Conference Schedule

After 11 years of hosting the British Council New Directions in Language Assessment conference across various regions—including East Asia, South Asia, and Europe—we are excited to return to Latin America! This prestigious event will take place in Mexico City.

The conference will continue over two full days, Friday and Saturday (16 - 17 May), featuring:

Four plenary sessions
Three panel discussions
30+ paper presentations
6 Spotlight sessions

Insightful discussion panels, talks and engaging plenary sessions at New Directions Mexico, where industry experts and thought leaders share their knowledge and experiences on our main theme and three strands.

The biographies and achivements of the speakers can be found here.

Panel discussion: Current language policies, national and local tests in Latin America: Mapping the terrain

This panel discussion will share perspectives from different Latin American contexts: Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Perú and Costa Rica. It will focus on how each country has designed and/or adapted global and governmental language policies to design localized language tests. The report is based on archival work and informal interviews conducted by members of The Latin American Association for Language Testing and Assessment (LAALTA) in each context. The presentation aims to share data and insights gained about language testing in Latin America concerning language abilities in official, native/indigenous, and foreign languages, and also the policies for language testing that have been adopted in specific countries throughout the region. Some challenges and opportunities are discussed as well. 

Chair: Aidan Holland, Global Assessments Solutions Manager, British Council

Participants:

Dr. Elsa Fernanda González, Director, School of Education Sciences and Humanities, Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Mexico
Gladys Quevedo-Camargo, Director - Institute of Letters, University of Brasília
Walter Araya Garita, Professor, University of Costa Rica
Nayibe Rosado-Mendinueta, Associate professor, Universidad del Norte, Colombia

Plenary session: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Using AI to help students perfect their speaking skills

This spotlight session will showcase how the British Council is using AI to revolutionise speaking practice and assessment. Designed to meet the real-world needs of learners, our new innovative platform employs cutting-edge technology to provide interactive multimodal experiences and constructive feedback that help learners improve their speaking skills for their professional lives. Through goal-oriented tasks and our unique "Adaptive Dynamic Interaction" approach, students can practise their skills in realistic scenarios they do not usually get the chance to experience, making high-quality language practice accessible to all. Join us to learn more about this innovative platform and how it is helping us shape the future of language learning and assessment.

Plenary session: The challenges of EFL assessment in Mexico: Implications for speaking and writing assessment in the state of Tamaulipas

Across Latin America, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction has gained prominence as governments and educational institutions seek to improve English language competencies in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world. However, EFL assessment in the region presents significant challenges due to diverse sociocultural, economic, cultural and institutional factors. Teachers must navigate issues such as large class sizes, limited access to training in language assessment, limited access to technological infrastructure and a lack of standardized policies across different educational systems. Additionally, subjective evaluation of productive skills—speaking and writing—remains a critical issue, as it requires not only linguistic, practical and assessment knowledge but also an understanding of how contextual factors influence assessment practices. 

Against this broader backdrop, Mexico faces similar challenges, particularly in public education. Instructors regularly assess students’ language skills while juggling multiple responsibilities. Their activities may include selecting an assessment method that corresponds to their assessment purpose, developing the assessment tool to use in the classroom, administering the tool, scoring students’ performance, interpreting the score, making appropriate decisions, communicating the results to administrative offices and finally being aware of the consequences that assessment decisions may bring (Crusan, 2014; Fulcher, 2012; Stoynoff and Coomb, 2012; Weigle, 2007). However, little is known about how middle school EFL teachers in Mexico approach speaking and writing assessment or the specific difficulties they encounter. Within this broader context, this presentation focuses on a case study that examined these challenges among 10 Mexican EFL university teachers in the state of Tamaulipas. Semi-structured interview data suggested that teachers adopt varied assessment procedures shaped by their educational and cultural contexts. The presentation details the findings and concludes with implications for classroom-based EFL assessment and future research, both within, and beyond, Mexico. 

Panel discussion: Inclusive language testing: A moral and ethical imperative—are we truly meeting individual needs?

This panel brings together three experts to critically examine the moral and ethical responsibilities of inclusive language testing in today’s language assessment landscape. Panellists will discuss systemic barriers, the role of innovation, cultural sensitivities, and the intersection of policy and practice to ensure language assessments meet the diverse needs of learners. 

The panel includes: 

Gemma Bellhouse, a specialist in addressing systemic biases in language assessment content and advocating for test accessibility for all learners, regardless of physical or invisible disabilities and/or conditions. 
Cesar Bizetto, an experienced practitioner in implementing innovative and accessible testing solutions that promote equity and fairness. 
Janeth Tello Carrillo, a leader in creating policies and practices that enable case-by-case accommodations for students with disabilities through the EXAVER language assessment programme in Mexico.

