New Directions Latin America 2025 - Conference Reflection
Meeting the moment: diverse language assessment needs in Latin America
Mexico City, 16 to 17 May 2025
By Damon Young, Emma Bruce, and Mariano Felice
Introduction
In May 2025, the British Council hosted the New Directions in English Language Assessment conference in Mexico City. This regional gathering brought together over 200 educators, researchers, policy makers, and assessment professionals from across Latin America and beyond. The aim: to explore how English language testing can evolve to better meet the diverse needs of learners and the realities of teaching and learning across the region.
Held under the theme Meeting the moment, the event focused on the urgent need for assessment systems that are inclusive, locally relevant and forward-looking. Participants engaged with a packed schedule of plenaries, interactive workshops, research presentations and regional panels, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and reflection.
Conference Themes and Focus Areas
The 2025 conference explored three interrelated strands:
- Accommodating diverse test takers – including learners who are neurodivergent, disabled, multilingual or from minoritised communities
- Responding to diverse contexts – recognising that schools, universities and ministries across the region operate within vastly different resource and policy environments
- Embracing diverse assessment approaches – encouraging flexibility, formative practice and more authentic ways of assessing language use
These themes were examined through various lenses, from classroom-level implementation to national language policy, and from innovative tools to ethical testing standards. A key thread running through the event was how inclusion can be embedded not only in test content, but also in policy, infrastructure and teacher development.
Data and Delegates: Understanding Barriers and Opportunities
Live polls conducted during the conference offered valuable insight into the day-to-day challenges faced by language educators. When asked about barriers to effective assessment, the most common response was financial difficulties (27 percent), followed by unmanageable workload (16 percent) and insufficient staff (15 percent). Limited resources, access to technology and cultural or linguistic bias were also reported.
Another poll addressed perceptions of AI in assessment. A combined 65 percent of participants viewed AI’s impact on language learning and testing as positive or very positive, with just 4 percent seeing it as negative. These responses reflect cautious optimism: delegates were open to innovation, but clear that such tools must be accessible, ethical and pedagogically sound.
Workshop Spotlight: IELTS Writing and Integrated Skills
One of the most engaging sessions of the conference was a practical workshop titled An integrated approach to IELTS Writing preparation. Aimed at teachers and practitioners, the session focused on demystifying the IELTS Writing band descriptors and highlighting transferable skills between writing, reading and speaking components.
Participants were introduced to different types of assessment rubrics and invited to evaluate real samples of learner writing using the official IELTS public descriptors. The workshop also addressed how classroom tasks could be better aligned with assessment outcomes, using activities that integrate multiple skills in meaningful ways. Group discussions allowed participants to critique materials, share their own practices and reflect on how to make test preparation more inclusive and engaging.
This approach resonated with many attendees, particularly those working with large classes or supporting learners with varying literacy levels. It reinforced the idea that test preparation does not need to be mechanical or exam-focused, but can instead be built into the fabric of everyday learning through intentional and accessible task design.
Panel Discussion: Language Assessment Literacy and Test Choice
A thought-provoking panel discussion titled Putting our house in order tackled the issue of language assessment literacy (LAL) in higher education. Speakers from universities, testing bodies and academic development teams shared concerns about gaps in assessment understanding across institutions, and how this impacts learners.
The panel drew on findings from the study The impact of English test choices in higher education, which showed that institutions often rely on global tests without fully understanding their construct or how they align with local needs. This has consequences for both student outcomes and institutional integrity. For example, inappropriate score setting can lead to barriers for students, while overly rigid test choices may ignore the broader communicative and academic demands of English-medium instruction.
Participants called for greater clarity on assessment purposes, better alignment between institutional goals and test selection, and more professional development for staff involved in admissions and curriculum planning. There was also strong support for learner voice and transparency in how scores are used.
Engagements and Institutional Visits
Pre-conference, a delegation visited a university in Mexico City for meetings with admissions officers and policy leads. These conversations helped bridge the gap between theoretical discussions and institutional realities, offering insight into how assessment policies are interpreted and implemented on the ground.
There was also a policy-focused day hosted by the British Embassy, where discussions covered the broader landscape of language assessment reform across Latin America. Topics included how test scores influence mobility, the role of English in internationalisation strategies and the need for cross-sector partnerships in policy development. Several attendees noted the importance of taking a whole-system approach that considers pedagogy, equity and long-term learner outcomes.
Regional Research and Inclusion in Practice
Across sessions, it was clear that innovation is not limited to technology. Many teachers and researchers shared examples of local solutions to systemic challenges. These included adapting assessments for visually impaired learners, co-designing inclusive classroom tests with neurodivergent students, and using formative feedback to support bilingual learners.
While the contexts varied, the core message remained consistent: assessment must serve learners, not the other way round. To do so, it must be flexible, culturally relevant and informed by those who work most closely with learners. Several contributors stressed that while policies set the frame, it is practice that drives real impact and practitioners need the tools and support to lead that change.
Reflections and Forward Momentum
New Directions Latin America 2025 provided a timely opportunity to take stock, challenge assumptions and co-create ideas for more inclusive and effective language assessment. Four clear priorities emerged:
- Inclusion must be embedded in assessment systems, through accessible design, appropriate accommodations and inclusive teacher training
- Technology can support learners, but must be grounded in pedagogy, not driven by commercial or policy pressure
- Professional development in assessment literacy is essential, particularly for institutions making decisions about test use, score setting and curriculum alignment
- Regional collaboration is key, allowing countries and institutions to share models, build capacity and shape globally informed, locally meaningful solutions
- The British Council remains committed to supporting this work. Through research, partnerships and platforms like New Directions, we aim to contribute to fairer, more inclusive language education across Latin America.
Acknowledgements
The British Council would like to thank all contributors who made New Directions Latin America 2025 possible. We are especially grateful to the presenters, facilitators and participants who generously shared their expertise and experiences throughout the conference and beyond.
We acknowledge the support of our official partners, whose collaboration was essential to the success of the event.
Our thanks also go to the plenary speakers, who framed the key challenges and opportunities in the sector, and to those who took part in Q and A interviews, reflecting on their work and the regional context.
The conversations in Mexico City are only the beginning. The British Council looks forward to continuing this work in partnership with colleagues across Latin America in the months and years ahead.
