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Rethinking the Second Language Listening Test: From Theory to Practice
Testing second language listening proficiency validly and reliably has always posed a challenge. In the days before the widespread availability of recorded material, tests were reliant upon the voice of the examiner. Each test administration was a unique phonetic event, with enormous variations of delivery between examiners and even within the performance of a single examiner on different occasions. The presentation was read-aloud, and the texts chosen were often those that had been written to be read (including literary extracts). The resulting input to test takers bore little resemblance to natural connected speech.
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Published October 1, 2018
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About the author
John Field
6 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This is John^^Field, where ^=space.
About the Author:
John Field has a PhD from Cambridge University on the identification of words in connected speech by first and second language listeners. He has an MA in Linguistics and ELT from the University of Leeds and an MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics from Cambridge University. His undergraduate degree (English Language and Linguistics). was at University College London. He is a trained English language teacher, and holds the Cambridge/ RSA Diploma.
John specialises in Psycholinguistics, with particular reference to the ways in which cognitive psychology can enable a better understanding of second language skills. His main research interest lies in second language listening. He has worked extensively on cognitive validation in language testing, comparing the processes adopted by a candidate under test conditions with those that would be employed in a less constrained real-world context.
This is John^^Field, where ^=space.
About the Author:
John Field has a PhD from Cambridge University on the identification of words in connected speech by first and second language listeners. He has an MA in Linguistics and ELT from the University of Leeds and an MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics from Cambridge University. His undergraduate degree (English Language and Linguistics). was at University College London. He is a trained English language teacher, and holds the Cambridge/ RSA Diploma.
John specialises in Psycholinguistics, with particular reference to the ways in which cognitive psychology can enable a better understanding of second language skills. His main research interest lies in second language listening. He has worked extensively on cognitive validation in language testing, comparing the processes adopted by a candidate under test conditions with those that would be employed in a less constrained real-world context.
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October 1, 2025
Rethinking the Second Language Listening Test by John Field is an insightful and much-needed reexamination of how we design and interpret listening assessments in second language acquisition.
Rather than treating listening as a passive act of comprehension, Field situates it as a complex, multi-layered skill requiring learners to decode, interpret, and respond to dynamic speech signals. By grounding his analysis in both theory and practice, he challenges many of the entrenched assumptions that shape current test formats such as treating recordings as static texts, overlooking the realities of natural speech, and imposing demands far removed from real-world listening contexts.
The book’s strength lies in its practical alternatives. Field not only critiques traditional item design and delivery methods but also proposes new descriptors of listening behavior across proficiency levels, offering teachers, test designers, and researchers concrete tools for more valid and reliable assessments. His discussions of different learner populations from academic and professional test-takers to younger learners navigating cognitive development make the work broadly relevant to both high-stakes testing and classroom practice.
Scholarly yet accessible, Rethinking the Second Language Listening Test is essential reading for applied linguists, language teachers, curriculum developers, and assessment specialists. It bridges the gap between theoretical understanding and testing practice, ensuring that listening tests better reflect how learners actually engage with language.
Rather than treating listening as a passive act of comprehension, Field situates it as a complex, multi-layered skill requiring learners to decode, interpret, and respond to dynamic speech signals. By grounding his analysis in both theory and practice, he challenges many of the entrenched assumptions that shape current test formats such as treating recordings as static texts, overlooking the realities of natural speech, and imposing demands far removed from real-world listening contexts.
The book’s strength lies in its practical alternatives. Field not only critiques traditional item design and delivery methods but also proposes new descriptors of listening behavior across proficiency levels, offering teachers, test designers, and researchers concrete tools for more valid and reliable assessments. His discussions of different learner populations from academic and professional test-takers to younger learners navigating cognitive development make the work broadly relevant to both high-stakes testing and classroom practice.
Scholarly yet accessible, Rethinking the Second Language Listening Test is essential reading for applied linguists, language teachers, curriculum developers, and assessment specialists. It bridges the gap between theoretical understanding and testing practice, ensuring that listening tests better reflect how learners actually engage with language.
Displaying 1 of 1 review