ABSTRACT
Diagnostic testing/assessment of a foreign/second language (L2) has received considerable attention since the 1990s and technology has played an important role in this from the beginning. The chapter first describes DIALANG and DELTA as illustrative examples of how technology both enables and limits L2 diagnosis. This is followed by an analysis of the major issues and limitations in current computerized L2 testing from the diagnostic assessment perspective, with suggestions for addressing those issues. The key to ensuring that diagnostic assessment has the desired impact (improvement of L2 skills, particularly those diagnosed as the learner’s weaknesses) is to view diagnosis as a holistic process that can be understood as a recurring cycle that comprises the stages of construct definition, operationalization, assessment, feedback, and action. The chapter concludes with a proposal to increase the interactivity and individualization of computerized diagnostic testing by integrating procedures developed in dynamic assessment into computerized diagnostic tests.
