Professor Tineke Brunfaut
Professor of Applied LinguisticsResearch Interests
My main research interests are language testing, and second language reading, listening, and integrated/multimodal skills. In recent research, I have focused on:
A. Cognitive and affective factors and processes in testing:
- reading (e.g. Brunfaut, 2022; Brunfaut, Kormos, Michel & Ratajczak, 2021; Kremmel, Brunfaut & Alderson, 2017)
- listening (e.g. Brunfaut & Revesz, 2015; Revesz & Brunfaut, 2013; Brunfaut, 2016)
- writing (e.g. Michel, Kormos, Brunfaut & Ratajczak, 2019; Brunfaut, Harding & Batty, 2018)
- integrated skills (e.g. Lestari & Brunfaut, 2023; Kormos, Brunfaut & Michel, 2020; Rukthong & Brunfaut, 2020)
B. Methodology in language testing research
- eyetracking (e.g. Brunfaut, 2022; Brunfaut & McCray, 2015; Brunfaut, 2016; McCray & Brunfaut, 2018)
- critical discourse analysis techniques (e.g. Harding, Brunfaut & Unger, 2020)
- validation (e.g. Revesz & Brunfaut, 2021)
C. Language test development
- language assessment literacy (e.g. Villa Larenas & Brunfaut, 2023; Rossi & Brunfaut, 2021; Harding & Brunfaut, 2020)
- diagnosing second and foreign language proficiency (e.g. Alderson, Brunfaut & Harding, 2015; Harding, Alderson & Brunfaut, 2015)
- scoring and scales (e.g. Sickinger, Brunfaut & Pill, 2024; Lestari & Brunfaut, 2023)
I am a recipient of the ILTA Best Article Award, the e-Assessment Award for Best Research, and the TOEFL Outstanding Young Scholar Award.
I regularly conduct language test development and consultancy work for professional and educational bodies around the world.
Current Teaching
I teach on the MA in Language Testing (online), the MA TESOL with Language Testing (online) and the MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (campus-based):
- Language Test Construction and Evaluation
- Exploring Language Constructs
- Issues in Language Testing
- Research Methods for Language Testing
- Statistical Analyses for Language Testing
I also teach on our online short courses and Postgraduate Certificate in Language Testing.
Profile
Research Group:
I coordinate the Language Testing Research Group, together with my colleagues Luke Harding and John Pill.
Some recent presentations:
Brunfaut, T., & Kormos, J. (2024). Innovating constructs and assessments: The development and investigation of multimodal viewing-to-write tasks. Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), Innsbruck (Austria).
Brunfaut, T., & Kormos, J. (2024). Reflecting the impact of technological change on language constructs: Test-takers' processing of multimodal viewing-to-write tasks. European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA), Belfast (UK).
Brunfaut, T. (2023). Back to basics to be fit for the digital age: Reflecting on advancements, opportunities and challenges in technology-enhanced assessment. Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE), Madrid (Spain).
Brunfaut, T., Harding, L., & Batty, A.O. (2023). From paper-based to computer-based integrated reading-to-write: Evidence for delivery mode effects at the CEFR B1 level. European Second Language Association (EuroSLA), Birmingham (UK).
Brunfaut, T. (2021). Through the eyes of the reader: The use of eye-tracking to advance insights into reading in another language. Symposium keynote. International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA), Groningen (The Netherlands; online).
Research Overview
My main research interests are language testing, and second language reading, listening, and integrated/multimodal skills. In recent research, I have focused on a) cognitive & affective factors and processes in language testing, b) methodology in language testing research, and c) language test development. I also regularly conduct language test development and consultancy work for professional and educational bodies around the world.
Additional Information
Follow me on LinkedIn.
PhD Supervision Interests
I am especially interested in supervising PhD students in the area of language testing, second language reading and listening, and integrated/multimodal skills. Topic areas covered by my current and graduated PhD students include: testing listening/reading/speaking/language-in-use, testing integrated skills, language assessment literacy training, item writing, rating, and test validation.
CASS Legacy funding
01/06/2024 → 31/05/2029
Research
Investigating the construct of viewing to write tasks
15/01/2023 → 31/03/2025
Research
Linking the Trinity College London Graded Examinations in Spoken English to China's Standards of English Language Ability (TCL-CSE)
31/03/2020 → 31/12/2025
Research
Construction and Corpus-Based Analysis of the British Council-Lancaster University APTIS Corpus
01/09/2018 → 30/06/2025
Research
English Language Assessment - Sri Lanka
01/04/2018 → 30/09/2019
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
The Effect of Test-Taker'sWorking Memory and Task Motivation on TOEFL Junior Comprehensive Test Scores
01/02/2017 → 31/01/2018
Research
English listening and speaking assessment in Bangladesh Higher Secondary Schools
20/10/2016 → 31/03/2017
Research
Austrian nationwide listening and reading test project
01/06/2015 → 31/10/2016
Consultancy
Looking into Reading II
01/05/2015 → 31/03/2016
Research
Looking into Reading
01/08/2013 → 30/11/2014
Research
Assessing second language reading through eye-tracking: an exploratory study
01/04/2013 → 31/12/2014
Research
Linking the GEPT listening test to the Common European Framework of Reference
01/04/2012 → 31/12/2013
Research
Language Test Design and Evaluation in Luxembourg
01/09/2011 → 30/06/2020
Other
Tasks, proficiency and assessing L2 listening comprehension
01/07/2010 → 31/08/2012
Research
Socio-pragmatic competence of L2-doctors
01/01/2007 → 30/11/2008
Research
Foreign language reading for academic purposes
01/10/2003 → 31/03/2008
Research
Language, Educational Efficiency and Economic Outcomes
01/01/2000 → 31/12/2002
Research
How can we design multimodal assessment tasks? Q&A
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
How can we design multimodal assessment tasks for the language classroom?
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
- LTRG - Language Testing Research Group