Tony Isaacs
Biographic Data
| ID | 94492 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tony Isaacs |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tony |
| FAMILY NAME | Isaacs |
| SIGNATURE | ISAACS T |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Bristol |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4302-3379 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 40 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 40 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1966 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Assessing Phonology in Applied Linguistics
The assessment of second language (L2) phonology refers to the evaluation of an L2 learner's ability to produce and perceive speech sounds of the target language. Phonological assessments can be found in a range of contexts, including classroom settings, research studies, and standardized speaking tests, and, as such, have various purposes. They have experienced growing momentum in the 21st century, with key constructs underscoring their aims, su…
Le locuteur natif, sa parole et son évaluation face à la diversité du monde anglophone
Cet article explore la domination mondiale de l’anglais, les difficultés à définir une langue standard, ainsi que la persistance du concept controversé de locuteur natif dans l’enseignement et la recherche
Expanding horizons in Language Testing
Improving reporting quality to reduce research waste in applied linguistics
Avoidable research waste – that is, research that is unnecessary, poorly designed, or insufficiently communicated – limits the value of scholarship. Building on our earlier work, where we drew lessons from healthcare research to describe five sources of avoidable waste in applied linguistics research, this article focuses on the fifth source: quality of research reporting. Inadequate reporting limits understanding, constrains evidence-informed pr…
Language Testing behind the scenes
Reducing ‘avoidable research waste’ in applied linguistics research
This paper explores Chalmers and Glasziou's (2009) notion of ‘research waste’ from healthcare research to examine what it can offer the field of applied linguistics. Drawing on examples from both disciplines, we unpack Macleod et al.'s (2014) five research waste categories: (1) asking the wrong research questions, (2) failing to situate new research in the context of existing research, (3) inefficient research regulation/management, (4) failing t…
Clinician-Spoken Plain Language in Health Care Encounters
Purposeful turns for more equitable and transparent publishing in language testing and assessment
This Editorial comes at a time when the aftereffects of the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt but when, in most countries around the world, there has been some easing of restrictions and a return to (quasi-)normalcy.In the language testing and assessment community, many colleagues relished the opportunity to meet and participate in events at the 44 th annual Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC) in New York in July 2…
Fairness of using different English accents
This study aimed to answer an ongoing validity question related to the use of nonstandard English accents in international tests of English proficiency and associated issues of test fairness. More specifically, we examined (1) the extent to which different or shared English accents had an impact on listeners’ performances on the Duolingo listening tests and (2) the extent to which different English accents affected listeners’ performances on two …
Researching Phonology
This entry reports on two mixed method studies in phonological research showing how the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods was essential for better understanding the complex constructs of intelligibility and comprehensibility, broadly defined as listeners' perceptions of how easily they understand second language (L2) English speech. Study 1 examined whether intelligibility is an adequate goal and appropriate criterion for assessing…
Examining the predictive validity of the Duolingo English Test
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the university admissions and proficiency testing landscape. One change has been the meteoric rise in use of the fully automated Duolingo English Test (DET) for university entrance purposes, offering test-takers a cheaper, shorter, accessible alternative. This rapid response study is the first to investigate the predictive value of DET test scores in relation to university students’ academic attainment, taking in…
Ecological systems theory and second language research
“Context” has been increasingly featured and acknowledged in second language (L2) research because L2 teaching is recognised to be shaped by the environments in which it is situated. Numerous theoretical perspectives were introduced to L2 research that aim to capture the contextual forces at work in teaching and learning, including but not limited to Activity Theory, Complexity Theory, and Sociocultural Theory. Activity Theory holds that a learne…
An Ecological Perspective on Classroom‐Based Assessment
Classroom‐based assessment (CBA) takes place in learning environments influenced by myriad individual and contextual factors. Nevertheless, factors related to individual differences and learner psychology are seldom considered in creating instructional environments designed to facilitate learners' use of CBA. This article introduces the concept of language assessment ecology ( LAE )—a dynamic classroom environment where learners' needs are addres…
