., Purpura, 2021, Voss et al., 2026). Consequently, L2 assessment research has focused on expanding construct definitions to better capture the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for real-world language use. This forum brings together three papers that illustrate how researchers continue to refine, broaden, and operationalize construct of L2 ability to better reflect the complex demands of 21C communication.

Examining HSK 3.0 Before Implementation: A Validity-Oriented Review of Linguistic Features and Task Structure

Kedi Mo — 2026-07-02

The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK; 汉语水平考试, “Chinese Proficiency Test”) has long served as one of the most widely used standardized tests of Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers (Peng et al., 2021; Teng, 2017; Wang, 2018). Since its introduction in the 1980s, the test has undergone several revisions in response to changing views of language ability, proficiency standards, and assessment design (Teng, 2017). The current version, HSK 2.0, was released in 2009 and implemented in 2010, consisting of six levels, which its developers claimed aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) from A1 to C2 (Hanban, 2010). The main test assesses listening and reading at all levels and adds writing from HSK 3 onward, while speaking is offered through a separate, optional test, the HSKK (Hanyu Shuiping Kouyu Kaoshi; 汉语水平口语考试, “Chinese Proficiency Speaking Test”). The listening and reading sections rely predominantly on selected-response item formats, while writing tasks range from sentence construction at lower levels to short topic-based responses at higher levels. Over time, a growing body of research has raised concerns about aspects of HSK 2.0, including the interpretability of its proficiency levels, its representation of communicative ability, and its usefulness for broader score-based decisions (Fu et al., 2014; Peng et al., 2021; Su & Shin, 2015; Teng, 2017; Wang, 2018). These concerns have kept questions of test validity central to discussions of Chinese proficiency assessment.

Critical Thinking in the Context of Speaking Assessment

Ali Ebrahimpourlighvani — 2026-07-02

This literature review explores the critical intersection between oral communicative competence and critical thinking (CT) within academic settings. Traditional English language placement tests often overlook the analytical and strategic skills necessary for effective university-level communication. To address this gap, this review synthesizes scholarship across five key areas: performance assessment in ESL, oral communicative competence, the role of CT in performance evaluation, computer-based testing, and the integration of speaking and CT as a unified construct. Grounded in an interactionalist approach to defining second language speaking ability, the review argues that speaking assessments must reflect the “focused thinking” required in purposeful academic discourse. Finally, the review proposes a working definition of the construct, “Critical-Thinking-to-Interact” in speaking assessment. Using the Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) framework, the review concludes by discussing the development of current assessments of academic speaking ability that include this construct.

Assessing Turn-Taking in Paired Speaking Tests: Differences in Turn Allocation Practices in a Collaborative Task across Cambridge English™ Exams

Daniel Eskin — 2026-07-02

In language assessment, paired speaking tests have been used to elicit evidence of examinees' interactional competence. A notable example is in the Cambridge English™ Qualifications. While research suggests that interactional competence is comprised of a range of features, the rubric for scoring Interactive Communication on these exams only include generic descriptors about initiating, responding, and maintaining interaction with no attention paid to finer grained features like turn taking. This conversation analytic study addresses that gap by examining turn allocation practices among examinees during a collaborative task in paired speaking tests from the C2 Proficiency, B2 First, and A2 Key exams. The study focuses on three candidates who received the same Interactive Communication score across each exam. Extracts were transcribed from video recordings and analyzed for turn allocation practices with a focus on gaze, gesture, intonation, speech overlap, and pauses. Findings show that the C2 candidate used precisely timed verbal and embodied resources for turn allocation, while the B2 candidate relied on more explicit prompting and formulaic rising intonation and pausing and the A2 candidate displayed basic, delayed turn allocation constrained by disfluency. The study concludes by proposing descriptors related to turn allocation for the Interactive Communication rubric for each exam.

Pragmatics in the Health Sciences

Yijing Jiang — 2026-07-02

Pragmatics in the Health Sciences by Maria Garraffa and Greta Mazzaggio advances the central claim that pragmatic competence should be understood not only as a topic in linguistics but as a core component of healthcare assessment and practice. The authors develop this claim by bringing together lines of research that are often pursued within separate disciplinary contexts. Drawing on clinical pragmatics, neuropragmatic research, and developmental pragmatics, they synthesize findings across diverse populations, including typically developing children, bilingual speakers, older adults, and individuals with autism, dementia, neurological conditions, and addiction. Rather than limiting their discussion to the description of pragmatic impairments, they seek to demonstrate how pragmatic assessment can illuminate cognitive functioning and contribute to structured intervention.

An Interview with APPLE Lecture Speaker Dr. Steven Thorne

Ashley Beccia — 2026-07-02

On April 10th, 2026, the Studies in Applied Linguistics & TESOL (SALT) journal interviewed Dr. Steven Thorne, an invited speaker for the 2026 APPLE Lecture Series hosted by the Applied Linguistics and TESOL Program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Thorne is a Professor of Second Language Acquisition in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Portland State University, and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. His research interests include cultural-historical and usage-based approaches to language development, technology-mediated language learning, and indigenous language maintenance and revitalization. He is co-author of Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development (Oxford University Press, 2006) and has published extensively in leading journals, including the Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, and Language Learning & Technology. He received his M.A. in Hindi and Urdu and his Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of California, Berkeley.

Socializing Language, Behavior, and Emotion in Parent-Child Interaction: A Review of Literature

Jessica Coombs Brantigan — 2026-07-02

This article reviews research on how parents socialize children’s language, behavior, and emotion through everyday interaction. Drawing on the framework of language socialization, alongside work in psychology, child development, and conversation analysis, it examines how parents use communicative practices to guide children’s development and participation in culturally meaningful ways. The review is organized around explicit and implicit practices across the three domains of language, behavior, and emotion and highlights how these dimensions of socialization are interrelated rather than treated as isolated skills. Across studies, parents’ multimodal and culturally patterned interactions reveal how children learn not only linguistic forms but also culturally appropriate ways of behaving and feeling. Together, these findings underscore that socialization is a multimodal process through which children become competent members of their communities. Finally, the article suggests that naturalistic, longitudinal, and conversation-analytic research can further illuminate how socialization unfolds across diverse family structures and how children actively participate in shaping these processes.

Conversational Involvement in Interaction: A Literature Review

Cicely Rude — 2026-07-02

Conversational involvement is a fundamental aspect of human communication that shapes how participants engage, connect, and collaborate. This literature review surveys empirical research on conversational involvement across contexts and disciplines, emphasizing its complexity and contextual nature. Drawing from sociolinguistics, computational linguistics, psychology, and education, it discusses strategies and indicators of involvement, including lexical, grammatical, paralinguistic, embodied, pragmatic, and discursive behaviors. Main takeaways suggest that conversational involvement is both an internal psychological state and an observable, co-constructed interactional achievement shaped by cultural and stylistic contexts. It is influenced by shared knowledge, conversational style, and sociocultural norms, which vary across communities. The review identifies research gaps in cross-cultural communication, diverse populations, and educational environments, recommending further study using conversation analysis. By integrating insights from multiple disciplines, this synthesis underscores the multifaceted nature of conversational involvement and its role in fostering connection, inclusion, and rapport. The paper concludes with directions for future research and practical applications in multilingual education.

Readers’ Credits for Volume 26, Issue 1

Ashley Beccia — 2026-07-02