Standardised language tests: an opportunity for teacher development?

Scholars have long espoused the value that language learning experience can have for language teachers. Additionally, in modern language education, standardized tests are seen as critically important. However, no research has been performed in the intersection of these areas – how does taking a standardized test in an additional language influence language teachers? An interview-based study was designed to explore this gap in existing literature, aiming to illuminate how the test-taking experience influences teacher methodologies and student empathy. While the benefits reported by participants in this interview study are highly varied and individualized, all participants claimed that the experience helped them grow as educators and deepened their understanding of the student experience, suggesting that going through the process of a standardized language test may be beneficial for language teachers.