ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a critical perspective on the uses of language assessment practices in relation to English as a lingua franca (ELF), pointing to the gap that exists between the ELF construct and testing theory, ideology and practices. This critical view is anchored within the widely accepted view that ELF is perceived as fluid, open and non-standard in nature, commonly used by the English users who acquired the language not as native speakers but through school learning and/or through a variety of informal contexts. The types of English resulting from these learning paths differ significantly from the English acquired as a native language variety in a number of features. Critical language testing (CLT) (Shohamy, 2001a and 2001b) refers to multiple questions about language tests intended to evaluate the quality of tests in terms of whether they measure the language construct, which they are meant to measure as well as the values, consequences, intentions and impact of the tests on its users (Messick, 1994). This chapter will point to the gap that exists between the fluid ELF and testing theories that build on constructs that are fixed, standard and stable. This gap leads to inaccurate scores and negative consequences of test-takers’ lives and present and future opportunities. The chapter concludes with preliminary proposals of alternative types of ELF assessment.
