Iowa State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fulbright Program
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Iowa State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL)
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
University of Cambridge and International Language Testing Association (ILTA)
Iowa State University
Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair (Visiting), Carleton University
Carol A. Chapelle is a Distinguished Professor and LAS Dean’s Professor in the Department of English at Iowa State University. A leading scholar of technology-mediated second language teaching, learning, and assessment, she is widely recognized for advancing argument-based validation in language testing and for foundational books on computer-assisted language learning and testing. She served as editor of TESOL Quarterly (1999–2004) and co‑editor of Language Testing (2016–2018), founded the 10‑volume Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (Wiley, 2013), and co‑edits the Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series. Her honors include the Cambridge–ILTA Lifetime Achievement Award (2012), the AAAL Distinguished Service and Scholarship Award (2015), the AERA Test Validity SIG Senior Scholar Award (2020), and the Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair Award (2020).
A program of work adapting and advancing Michael Kane’s argument‑based approach for language test interpretation and use. Through edited volumes, methodological papers, and applied studies, Chapelle and colleagues articulate interpretive arguments, organize qualitative and quantitative backing across inferences, and connect test development to consequences in L2 contexts.
The Modern Language Journal • Journal
A commentary on the implications of open generative AI for language education. Drawing on earlier episodes in CALL and assessment, the article argues that while new tools transform access, feedback, and multimodal expression, enduring priorities remain: critical engagement with language and technology, principled task design, descriptive research on interaction, and ethical, pedagogically grounded use.
Language Learning & Technology • Journal
A review of research on technology and second language assessment published in LLT (1997–2016). The analysis identifies two thrusts—technology for efficiency (e.g., delivery, scoring, scalability) and technology for innovation (e.g., novel constructs, interactional data)—and discusses implications for validity, design, and future inquiry in computer‑assisted language testing.
Language Testing • Journal
Using two cases—ETS Criterion® for undergraduate EAP and the Intelligent Academic Discourse Evaluator for graduate EAP—the article develops interpretive arguments for diagnostic use of automated writing evaluation. It shows how qualitative and quantitative backing across inferences (interpretation, use, consequences) can support validity arguments for classroom diagnostic assessment.
ReCALL • Journal
Synthesizing 37 studies (52 effect sizes, 1970–2006), the meta‑analysis compares technology‑supported and non‑technology pedagogies in L2 instruction. Overall results favor technology‑supported instruction with a small but significant positive effect, and studies with stronger designs show CALL groups outperforming controls. The paper highlights methodological gaps to guide future research.
Language Testing • Journal
Reports four pilots of a computer‑delivered and scored ESL grammar test grounded in SLA research on morphosyntactic, syntactic, and functional development. Results address reliability, relationships between item difficulty and developmental stages, correlations with other English tests, and prediction of proficiency levels, supporting feasibility for computer delivery and scoring.
System • Journal
Addresses three issues in evaluating CALL materials: using professional knowledge about language learning, balancing robust evidence with context‑specificity, and producing defensible procedures. A survey‑based, multiple‑case study across 12 English classes in four countries showed generally good internal consistency and sensitivity to within‑ and across‑context differences.
The Modern Language Journal • Journal
Argues that the pragmatic goals of CALL drive engagement with diverse SLA theories. Surveys cognitive‑linguistic, psycholinguistic, human learning, and sociocultural approaches, showing how each can inform the design and evaluation of technology‑mediated tasks and materials. Concludes that expanding technologies challenge SLA theory and broaden the audience for SLA research.
Palgrave Macmillan (Springer) • Book
Through a historical and social‑semiotic analysis of 65 U.S. French textbooks (1960–2010), the book examines how Canada and Québec’s cultural narratives are represented to beginners. It offers methods and evidence to inform materials development, arguing for more explicit integration of cultural–political narratives and genre‑based links between content and language from the outset of instruction.
Routledge/Taylor & Francis • Book
A comprehensive case study of the TOEFL iBT® redesign, documenting the rationale, development, and validation research. Using an argument‑based approach, the volume integrates qualitative and quantitative evidence to support interpretations and uses of scores within educational measurement standards, providing a model for linking construct theory, test design, and consequences.
Pearson Education • Book
An introductory, practice‑oriented book that links research to technique for using CALL in English language teaching. It presents practical strategies and examples (with accompanying media) to help teachers integrate technology effectively across skills and contexts.
Cambridge University Press • Book
Addresses theoretical, methodological, and practical issues in computer‑assisted language testing at a time when major proficiency tests and many institutions moved online. It surveys how computer delivery, automated scoring, and web-based platforms affect reliability, validity, practicality, and authenticity, and provides guidance for teachers and researchers engaging in technology‑mediated assessment.
John Benjamins (Language Learning & Language Teaching) • Book
Explores how advances in technologies for teaching, assessment, language analysis, and use intersect with applied linguistics. Focusing on English, it examines how SLA theory can inform technology‑based learning, how technology‑mediated learning can be evaluated, and how technological tools can serve applied linguistics research, thereby expanding understanding of language learning in digital contexts.
Cambridge University Press (Cambridge Applied Linguistics) • Book
Reviews and interprets research on three domains—computer‑assisted second language learning, assessment, and SLA research—to show how software and computer‑based tasks can be designed, evaluated, and used effectively. It addresses strengths and limitations of computer‑assisted testing and illustrates how interactive programs can support SLA, offering a framework and research directions for developers, teachers, and researchers.