adult-education
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- PaperETS Research Report Series29 May 2026
Alignment of the TOEIC Bridge® Tests With the Educational Functioning Level Descriptors for English as a Second Language
Mikyung Kim Wolf, Renka Ohta
This alignment study evaluated how well the TOEIC Bridge tests match the National Reporting System (NRS) educational functioning level descriptors for ESL. Results showed strong content alignment across all test forms, providing validity evidence for using these assessments in adult education programs for accountability purposes. The report details the methodology and offers practical recommendations for effective use.
Original abstract
This report presents the findings of an alignment study evaluating the extent to which the TOEIC Bridge® tests reflect the language knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the National Reporting System (NRS) educational functioning level descriptors for English as a second language (ESL). The study was intended to provide critical validity evidence supporting the use of these assessments in adult education programs serving ESL learners, particularly for purposes of NRS accountability. Results indicate strong evidence of content alignment across all test forms examined. The report details the research-based methodology and offers practical recommendations for the effective use of the TOEIC Bridge tests in the NRS. Suggested citation: Wolf, M. K., & Ohta, R. (2026). Alignment of the TOEIC Bridge® tests with the educational functioning level descriptors for English as a second language (Research Memorandum No. RM-26-03). ETS. https://doi.org/10.64634/1n934x31
- PaperLanguage Testing27 Mar 2026
How test-taker level of schooling interacts with pass probability on high-stakes tests for citizenship
Marieke Vanbuel, Edit Bugge
This study analyzed test results of 79,794 migrants in Norway and found that those with limited formal education in their first language have significantly lower probabilities of passing both language and knowledge-of-society tests for citizenship. Disparities were greater for knowledge-of-society tests, and second language scores strongly predicted passing those tests, especially for learners with less education.
Original abstract
In most Western European countries, aspiring citizens must pass both a second language (L2) test and a knowledge of society (KoS) test, often administered in the L2. While several studies highlighted the social inequalities such tests may create, few have quantified these disparities. This study, anchored in the IMPECT project, analyses the test results of 79,794 migrants in Norway to explore the implications of these requirements, particularly for adult L2 learners with limited formal education in their first language (L1). Logistic regression analyses reveal that (1) learners with limited formal L1 education have significantly lower probabilities of passing the tests compared to those with higher education; (2) disparities are greater for KoS tests than for the oral A2 language test; (3) L2 scores strongly predict the likelihood of passing KoS tests, substantiating the assumption that KoS tests are implicit language tests; and (4) the impact of language skills on passing KoS tests varies by schooling level, with L2 scores being a stronger predictor for learners with limited education than for those with tertiary degrees. These findings highlight barriers faced by learners with limited L1 schooling in the citizenship acquisition process and underscore the need for targeted policy and support mechanisms.
- PaperERIC — ELT & TESOL1 Jan 2026
Beyond Describing Signs and Symptoms: Promoting Health Literacy to the Adult English Language Learner
Jan Adversario
The article distinguishes between personal and organizational health literacy, focusing on developing personal health literacy for adult English language learners. It provides guidance for adult educators on weaving health literacy into their curriculum to help learners find, understand, and use health information.
Original abstract
The scope and definition of health literacy continues to expand and evolve. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies two types of health literacy: personal and organizational. Personal health literacy is defined as "the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others." Thus, it is different from organizational health literacy where the obligation falls on health providers and health systems to provide information to patients in ways that they can be understood. This article focuses on helping develop personal health literacy for adult English language learners and how adult educators can weave health literacy into their curriculum.
- PaperLanguage Learning & Technology1 Jan 2026
Teaching pronunciation online: A sociomaterial study of Swedish as a second language instruction in adult education
Andreas Lagerlöf
Using Actor–Network Theory, this study analyzes how pronunciation instruction is enacted in online Swedish as a second language classes for adults. Observations and interviews reveal that technological actors such as cameras, microphones, and platforms shape instruction, affecting articulatory modeling, prosody practice, corrective feedback, and assessment. The findings conceptualize pronunciation instruction as a sociomaterial practice emerging from human and non-human interactions.
Original abstract
This paper examines how pronunciation instruction is enacted in online Swedish as a Second Language (SSL) within Municipal Adult Education (MAE). Using Actor–Network Theory (ANT), classroom observations and teacher interviews trace how human and non-human actors (e.g., teachers, students, platforms, cameras, microphones, recordings) shape instruction. Five analytic scenes show that: (1) close-up camera/microphone affordances amplify articulatory modeling; (2) prosody practice becomes an auditory, distributed activity coordinated via audio files and chat functions; (3) corrective feedback is configured by one-speaker-at-a-time interfaces and headphone listening; (4) assessment is redistributed over time; and (5) domestic soundscapes and connectivity contingencies unevenly condition what is hearable and assessable. In the paper, pedagogical implications grounded in these scene-based analyses are articulated. Pronunciation instruction is thus shown to emerge as a sociomaterial practice, enacted through the actors and infrastructures of the online classroom.