ABSTRACT
In many countries, a certifi cate of profi ciency in a foreign language is a prerequisite for obtaining a university degree, and sometimes even for being admitted to university in the fi rst place. Yet, in many high-stakes testing contexts special arrangements are rarely made for students with specifi c learning diffi culties (SpLDs) taking language exams; and if they are made, those accommodations are far from suffi cient to ensure equal opportunities for most of these learners. It is therefore of crucial importance that language profi ciency tests do not unfairly disadvantage test-takers with SpLDs. In this chapter, I discuss the construct of test fairness and validity from the perspective of SpLDs and review recent research efforts in large-stakes and classroom contexts in this regard. I then consider the effect of various types of accommodation and modifi cation on the performance of students with SpLDs. Next, I describe the kinds of accommodation in terms of test tasks and administration procedures that are necessary to give learners with SpLDs a fair chance to display their knowledge of a foreign language. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how stakeholders, including test-takers and representatives of major international language-test providers, view accommodations and practices related to the provision of special arrangements.