Hong Kong secondary students’ perspectives on selecting test difficulty level and learner washback
This sequential mixed-methods study investigates washback on learning in a high-stakes school exit examination by examining learner perceptions and reported behaviours in relation to learners’ beliefs and language learning experience, the role of other stakeholders in the washback mechanism, and socio-educational forces. The focus is the graded approach of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education English Language Examination (HKDSE-English), …
Redressing the Balance in the Native Speaker Debate
In his philosophical novel, Thus spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche (1883–85), famously wrote, ‘God is dead,’ signifying that God is no longer credible as an absolute moral compass. Over a century later, Paikeday (1985), proclaimed that The native speaker is dead! in his book title, implying that the native speaker as the arbiter of what is correct in a language is obsolete. This paper discusses this complex, contentious ideological issue from language…
Examining the language demands of informed consent documents in patient recruitment to cancer trials using tools from corpus and computational linguistics
Obtaining informed consent (IC) is an ethical imperative, signifying participants' understanding of the conditions and implications of research participation. One setting where the stakes for understanding are high is randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which test the effectiveness and safety of medical interventions. However, the use of legalese and medicalese in ethical forms coupled with the need to explain RCT-related concepts (e.g. randomiz…
Lexical aspects of comprehensibility and nativeness from the perspective of native-speaking English raters
This study analyzed the contribution of lexical factors to native-speaking raters’ assessments of comprehensibility and nativeness in second language (L2) speech. Using transcribed samples to reduce non-lexical sources of bias, 10 naïve L1 English raters evaluated speech samples from 97 L2 English learners across two tasks (picture description and TOEFL integrated). Subsequently, the 194 transcripts were analyzed through statistical software (e.g…
A comparison of the effects of extensive and intensive reading approaches on the vocabulary development of Korean secondary EFL learners
Although language experts have long advocated the use of Extensive Reading (ER) to enhance vocabulary acquisition, the widespread use of the more traditional Intensive Reading (IR) approach prevails in English as Foreign Language (EFL) settings. Many experimental studies have attempted to demonstrate the benefits of using ER over IR in classroom contexts; however, none have demonstrated significant differences in learning gains. This quasi-experi…
Developing a user-oriented second language comprehensibility scale for English-medium universities
There is growing research on the linguistic features that most contribute to making second language (L2) speech easy or difficult to understand. Comprehensibility, which is usually captured through listener judgments, is increasingly viewed as integral to the L2 speaking construct. However, there are shortcomings in how this construct is operationalized in L2 speaking proficiency scales. Moreover, teachers and learners have little practical means…
Pronunciation assessment
After an extended period of being on the periphery, numerous advancements in the field of second language (L2) pronunciation over the past decade have led to increased activity and visibility for this subfield within applied linguistics research. As Derwing (2010) underscored in her 2009 plenary at the first annual Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching ( PSLLT ) conference, a record number of graduate students researching L2 pron…
Second language speech production
The current project aimed to investigate the potentially different linguistic correlates of comprehensibility (i.e., ease of understanding) and accentedness (i.e., linguistic nativelikeness) in adult second language (L2) learners’ extemporaneous speech production. Timed picture descriptions from 120 beginner, intermediate, and advanced Japanese learners of English were analyzed using native speaker global judgments based on learners’ comprehensib…
Using Listener Judgments to Investigate Linguistic Influences on L2 Comprehensibility and Accentedness
The current study investigated linguistic influences on comprehensibility (ease of understanding) and accentedness (linguistic nativelikeness) in second language (L2) learners’ extemporaneous speech. Target materials included picture narratives from 40 native French speakers of English from different proficiency levels. The narratives were subsequently rated by 20 native speakers with or without linguistic and pedagogical experience for comprehen…
Second Language Comprehensibility Revisited
The current study investigated first language (L1) effects on listener judgment of comprehensibility and accentedness in second language (L2) speech. The participants were 45 university‐level adult speakers of English from three L1 backgrounds (Chinese, Hindi, Farsi), performing a picture narrative task. Ten native English listeners used continuous sliding scales to evaluate the speakers' audio recordings for comprehensibility and accentedness as…
