My work connects applied linguistics, language education and educational assessment. I am particularly interested in how empirical evidence can support valid tests, useful learning resources and better-informed teaching decisions.
Language assessment
Design, validation and standard setting for language tests, with particular attention to English-language assessment in primary education.
Computer-based testing
Digital assessment of receptive skills, automated item generation and the responsible use of technology and artificial intelligence in educational testing.
Vocabulary and phraseology
Corpus-based wordlists, vocabulary profiling, collocational competence and resources for learners of English and Italian as additional languages.
Second language acquisition
How learners process, revise and develop written language, including the effects of direct, indirect and peer corrective feedback.
Corpus and learner data
The use of learner corpora, native-speaker corpora, eye-tracking evidence and computational methods in language-learning research.
Language teaching and interaction
Task-based language teaching, telecollaboration, functional adequacy and interaction between learners.
Current research context
At INVALSI, I work in the National Surveys Area within the English-language group, with a current research line on computer-based tests for primary school. I have also contributed to the revision of ALTE’s Manual for Language Test Development and Examining, on behalf of the Language Policy Programme, Education Department, Council of Europe.