Historically, research on spoken language testing dates back to the late 1920s with the majority of work starting around the time of World War II. In contrast, signed language assessment research is a young area, nested within signed language linguistics, deaf education, and applied linguistics. To this day, very few signed language tests that can be used in applied contexts are available for learners of a signed language.
This volume addresses issues that are inherent to language assessment development, regardless of the modality of the language. Comprised of 36 chapters, the book takes a new approach to exploring theoretical and practical issues related to assessment of signed and spoken languages by bringing together well known experts from both fields to engage in stimulating discussions about key issues related to language assessment. Grouped around twelve topics, the volume editors present different perspectives to emphasize the points of similarity and chart a path for future interdisciplinary collaborations .

Tobias Haug is a professor for sign language and participation of the deaf and hard-of-hearing at the University of Teacher Education in Special Needs, Zurich. His main research include sign language assessment, more specifically rater behavior, automatic sign recognition and assessment, web-based testing, targeting both young and adult learners of sign language, and sign language interpreting.

Wolfgang Mann is a Reader in Special and Inclusive Education at the University of Roehampton, specializing in signed language development and assessment. His other interests include the wider impacts of experiencing a language problem, specifically language development and language difficulties in deaf children, bilingual-bimodal education, online reading, and computer-and mobile-assisted language testing.
Ute Knoch is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Language Testing Research Centre at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests are in the areas of rating processes, test validity, assessing languages for academic and professional purposes, and placement testing.

Introduction
Tobias Haug, Wolfgang Mann, & Ute Knoch
Topic 1: Development of First Language Assessments
Chapter 1.1: Issues Related to the Development of Spoken Language Tests for L1 Children
Penny Roy & Shula Chiat
Chapter 1.2: Issues in the Development of Signed Language Tests for Deaf Children
Ros Herman & Kate Rowley
Chapter 1.3: Discussion: Developing Tests of Spoken and Signed Language Development
Shula Chiat, Ros Herman, Kate Rowley & Penny Roy
Topic 2: Score Use and Interpretation of First Language Assessments
Chapter 2.1: Score Use and Interpretation of Standardized Assessments of Hearing L1
Bernard Camillieri
Chapter 2.2: How to Use and Interpret Scores on Signed Language Tests for Primary Language Users
Charlotte Enns & Patrick Boudreault
Chapter 2.3: Discussion of Issues Related to Score Use and Interpretation of Spoken and Signed Language Assessments
Patrick Boudreault, Bernard Camilleri, & Charlotte Enns
Topic 3: Dynamic Assessment of Language Learning
Chapter 3.1: Dynamic Assessment of Learners of a Spoken Language
Natalie Hasson
Chapter 3.2: Using Dynamic Assessment to Assess the Language and Communication Skills of Signing Deaf Children
Wolfgang Mann, Joanna Hoskin, & Hilary Dumbrill
Chapter 3.3: Discussion on Issues Related to the Use of Dynamic Assessment
Wolfgang Mann, Joanna Hoskin, Natalie Hasson, & Hilary Dumbrill
Topic 4: Assessing Atypical Language Development in Children: The Case of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Chapter 4.1: Assessing Spoken Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Amy Frisbie
Chapter 4.2: Assessing Signed Language Development in Deaf/Signing Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Aaron Shield, Deborah Mood, Nicole Salamy, & Jonathan Henner
Chapter 4.3: Discussion on Assessing Atypical Language Development in Children: The Case of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Amy Kissel Frisbie, Aaron Shield, Deborah Mood, Nicole Salamy, & Jonathan Henner
Topic 5: Assessing Atypical Language Development in Children: The Case of Developmental Language Disorder
Chapter 5.1: Developmental Language Disorder and the Assessment of Spoken Language
Carol-Anne Murphy, Pauline Frizelle, & Cristina McKean
Chapter 5.2: Developmental Language Disorder and the assessment of signed language
David Quinto-Pozos
Chapter 5.3: Discussion on Assessing Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Carol-Anne Murphy, Pauline Frizelle, Cristina McKean, & David Quintos-Pozos
Topic 6: Assessing Bi- and Multilingual Learners
Chapter 6.1: Assessing the oral language skills of bilinguals with and without Developmental Language Disorders
Lisa M. Bedore, Elizabeth D. Peña, Kathleen Durant, & Stephanie McMillen
Chapter 6.2: Assessing Bilingual Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children
Kathryn Crowe
Chapter 6.3: Assessment of Bi/multilingual Children
Lisa M. Bedore, Kathryn Crowe, Elizabeth D. Peña, Kathleen Durant, & Stephanie McMillen
Topic 7: Construct Issues in Second Language Assessments
Chapter 7.1: Construct in Assessments of Spoken Language
Susy Macqueen
Chapter 7.2: Construct Issues in Second Signed Language Assessment
Tobias Haug
Chapter 7.3:: Issues in Spoken and Signed Language Assessment Constructs
Susy Macqueen & Tobias Haug
Topic 8: Validation of Second Language Assessments
Chapter 8.1: Validation of Second Language Spoken Assessments
Carol Chapelle and Hye-won Lee
Chapter 8.2: Validation of Signed Language Tests for Adult L2 Learners
Peter Hauser, Krister Schönström & Christian Rathmann
Chapter 8.3: Discussion of Validation Issues in Second Language Assessment
Carol A. Chapelle, Peter C. Hauser, Hye-won Lee, Christian Rathmann, & Krister Schönström
Topic 9: Scoring Issues in Second Spoken and Signed Language Assessment
Chapter 9.1: Scoring Spoken Second Language Assessment
Ute Knoch
Chapter 9.2: Scoring Second Signed Language Assessment
Tobias Haug, Eveline Boers-Visker, Wolfgang Mann, Geoffrey Poor, and Beppie Van den Bogaerde
Chapter 9.3: Discussion on Scoring Issues in Second Language Assessment
Tobias Haug, Ute Knoch & Wolfgang Mann
Topic 10: Discourse Analysis and Language Assessment
Chapter 10.1: Discourse Analysis in Second Language Speaking Assessment
Kellie Frost
Chapter 10.2: Interviewer accommodation in Sign Language Proficiency Interviews
Rachel McKee, Sara Pivac Alexander, & Wenda Walton
Chapter 10.3: Discourse Analysis in Signed and Spoken Language Assessment
Rachel McKee and Kellie Frost
Topic 11: Language Assessment Literacy in Second Language Assessment Contexts
Chapter 11.1: Language Assessment Literacy in Second Spoken Language Assessment
Luke Harding, Benjamin Kremmel, & Kathrin Eberharter
Chapter 11.2: Language Assessment Literacy in Second Signed Language Assessment
Eveline Boers-Visker & Annemiek Hammer
Chapter 11.3: Discussion on Language Assessment Literacy
Eveline Boers-Visker, Kathrin Eberharter, Annemiek Hammer, Luke Harding & Benjamin Kremmel
Topic 12: Use of New Technologies in Second Language Assessment
Chapter 12.1: New Technologies in Second Language Spoken Assessment
Phuong Nguyen & Volker Hegelheimer
Chapter 12.2: Use of New Technologies in L2 Signed Language Assessment
Sarah Ebling, Necati Cihan Camgöz & Richard Bowden
Chapter 12.3: Discussion on New Technologies in Spoken and Signed Language Testing
Sarah Ebling, Phuong Nguyen, Volker Hegelheimer, Cihan Camgöz, & Richard Bowden
Epilogue: Finding common ground in language assessment of signed and spoken language: So far and yet so close
Wolfgang Mann, Tobias Haug, & Ute Knoch