This Festschrift brings together 28 invited papers surveying the state
of the art in language testing. The papers, by key figures in the field
of language testing, cover issues ranging from test construct definition
to the design and applications of language tests, including their
importance as a means of exploring larger issues in language teaching,
language learning and language policy. The volume locates work in
language assessment in a context of social, political and ethical issues
at a time when testing is increasingly expected to be publicly
accountable. It is thus particularly appropriate as a tribute to Alan
Davies, whose work in this field since the 1960s has been marked by its
conceptual strength and social responsiveness, seeking constantly to
clarify and challenge current practice and new trends.