My main research interests are language testing, and reading and listening in a second/foreign language. In recent research, I have focused on a) cognitive & affective factors and processes in language testing, b) methodology in language testing research, and c) language assessment literacy. I also regularly conduct language test development and consultancy work for professional and educational bodies around the world.
I am especially interested in supervising PhD students in the area of language testing, second language reading and listening, and diagnosis in second language assessment (see http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/ltrg/projects/dialang-2-0/).
Topics covered by my current and graduated PhD students include: testing listening (e.g., integrated listening, academic listening needs), testing reading (e.g., item difficulty and processing, test specifications, reading-to-write tasks, washback), testing Language-in-Use (e.g. construct), language assessment literacy training (e.g., of item writers, teacher trainers), rating (e.g. scales, rating approaches), test validation (e.g. of university admissions tests).
My main research interests are language testing, and reading and listening in a second/foreign language. In recent research, I have focused on:
A. Cognitive and affective factors and processes in testing:
- reading (see Kremmel, Brunfaut & Alderson, 2017)
- listening (see Brunfaut & Revesz, 2015; Revesz & Brunfaut, 2013; Brunfaut, 2016)
- writing (see Michel, Kormos, Brunfaut & Ratajczak, 2019; Brunfaut, Harding & Batty, 2018)
- integrated skills (see Brunfaut & Rukthong, 2018; Kormos, Brunfaut & Michel, 2020; Rukthong & Brunfaut, 2020)
B. Methodology in language testing research
C. Language test development
I am a recipient of the ILTA Best Article Award, the e-Assessment Award for Best Research, and the TOEFL Outstanding Young Scholar Award.
I regularly conduct language test development and consultancy work for professional and educational bodies around the world.
I teach on the MA in Language Testing (online), the MA TESOL (online) and the MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (campus-based):
- Language Test Construction and Evaluation
- Classroom Language Assessment
- Exploring Language Constructs
- Issues in Language Testing
- Research Issues in Applied Linguistics
- Statistical Analyses for Language Testing
On the undergraduate programmes, I contribute to:
- Introduction to Linguistics
During summer, I teach on the Language Testing at Lancaster summer school.
Research Group:
I coordinate the Language Testing Research Group, together with my colleagues Luke Harding and John Pill.
Some recent presentations:
Brunfaut, T. (2020). Garbage in, garbage out: Assessing data collection instruments. Keynote. IRG2020 Symposium: From data to knowledge in the language sciences. Fribourg/Freiburg (Switzerland).
Brunfaut, T. (2019). What’s in a measure? Validity in L2 complexity research. Keynote. Colloquium: Broadening the scope of L2 complexity research. VUB Brussels (Belgium).
Harding, L., & Brunfaut, T. (2019). Trajectories of language assessment literacy in a teacher-researcher partnership: Locating elements of praxis through narrative inquiry. Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), Atlanta (USA).
Rossi, O., & Brunfaut, T. (2019). Towards social justice for item writers: Empowering item writers through language assessment literacy training. Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), Atlanta (USA).
Brunfaut, T., Kormos, J., Michel, M., & Ratajczak, M. (2018). Computer-based testing of integrated skills: The role of young learners’ working memory and task motivation. European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA), Bochum (Germany).
Brunfaut, T., Harding, L., & Batty, A.O. (2018). Paper-based versus computer-based writing assessment: Investigating equivalence on integrated and independent tasks. European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA), Bochum (Germany).
Brunfaut, T. (2018). Developing language assessment literacy and practices: Learning from the Austrian Matura experience. Symposium - Reforming the Austrian Matura: 10 years on. University of Innsbruck, Austria.
Brunfaut, T. (2018). Completing integrated tasks online: the test-taker experience. Invited talk. British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL) TEASIG, Nottingham, UK.
Brunfaut, T. (2017). Language assessment literacy development: Insights and experiences from working with teachers. Public lecture. Institute for Multilingualism, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Brunfaut, T. (2017). More than meets the eye: the use of eye-tracking in test validation research. Invited talk. Institute of Education, University College London (UK).
Harding, L., Brunfaut, T., & Unger, J. (2017). Enhancing security, preventing mobility? An analysis of the UK Secure English Language Testing policy. European Association for Language Testing and Assessment conference (EALTA), Sèvres (France).
Brunfaut, T., & Harding, L. (2017). Methodological and theoretical innovations in language testing. Multilingualism: language teaching and testing symposium, Ghent (Belgium).
