Xiaoxiao Kong
PhD
Applied Linguistics
Xiaoxiao Kong is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Languages and Linguistics at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests include language assessments for professional purposes and test validation. Her Ph.D. project investigates the language demands of early childhood and school teachers in Australia, and the appropriacy of currently approved English proficiency tests for teacher registration purposes. Prior to starting her Ph.D., Xiaoxiao worked as an early childhood teacher and an educational researcher across a variety of contexts in Australia.
Contact:
Thesis
Exploring the Language and Communication Demands of Early Childhood and School Teachers in Australia: Implications for Language Assessment for Teacher Registration
The study investigates the language demands of early childhood and school teachers and evaluates the appropriateness of the IELTS Academic for teacher registration in the Australian context. Through document analysis, focus groups, surveys, and individual interviews conducted in three sequential stages, findings identified differences in teachers' language demands across education levels and revealed a mismatch between the characteristics of the IELTS Academic test tasks and the language-related tasks for teachers. This raises concerns over the validity of the IELTS Academic for teacher registration, with implications for policy formulation and the design and implementation of language assessment for professional purposes.
Research interests
- Language assessment for professional purposes
- Test validation
- Teacher education
- Communication in professional contexts