ABSTRACT
In line with the overall purpose of this volume, this chapter is premised on the limitations of generic and acontextual assessment and placement practices. Though all institutions are under pressure to assess L2 students’ language proficiency appropriately and efficiently, there is little evidence that placement measures-even direct ones-align with institutional curricula and pedagogy. This chapter documents the evolution of a targeted usage-based diagnostic assessment procedure strategically developed and implemented within the particular institutional and curricular context of a private U.S. East Coast university’s graduate-level EAP (English for Academic Purposes) program.