Rater Experience, Rating Scale Length, and Judgments of L2 Pronunciation
This mixed-methods study examines the effects of rating scale length and rater experience on listeners' judgments of second-language (L2) speech. Twenty experienced and 20 novice raters, who were randomly assigned to 5-point or 9-point rating scale conditions, judged speech samples of 38 newcomers to Canada on numerical rating scales for comprehensibility, accentedness, and fluency. Results yielded high Cronbach's alpha coefficients and no group …
Phonology
A growing number of researchers in the area of second language phonology have employed a mixed methods approach to better understand the research problem and to strengthen the quality of their inferences or interpretations (e.g., Zielinski, 2008; Derwing & Munro, 2009). However, not all published mixed methods phonological studies are explicitly labeled as “mixed methods,“ which may make them difficult to locate in tables of contents or online se…
Second Language Comprehensibility Revisited
The current study investigated first language (L1) effects on listener judgment of comprehensibility and accentedness in second language (L2) speech. The participants were 45 university‐level adult speakers of English from three L1 backgrounds (Chinese, Hindi, Farsi), performing a picture narrative task. Ten native English listeners used continuous sliding scales to evaluate the speakers' audio recordings for comprehensibility and accentedness as…
Ecological systems theory and second language research
“Context” has been increasingly featured and acknowledged in second language (L2) research because L2 teaching is recognised to be shaped by the environments in which it is situated. Numerous theoretical perspectives were introduced to L2 research that aim to capture the contextual forces at work in teaching and learning, including but not limited to Activity Theory, Complexity Theory, and Sociocultural Theory. Activity Theory holds that a learne…
Pronunciation assessment
After an extended period of being on the periphery, numerous advancements in the field of second language (L2) pronunciation over the past decade have led to increased activity and visibility for this subfield within applied linguistics research. As Derwing (2010) underscored in her 2009 plenary at the first annual Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching ( PSLLT ) conference, a record number of graduate students researching L2 pron…
Redressing the Balance in the Native Speaker Debate
In his philosophical novel, Thus spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche (1883–85), famously wrote, ‘God is dead,’ signifying that God is no longer credible as an absolute moral compass. Over a century later, Paikeday (1985), proclaimed that The native speaker is dead! in his book title, implying that the native speaker as the arbiter of what is correct in a language is obsolete. This paper discusses this complex, contentious ideological issue from language…
Falling on Sensitive Ears? The Influence of Musical Ability on Extreme Raters' Judgments of L2 Pronunciation
TESOL Quarterly invites readers to submit short reports and updates on their work. These summaries may address any areas of interest to Quarterly readers
Night and Daylight Yeibichei
Kiowa
Round Dance Songs of Taos Pueblo
Navajo Sway Songs
The Great Plains
War Dance Songs of the Ponca
Navajo Skip Dance and Two-Step Songs
Comanche Peyote Songs
Night and Daylight Yeibichei
Ponca Peyote Songs
Kiowa Gourd Dance
Navajo Corn Grinding & Shoe Game Songs
Never say never
In light of a growing body of research on language death, this paper examines the situation of Judeo‐Arabic, an ethnolect of Jews from Arabic‐speaking countries with various written and spoken forms. More specifically, the fate of the Iraqi variety of Judeo‐Arabic is discussed, particularly in the context of Montreal, Canada. Educational initiatives are also proposed. Two parent–child Iraqi‐Jewish dyads and one additional participant, all of whom…
Falling on Sensitive Ears? The Influence of Musical Ability on Extreme Raters' Judgments of L2 Pronunciation
TESOL Quarterly invites readers to submit short reports and updates on their work. These summaries may address any areas of interest to Quarterly readers
Phonology
A growing number of researchers in the area of second language phonology have employed a mixed methods approach to better understand the research problem and to strengthen the quality of their inferences or interpretations (e.g., Zielinski, 2008; Derwing & Munro, 2009). However, not all published mixed methods phonological studies are explicitly labeled as “mixed methods,“ which may make them difficult to locate in tables of contents or online se…
Disentangling accent from comprehensibility
The goal of this study was to determine which linguistic aspects of second language speech are related to accent and which to comprehensibility. To address this goal, 19 different speech measures in the oral productions of 40 native French speakers of English were examined in relation to accent and comprehensibility, as rated by 60 novice raters and three experienced teachers. Results showed that both constructs were associated with many speech m…
Deconstructing Comprehensibility
