22-24 November 2024

Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment (CRELLA), University of Bedfordshire - Bedford Campus | Polhill Ave, Bedford, MK41 9EA | United Kingdom

About the Language Testing Forum

The Language Testing Forum (LTF) is an annual conference held in the United Kingdom, dedicated to the field of language testing and assessment. LTF is organized by different institutions or groups within the language testing community each year, with 2024 being hosted by CRELLA at the University of Bedfordshire. The conference serves as a platform for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the language testing community to come together to discuss recent developments, share research findings, and explore practical issues related to language testing and assessment. Since 2016, LTF has been the official conference of UKALTA and features the UKALTA Annual General Meeting (AGM). The conference plays a vital role in advancing the field of language testing in the UK and promotes professional standards in language assessment.

Conference theme

The theme for LTF 2024 is 'What do we want the future of language assessment to look like?: Taking stock of what we know now'. Featured topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Equ(al)ity, Diversity, and Inclusion in language assessment
2. Interfaces between language assessment and other disciplines
3. Revisiting the relationship between language education and assessment in the era of Generative AI
4. Test localisation
5. Language policy and assessment
6. Multimodal assessment
7. Language assessment literacy

What makes the above so relevant? Due to a confluence of emergent technological advancements and societal developments which are transforming educational practices and raising new ethical considerations, 2024 is a pivotal time to discuss the future of language testing and assessment. The theme, "What do we want the future of language assessment to look like? Taking stock of what we know now", encompasses prominent interconnected issues in language assessment. The selected issues are both salient and interconnected as they collectively aim to create fair, valid, and contextually appropriate evaluation systems that leverage technological advancements, address diverse learner needs, and ensure that educators and policymakers are well-informed and equipped to implement effective practices.

Keynote: Professor Emerita Janice Wearmouth

Janice Wearmouth is a Professor Emerita and the previous co-Director of the Institute for Research in Education (IREd) at the University of Bedfordshire. She is a world-leading expert in special educational needs research. Over the past two decades, she has been extensively researching and publishing on issues related to literacy difficulties, behavioural concerns in schools, teacher professional development and inclusion in the UK and New Zealand. In 2009 she won the National Association of Special Educational Needs (NASEN) book of the year award in the category teacher professional development for her publication: Wearmouth, J (2009) ‘A Beginning Teacher's Guide to Special Educational Needs’, Open University Press. She is a member of the Leading Learning for Special Educational Needs and Disability CIC.

Download the full keynote abstract [PDF]

Timetable & Programme

Download the full LTF 2024 programme booklet [PDF]. The programme contains the LTF 2024 schedule as well as useful information about our speakers, presenters, abstracts, locations, and sponsors.

A Microsoft Word version of the programme's schedule can be found here: final conference timetable [DOCX]

Venue

The pre-conference workshop will take place at 1-5pm in Room G0.11 in the Gateway Building on Friday 22 November.

The main conference will take place in the Campus Centre Theatre (D1.02). Registration will be open here from 5pm on Friday 22 November.

Directions to Bedford campus

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner will be a casual buffet at the Gordon Arms on Saturday evening.

Unable to make the dinner? Please see the following list of suggestions for you to make your own dinner arrangements: selected restaurant options in Bedford [PDF]

Other useful information