2025 Reading conference

BAAL TEASIG in-person conference: Reading, Friday 4th July 2025

Theme for this year's conference

LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT CONSTRUCTS: EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION?

The language assessment landscape is changing rapidly, as new technologies emerge, AI evolves, and education gatekeepers respond to shifts in social and educational priorities.

But what about language assessment constructs? Do they reflect the technological, social and educational developments we see all around us? Should they even be leading the way, at the vanguard of innovation?

We invite researchers, academics, practitioners and students to join us in exploring whether our current constructs still hold relevance or need rethinking.

INVITED SPEAKERS

SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS

Innovative and novel approaches to assessment
The case for an ecologically oriented approach to language assessment
Rethinking constructs with contextually grounded approaches to validity
L2 acquisition, language assessment research and automated assessment
Sensitivity to language regularities and patterns as a measure of L2 proficiency
Elaborating the construct of interactional competence with insights from conversation analysis
Teacher perspectives on the construct of listening in a globalised world
Designing academic reading tasks to better reflect the complexity of academic literacy
Reimagining essay-based assessment in the wake of GenAI
Detecting AI-written texts and redesigning exams
The construct implications of accessibility requests and test security constraints

TICKETS AND REGISTRATION

Ticket sales have now ended.

PROGRAMME

Conference venue address

Henley Business School

Whiteknights Campus

University of Reading

Berkshire, RG6 6UD

Getting to the conference from Reading train station by bus

Take bus 21 or 21a ('Claret' line) towards the University, and get off at University of Reading Whiteknights House. (15 to 20 minutes in total)

Take bus 3 'Leopard' towards Arborfield Green, and get off at Christchurch Green. Then walk approx. 9 minutes. (20 minutes in total)

Getting to the conference from Reading train station by taxi

⚠️ There is no Uber in Reading

⚠️ You need to take a traditional taxi.

From Reading station, ask to go to Whiteknights Campus.

The journey takes around 10–15 minutes, depending on traffic.

Estimated fare: £10–£15.

Taxis are available at the main exit of Reading Station, or you can call a taxi:

Ace cars: 0118 967 6767

Eagle cars: 0118 9500 111

Parking at the University of Reading (for private cars)

Conference car parking at Whitknights Campus

Accommodation

Accommodation on campus (B&B):

The premium ensuite rooms are near Park Eat on Campus. Reception is located adjacent to Windsor Hall (Park Reception, Windsor Hall, Shinfield Road, Reading, RG6 6HW).

It is about 6-minute walk to the conference venue.

Breakfast for those who have booked accommodation would also be counter-serviced in Park Eat.

https://registration.venuereading.com/baalteasigaccommodation2025

Accommodation outside campus:

If you do not want to stay on campus but want to pick a hotel within easy reach of the campus, we would recommend you book hotels near the Reading station. For hotels near the Reading station, we could recommend (not an exhaustive list):

1.Novotel Reading Centre (5 minutes walk from the station)

2.Ibis Reading Centre (5 minutes walk from the station)

3.Premier Inn Reading Central (10 minutes walk from the station)

4.Pentahotel Reading (10 minutes walk from the station)