Constructing a Future for L2 Dynamic Assessment

The focus of this chapter is to alert the reader to ongoing strands of DA research that are relevant to the L2 domain and to applied linguistics more generally. In particular, four issues are discussed below. The first two – computer-administered DA and peer-to-peer mediation – have direct implications for L2 teaching, assessment, and learning. The third proposed topic is less pedagogical and concerns a broader conceptualization of applied linguistics that includes the study of elderly populations. Here, DA interventions focus less on cognitive development – although this is certainly a possible outcome – and more on forestalling cognitive decline, particularly among individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The chapter also includes a reflection on the social agenda of DA.