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The language testing video project was first conceived in 1998 by Glenn Fulcher and Randy Thrasher. The aim was to produce a set of accessible introductory materials on language testing for students of applied linguistics and language testing. Many language testers have kindly given of their time and expertise to make these short videos that bring to life a topic in the field. We are very grateful for their contributions. We also acknowledge the initial funding provided by the International Language Testing Association and our respective institutions, which made the first set of videos possible.
Filming started in 1999 at LTRC in Tsukuba, Japan. There were no digital movie cameras at the time, so the first videos were shot in S-Video and converted to Vivo and Real Player formats. By 2008 it was realised that these formats were outdated, and so existing videos were converted between January and May 2009.
Since 1999 we have added to the videos in order to extend the range of topics covered. With digital video cameras the quality of the videos (and sound) has improved dramatically, although in one or two cases where webcams have been used there is still a slight problem with sound/video synchronization.
The videos have been extensively accessed over the years, and are frequently used in language testing programmes. From May 2009 the size and sound quality of the videos was improved for delivery in flash. In 2021 with the demise of flash the videos were rendered in mp4 for html5. However, security problems continued and in 2023 it became essential to transfer the videos to YouTube. As an individual I was simply unable to keep up with the changes needed to such a large website to keep the multimedia operational and stable.
There is little that I can do about the picture quality of one or two of the earlier videos as they were recorded using VHS equipment, but they are still viewable.
I hope that you find these resources useful in your learning or teaching.
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