What’s the Future of English Language Testing?

For someone like myself who lives in the world of online assessment, “What is the future of English language testing?” is a natural question. After all, I work for a company that teaches English language skills to students across the globe, with a particular focus on helping them acquire the abilities needed to succeed at university. But perhaps we must consider a more fundamental question: Why do we test English in the first place? To determine someone’s proficiency level, of course—but what’s the purpose behind that?

Let’s consider a few scenarios.

For university study, a maths student and an English literature or philosophy student face different demands. While each should achieve a necessary level of proficiency to succeed in university, should they take the same test to prove their ability to actively participate and succeed? Probably not. A maths student studying at an English university, for example, needs everyday English to communicate with other students, thrive in their day-to-day life, and explain how they solved a complex problem – but they probably don’t need to write academic essays. In contrast, an English literature student must analyze and compare complex texts in addition to using everyday English.

For work, the requirements vary even more. In a workplace setting, would the assessment for an aspiring hospitality professional, who may need to greet visitors at the Dorchester or Savoy hotel, be the same as for an aspiring tour guide who may need to explain the geology and archaeology of AlUla, Saudi Arabia, on a tour? In the workplace, a tour guide may not need strong writing skills but must be a charismatic speaker, fluent in intonation, idioms, and perhaps humour. Meanwhile, the language requirements for an aspiring surgeon who must communicate effectively in a surgical setting (“We're going to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Please prepare the trocar for insertion.”) would be entirely different, as with the needs for an air traffic controller seeking to understand a pilot’s message (“Mayday, mayday, mayday. Delta 456, engine failure. Requesting immediate descent to flight level one zero zero”)?

The point is clear: the purpose of speaking English is as diverse as communication itself. So, how should we test for such varied scenarios? The future of testing should consider these diverse needs and customize assessments accordingly.

In fact, technology advancements have already enabled a degree of customization. Kaplan was among the pioneers of computerized adaptive testing, which adjusts the difficulty of questions based on previous responses, ensuring the test is neither overly challenging nor boringly easy. It also makes the test faster, more accurate, and more efficient than traditional ones—who wants to be tested for hours on end?

Enter generative AI. The incredibly fast growth of generative AI means that core English language skills can be taught and tested with ever more subtle degrees of customization. An AI agent can be programmed to evaluate and provide individualized feedback on everything from student essays to video presentations. And students can practice their speaking and writing over and over, receiving AI coaching without fear of embarrassment about their imperfect pronunciation in front of their classmates. 

But imagine taking that a step further.

One of my most memorable experiences of 2024 involved an epic journey. I worked in a forensic chemistry lab in Nepal, investigating an epidemic that we discovered was caused by a crashed meteorite polluting the water. Ten minutes later, I was an art history student, exploring how the gold leaf mosaic on the dome of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, made the light shimmer throughout the day, creating an awe-inspiring effect.

I didn’t actually go to Nepal or Venice; I had these experiences through a VR headset in the Arizona State University’s Dreamscape Learn lab at the ASU+GSV Summit. The technology was cool, as well as memorable and engaging. I even learned some of the language I’d need as a chemist or art historian.

With a VR headset, an English literature student could be required to discuss a passage with a virtual examiner and virtual students. A maths student could be required to explain the solution to a complex equation to a group of virtual peers. In the workplace, the technology could simulate an air traffic control tower or leading a geology-based tour group in AlUla, tailored to specific needs. Interaction with the virtual group would adapt to the test taker’s actions.

The future of language testing, for English or any other language, will increasingly embrace such customizations. It will focus on testing what’s truly relevant to the learner’s goals, creating assessments that are not only motivating but also highly practical.

So, here’s the real question: How do we create tests that truly reflect the diversity of real-world language use—and ensure they keep up with the pace of technological change?

A good place to start would be to think in more fine-grained detail about different stages of an English language learner’s journey, then craft teaching and testing accordingly with the help of AI and other technology. A shared “General English” curriculum for those beginning university study and life in a new country could be followed by specialized modules tailored to particular academic sub-fields. After that, students preparing for internships or full-time jobs in fields from engineering to medicine to tourism could be given specialized “Professional English” units of study.

Ultimately, the goal of English language testing is to prepare learners for what they will face in the real world. With the help of technology, we can create assessments that are more engaging, more relevant, and more personalized than ever before. And by creating assessments that reflect the true diversity of language needs, we can ensure that English language learners are motivated and engaged in the learning process, and well-prepared for the language challenges of the real world.