Tradition and Innovation in Language Pedagogy and Research

This book makes a review of the pedagogical, psychological and linguistic attainments in Modern Foreign Language Didactics in Chapter I. Innovative methods of teaching and learning in the Digital Age are also showcased. Furthermore, Chapter II introduces the fundamental concepts of measurement that contribute to the proper development and use of language tests, and analyzes the distinctive characteristics of the terms 'measurement', 'test', and 'evaluation' beyond their synonymous use in practice. Chapter III highlights the fact that the most important aspect in the development of language tests and the interpretation of their results is the purpose tests are intended to serve. The classification of tests with respect to the language sub-skill - phonology, grammar, vocabulary -, or the communication skill - reading, writing, listening, are analyzed in Chapter IV, in which relevant examples and experiments are also provided. The last chapter reveals that the Internet and digital technologies like text and data mining are already changing the way research is done in each domain, from the collection of data, to how researchers collaborate and/or publish their results.