LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

Vaclav Brezina

@vaclavbrezina.bsky.social

🎓✨ Fully Funded PhD Opportunity (UK & International applicants) ✨🌍

A PhD studentship is available @corpussocialsci.bsky.social starting Oct 2026. We’re seeking outstanding candidates in #corpuslinguistics, #languagetesting, or #appliedlinguistics 📊💻

🔗 More info: cass.lancs.ac.uk/fully-funded...

February 2, 2026 at 9:23 AM

Dan Isbell

@danielrisbell.bsky.social

In some #languagetesting news, the Pearson Test of English is bringing human raters in for some productive tasks. Very interesting (and encouraging) to see that limits of AI in scoring are being recognized and addressed. Big part of this is a need to detect 'template' responses.

December 7, 2024 at 7:52 PM

Language Testing

@langtestjournal.bsky.social

Check out Lynda Taylor's piece in #LanguageTesting on what it means to be a member of a professional association in our field. doi.org/10.1177/0265... (1/2)

December 18, 2025 at 5:16 AM

Talia Isaacs

@taliaisaacs.bsky.social

Submit an abstract for 2026 #LanguageTesting special issue on #spokendialoguesystems in #languagelearning & #assessment by Feb 1. Hoping to recieve submissions from colleagues in #speechscience #computerscience #IEEE #appliedlinguistics @interspeech.bsky.social. journals.sagepub.com/page/ltj/spe...

December 6, 2024 at 4:32 AM

Talia Isaacs

@taliaisaacs.bsky.social

Open call to submit a proposal to guest edit a special issue of #LanguageTesting in 2027. All topics related to #languageassessment welcome, inc interdisciplinary ones. Deadline: Feb 20. Instructions:
journals.sagepub.com/page/ltj/spe.... Previous special issues: journals.sagepub.com/page/ltj/col...

December 6, 2024 at 9:24 AM

Talia Isaacs

@taliaisaacs.bsky.social

Congrats to guest editors Eunice Jang, Yasuyo Sawski & all authors on this blockbuster issue of #LanguageTesting on the AI revolution! It’s a hefty issue with 7 articles, an opening Editorial & an insightful post-script by @lukeharding.bsky.social. Now out here: journals.sagepub.com/toc/LTJ/curr...

October 28, 2025 at 7:28 AM

Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe (JEMIE)

@jemie-journal.bsky.social

New article alert! 📘
A comparative look at teaching & learning resources for minority language certifications in Catalan, Galician, Irish, Welsh, Upper & Lower Sorbian. Great insights into CEFR-aligned materials and gaps.
DOI: doi.org/10.53779/ANH...
#MinorityLanguages #JEMIE #LanguageTesting

December 8, 2025 at 12:56 PM

CASS

@corpussocialsci.bsky.social

Now is the session with @John Pill：Use of corpus tools in test development

#LancsSS26
#Languagetesting

June 17, 2026 at 2:47 PM

CASS

@corpussocialsci.bsky.social

Day 4 #LancsSS26
Here is the session with @tinekebrunfaut.bsky.social

Testing formulaic language use✨📖

#languagetesting
#LancsSS26

June 18, 2026 at 9:16 AM

Dan Isbell

@danielrisbell.bsky.social

Are you (or someone you know) looking for an MA program in language teaching and applied #linguistics ?

My department is hosting a Virtual Open House for prospective MA students. Registration is on our homepage: hawaii.edu/sls/

Happy to supervise MAs in #languagetesting !

hawaii.edu

January 10, 2024 at 9:03 PM

Dan Isbell

@danielrisbell.bsky.social

Our study of English proficiency tests in US R1 university admissions circa late 2023 has been published in #LanguageTesting. Some highlights:
- TOEFL, IELTS, DET, PTE are most widely used
- Most institutions accept around 5 different tests
- Some mismatches in cut scores across tests
...

A survey of English language proficiency tests in international student admissions at US research-intensive universities - Nicholas Coney, Daniel R. Isbell, 2025

Over one million international students are enrolled in US higher education institutions. To be admitted into one of these degree-granting institutions, interna...

journals.sagepub.com

July 8, 2025 at 11:46 PM

Adrian Leis

@adrianleis.bsky.social

This week's blog looks at 5.5 principles of testing I always keep in mind when creating exams.
#TESOL
#languagetesting

sielpabooks.com/blog/f/the-p...

The Principles of Language Testing

As I mentioned last week, I’m going to focus on testing for the next few weeks. Last week, I shared my techniques for testing vocabulary in a way that helps words stick for students by emphasizing spe...

sielpabooks.com

January 16, 2025 at 11:10 PM

Jonas Bjärnstedt

@jonasbjarnstedt.bsky.social

I mean it's not like it know what it's doing. But I did some languagetesting and the "thiught process" was really weird.

January 28, 2025 at 2:26 PM

MSI Press LLC

@msipress.bsky.social

This week's tips for Tuesday for language learning focus on how to prepare for an oral proficiency test.

msipressblog.blogspot.com/.../tuesdays....

#languagelearning #languagetesting #foreignlanguage

December 5, 2024 at 3:04 AM

Dan Isbell

@danielrisbell.bsky.social

A Hollywood nugget for #languagetesting folks: In the last scene of Triple Frontier, Oscar Isaacs' character blends into a crowd, you can see a banner for an #IELTS test center. I think the shot was somewhere in Colombia (see top right in screenshot).

screenshot of Triple Frontier showing a street scene with an IELTS test center sign.

February 16, 2026 at 7:56 PM

Talia Isaacs

@taliaisaacs.bsky.social

Contribute to this groundbreaking issue of #LanguageTesting on humanising practices in #languageassessment, co-edited by a fantastic cast of guest editors: @jlschissel.bsky.social, Angel Arias, Mohammed Kazemian-Sanati & Donather Magabe. Final call for abstracts

Language Testing @langtestjournal.bsky.social · Aug 19

Reminder: Abstract proposals for the Language Testing 2028 Special Issue are due on September 1st: journals.sagepub.com/page/ltj/cal...

August 19, 2026 at 4:51 PM

Talia Isaacs

@taliaisaacs.bsky.social

Job alert: Associate Professorship in #AppliedLinguistics #TESOL at UCL-IOE in London

www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

Priority areas include but not limited to
#LanguageTeaching #LanguageLearningTechnology #CALL #EdTech #LanguageAssessment #LanguageTesting #MaterialsDevelopment #ResearchMethods #SLA

UCL – University College London

UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

www.ucl.ac.uk

July 30, 2026 at 3:54 PM

Max Chaudhary

@chaudharylaw.bsky.social

Language scores impact immigration success! Strategic prep tips:
📚 Take diagnostic tests
📚 Focus on weak areas
📚 Understand test formats
📚 Practice time management
📚 Record speaking practice.

Small improvements = huge differences!
https://chaudharylaw.com/book-an-appointment

#LanguageTesting

September 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM

Language Testing

@langtestjournal.bsky.social

The Virtual Special Issue synthesizes & revives previously published work in #LanguageTesting that deserves renewed attention. Look forward to further contributions that this piece inspires! (2/4)

December 18, 2025 at 5:13 AM