The discussion will explore key themes, including: 

The systemic challenges that perpetuate exclusion in traditional language assessments. 
How emerging technologies, such as AI-driven adaptive tools, can both enhance and complicate inclusivity. 
The importance of cultural and contextual sensitivity in designing equitable assessment tools. 
Policy recommendations and collaborative approaches to fostering an inclusive and accessible testing environment.

Why This Panel Matters: 

In an increasingly interconnected world, ensuring that language assessments reflect the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is not just a practical necessity but a moral imperative. This panel will provide valuable insights into how educational institutions, policymakers, and practitioners can work collaboratively to build assessment systems that prioritise individual needs while maintaining rigour and fairness. 

Key Takeaway: 

Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in creating inclusive language assessments, along with actionable ideas to drive meaningful change within their own contexts. 

Plenary session: AI, a new era (or a false dawn) for language testing?

From the perspective of LATAM individual test takers, standardized assessments function as essential gatekeepers that facilitate access to opportunities for studying abroad, immigration, and the validation of language skills for job upgrade. In Brazil, individual test takers' concerns include costs, reliability, availability, accessibility, and faster results. Recognized as reliable English language proficiency tests, traditional evaluations are facing the transformation brought by AI applications. Some students have seen AI-based language tests as less difficult, less subjective and less unpredictable compared to traditional tests. In addition, there’s a recent trend among institutions and universities in English-speaking countries to accept AI assessments. 

Generative AI certainly has the potential to provide improvements for learning and assessment. For example, AI has the capacity to generate learning and assessment solutions that are appropriate both to the individual and to the learning context or focus. For example, in 2024, the tourism sector is expected to contribute approximately 7.7% to Brazil's GDP and support around 7 million jobs. Last year, Brazil welcomed 5.9 million foreign tourists, representing a substantial increase of 62.7% compared to 2022. As a result, there are opportunities for micro-certification programs targeting roles such as waitstaff, hotel managers, drivers and so on, all of whom require proficiency in English. 

 AI evangelists have made promises that are referred to as “AI solutionism” by the World Economic Forum. Rather than viewing it as a cure-all for the complexities of learning and assessment, I contend that AI is likely to be of value only when utilized ethically and effectively. 

Plenary session: The role of assessment systems in advancing language education: A case study from Costa Rica

Countries in this region and beyond face significant issues around the provision and evaluation of English language education to its population. While successful solutions are difficult to validate due to the time it takes for any education intervention to mature, it is possible to demonstrate relatively short-term success for specific contexts. In this presentation, I will demonstrate how Costa Rica has achieved a comprehensive understanding of the English language proficiency landscape through an assessment-driven solution. However, this was not simply a language assessment initiative, but was designed to serve as a strategic mechanism for driving education policy reform, fostering social inclusion, and enhancing national competitiveness. 

I will briefly describe the Foreign Language Assessment Program (PELEx) developed at the University of Costa Rica, while going on to show how it informed curriculum design and policy-making for a range of programs at Costa Rica’s Ministry of Education and higher education institutions. Beyond the formal education system, PELEx collaborates with the Ministry of Labour and NGOs to provide language certification for students in disadvantaged regions and for immigrants seeking employment. Additionally, PELEx has provided research-driven evidence to the State of Education Report, contributing to the continuous monitoring and enhancement of language education across the K-12 system at the national level. 

 The presentation concludes with a reflection on the issues and solutions faced by the PELEx team, placing them in the broader regional context of Latin America. The aim of this is to help raise awareness of how a well-integrated language assessment initiative can promote systemic change, equity, and national progress.

Interactive session: Language assessment innovation across Latin America

Language assessment in Latin America is shaped by a diverse range of linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic factors that present both unique challenges and exciting opportunities. These complexities demand innovative approaches to assessment, including alternative methods that better align with the region’s diverse contexts. In this interactive session, we will look at how factors such as regional linguistic variations, access to resources, and cultural differences can impact assessment practices and outcomes, and explore more inclusive and creative evaluation strategies.

Unlike a traditional panel discussion, this "flipped" panel/open forum will give audience members a chance to share their experiences, insights, and strategies for tackling current challenges in language learning and assessment within the region. Through thought-provoking questions and dynamic activities, participants will critically reflect on how to reshape assessment practices to better serve the rich diversity of Latin America.

Chair: Mariano Felice, Senior Researcher, ELR, British Council