Against the background of concerns for how paper-and-pencil testing fits into contemporary language teaching, this brief research report presents the findings of a first study on the difference in scores between in-class testing and online testing in a communicative and proficiency-oriented program. A total of 244 students of third-semester Spanish at the university level participated. One hundred twenty-four took tests online, while 120 took tests in class. Results showed no difference between the scores, suggesting that at least for this particular kind of program, in-class testing can be altered and moved online, freeing up class time for alternative measurements (in this case, curriculum-specific can-do statements).

In this series, we explore technology-related themes and topics. The series aims to discuss and demystify what may be new areas for some readers and to consider their relevance for English language teachers.

This mixed-methods study investigates the use of synchronous video computer-mediated communication (SVCMC) in a U.S. university’s Spanish-as-a-foreign-language curriculum. Using the SVCMC platform TalkAbroad, the university’s Spanish program required second-year students to participate in five, 30-minute, SVCMC conversations with Spanish first language (L1) speakers. Students then reflected on their SVCMC conversations by replaying the recorded audio from those sessions and transcribing passages of their conversations. Using an interactionist perspective, this research explores the utility of: (1) the SVCMC conversations, and (2) the subsequent listening/transcription activity by examining students’ reported noticing of linguistic items (e.g. L1 speaker vocabulary, grammar, etc.). Additionally, we report students’ general perceptions of engaging in SVCMC with TalkAbroad. Students’ noticing and perceptions were investigated using a combination of two questionnaires ( N = 35) that were administered following (1) the SVCMC, and (2) the listening/transcription activity, along with semi-structured interviews ( n = 10). Findings suggest both the SVCMC and listening/transcription activities are effective in promoting the noticing of vocabulary and content, but not grammar. Finally, students generally reported positive perceptions of engaging in SVCMC for the purposes of L2 learning. Related implications for pedagogy and curriculum design are discussed.

TalkAbroad is a web-based platform that provides access to online conversations with native speakers of Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Japanese. According to the website talkabroad.com, “TalkAbroad is primarily aimed at classrooms looking to provide short and affordable “immersion experiences”. The platform is designed to be used by classes and provides instructor tools for the organization of student conversations and implementation of assignments.

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