Assessing real-world use of English as a lingua franca (ELF): A validity argument

The framework as it relates to the validation of language tests in general is presented and the model is then applied to two tests of spoken English by way of illustration. Although examples are included, the main aim is to provide a theoretical justification for a focus on comprehensibility and the inclusion of linguistic variation in the assessment of ELF and to present a validation framework that can be applied by test developers and test users.