Comprehensibility, a major concept in second language (L2) pronunciation research that denotes listeners’ perceptions of how easily they understand L2 speech, is central to interlocutors’ communicative success in real-world contexts. Although comprehensibility has been modeled in several L2 oral proficiency scales—for example, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)—shortcomin…
Rater Experience, Rating Scale Length, and Judgments of L2 Pronunciation
This mixed-methods study examines the effects of rating scale length and rater experience on listeners' judgments of second-language (L2) speech. Twenty experienced and 20 novice raters, who were randomly assigned to 5-point or 9-point rating scale conditions, judged speech samples of 38 newcomers to Canada on numerical rating scales for comprehensibility, accentedness, and fluency. Results yielded high Cronbach's alpha coefficients and no group …
Using Listener Judgments to Investigate Linguistic Influences on L2 Comprehensibility and Accentedness
The current study investigated linguistic influences on comprehensibility (ease of understanding) and accentedness (linguistic nativelikeness) in second language (L2) learners’ extemporaneous speech. Target materials included picture narratives from 40 native French speakers of English from different proficiency levels. The narratives were subsequently rated by 20 native speakers with or without linguistic and pedagogical experience for comprehen…
Second Language Comprehensibility Revisited
The current study investigated first language (L1) effects on listener judgment of comprehensibility and accentedness in second language (L2) speech. The participants were 45 university‐level adult speakers of English from three L1 backgrounds (Chinese, Hindi, Farsi), performing a picture narrative task. Ten native English listeners used continuous sliding scales to evaluate the speakers' audio recordings for comprehensibility and accentedness as…
Second language speech production
The current project aimed to investigate the potentially different linguistic correlates of comprehensibility (i.e., ease of understanding) and accentedness (i.e., linguistic nativelikeness) in adult second language (L2) learners’ extemporaneous speech production. Timed picture descriptions from 120 beginner, intermediate, and advanced Japanese learners of English were analyzed using native speaker global judgments based on learners’ comprehensib…
Pronunciation assessment
After an extended period of being on the periphery, numerous advancements in the field of second language (L2) pronunciation over the past decade have led to increased activity and visibility for this subfield within applied linguistics research. As Derwing (2010) underscored in her 2009 plenary at the first annual Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching ( PSLLT ) conference, a record number of graduate students researching L2 pron…
A comparison of the effects of extensive and intensive reading approaches on the vocabulary development of Korean secondary EFL learners
Although language experts have long advocated the use of Extensive Reading (ER) to enhance vocabulary acquisition, the widespread use of the more traditional Intensive Reading (IR) approach prevails in English as Foreign Language (EFL) settings. Many experimental studies have attempted to demonstrate the benefits of using ER over IR in classroom contexts; however, none have demonstrated significant differences in learning gains. This quasi-experi…
Developing a user-oriented second language comprehensibility scale for English-medium universities
There is growing research on the linguistic features that most contribute to making second language (L2) speech easy or difficult to understand. Comprehensibility, which is usually captured through listener judgments, is increasingly viewed as integral to the L2 speaking construct. However, there are shortcomings in how this construct is operationalized in L2 speaking proficiency scales. Moreover, teachers and learners have little practical means…
Lexical aspects of comprehensibility and nativeness from the perspective of native-speaking English raters
This study analyzed the contribution of lexical factors to native-speaking raters’ assessments of comprehensibility and nativeness in second language (L2) speech. Using transcribed samples to reduce non-lexical sources of bias, 10 naïve L1 English raters evaluated speech samples from 97 L2 English learners across two tasks (picture description and TOEFL integrated). Subsequently, the 194 transcripts were analyzed through statistical software (e.g…
Hong Kong secondary students’ perspectives on selecting test difficulty level and learner washback
This sequential mixed-methods study investigates washback on learning in a high-stakes school exit examination by examining learner perceptions and reported behaviours in relation to learners’ beliefs and language learning experience, the role of other stakeholders in the washback mechanism, and socio-educational forces. The focus is the graded approach of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education English Language Examination (HKDSE-English), …
Linguistics (25 works) · Psychology (23 works) · Computer Science (11 works) · Mathematics education (11 works) · Phonetics and Phonology Research (11 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (10 works) · Pronunciation (9 works) · Art (8 works) · Language proficiency (7 works) · Second Language Acquisition and Learning (7 works)