Professor Luke Harding
Professor of Applied LinguisticsResearch Interests
My research interests are in applied linguistics, with a focus on language testing and assessment. I have worked specifically in four areas: (1) the interface between sociolinguistics and language assessment (for example, integrating World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca perspectives in language assessment); (2) second language listening and pronunciation assessment (with a focus on intelligibility); (3) diagnostic approaches to language assessment; and (4) language assessment literacy, engagement and professional ethics. Recently, I have become interested in the role of digital technology in language assessment, and I have begun working on projects that combine corpus linguistics and language assessment. My colleagues Prof. Tineke Brunfaut, Dr John Pill and I convene the Language Testing Research Group in the Department of Linguistics and English Language.
I have published in a range of journals including Language Testing, Applied Linguistics, Language Assessment Quarterly and Assessing Writing. I was the Co-Editor in Chief of Language Testing from 2017-2022. I recently co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Language Testing (Second Edition) with Prof. Glenn Fulcher, which was published in 2022.
Links to recent open-access publications are provided below:
Links to recent talks (hosted on YouTube) are provided below:
Current Teaching
I regularly teach on several modules including:
- Language Test Construction and Evaluation (MA in Language Testing by Distance)
- Issues in Language Testing (MA in Language Testing by Distance)
- Statistical Analysis for Language Testing (MA in Language Testing by Distance)
- Research Methods for Language Testing (MA in Language Testing by Distance)
- English Language (Part I Undergraduate Module)
PhD Supervision Interests
I am principally interested in supervising doctoral students in a range of areas related to language assessment (particularly listening or speaking), topics related to English as a Lingua Franca communication, and topics related to interactional or pragmatic competence.
Linguistic demands of EMI in Higher Education: A corpus-based analysis of reading and writing in EMI university settings in China, Italy and Thailand
01/09/2022 → 28/02/2025
Research
NWSSDTP: Item writing skills and their development: Implications for operational item writing and item-writing training
01/10/2021 → 30/09/2022
Research
Linking the Trinity College London Graded Examinations in Spoken English to China's Standards of English Language Ability (TCL-CSE)
01/10/2020 → 30/06/2022
Research
TOEFL Small Grant - Myriam Siloni Iliovits
01/02/2020 → 30/04/2020
Research
Construction and Corpus-Based Analysis of the British Council-Lancaster University APTIS Corpus
01/09/2018 → 30/06/2022
Research
An Investigation of the Impact of Delivery Mode on the Integrated Skills in English (ISE) exam (phase 1)
01/02/2017 → 31/08/2018
Research
Austrian nationwide listening and reading test project
01/06/2015 → 31/10/2016
Consultancy
Investigating the construct underlying the CEFR phonological control scale
01/01/2013 → …
Other
Linking the GEPT Listening Tests to the CEFR
01/04/2012 → 31/12/2013
Research
Linking the GEPT listening test to the Common European Framework of Reference
01/04/2012 → 31/12/2013
Research
An Exploratory Study of Differences in GESE Examiner Orientations in the UK, India and China
19/03/2012 → 31/03/2015
Research
Language Test Design and Evaluation in Luxembourg
01/09/2011 → …
Other
Language Assessment Quarterly (Journal)
Editorial activity
Language Testing (Journal)
Editorial activity
Papers in Language Testing and Assessment (Journal)
Editorial activity
Journal of Second Language Pronunciation (Journal)
Editorial activity
Language Assessment in an International Academic Context (CIP Symposium 2012)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching (4th annual conference)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Northern Association of TESOL (NATESOL) conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
- LTRG - Language Testing Research Group