Cognition and Language Assessment

Abstract

Performance on L2 assessments is an enormously complex endeavor, involving multiple interacting elements that can impact the scores that examinees receive. Among these factors, language testers have long been interested in the cognitive mechanisms that underlie performance on assessments. Given the role that cognition plays in test score variability, it is essential that cognitive variables be considered in the design and development of L2 assessments, as well as in the interpretation and use of assessments as meaningful indicators of L2 learning or proficiency. The current chapter looks at the cognitive mechanisms governing performance on L2 assessments. Several approaches to how cognition in L2 assessment has been conceptualized over the years are discussed. Also, several strands of research in L2 assessment related to the cognitive component will be presented. Finally, the challenges in examining the factors will be highlighted and new directions in addressing the cognitive component of L2 assessment will be described.

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