Web-Based Virtual Environments for Facilitating Assessment of L2 Oral Communication Ability

Abstract

ABSTRACTA growing number of stakeholders argue for the use of second language (L2) speaking assessments that measure the ability to orally communicate in real time. A Web-based virtual environment (VE) that allows live voice communication among individuals may have potential for aiding in delivering such assessments. While off-the-shelf voice communication VEs, such as Second Life, have been used for language learning and to a much lesser extent, language assessment, a very limited number of such environments have been designed with the explicit aim of aiding in assessing L2 oral communication. Moreover, test developers who desire to build such a VE have little theoretical basis to guide them. This conceptual article fills this void by discussing some of the theoretical issues that were considered when the researchers built a VE to help deliver L2 oral communication assessments.