State-of-the-art of Language Testing and Assessment in Non-formal Education: The Case of English Language Schools in Turkey

Purveying insights from a mixed-method research design, this study aims to enlighten the exploitation of the European guidelines in language testing and assessment practices in non-formal educational settings. Accordingly, three non-formal English language schools renowned for quality in Turkey were taken to in-depth analysis in order to offer a general paradigm from a sample of leading professionals on the utilization of the European benchmarks in language testing and assessment practices. The results have yielded that (1) there is a need for a more practical curriculum molded with a real auditing system for the enhancement of the current language testing and assessment practices; (2) there is a request for the validation process for language certificate examinations implemented in non-formal educational settings; (3) there is a demand for cooperation amidst the allies for the standardization process in language testing and assessment practices. The results are laced with some recommendations and implications for language testing and assessment.