The Reality of TALT at the Tertiary Level in Bangladesh: Teachers’ Perspective

Abstract

This paper investigated the level of preparation of the English language testing structure at the tertiary level in Bangladesh to harness the technological advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Exploring the tertiary-level teachers’ experience with technology-assisted language testing (TALT), this study tried to discern whether TALT is a tangible reality or only a vision in the English language testing field. This study surveyed 57 teachers from public and private universities in Bangladesh adopting a quantitative approach. The findings demonstrate that TALT is not a vision in Bangladesh, as the tertiary level teachers frequently use technology tools to assess the learners’ language skills. Teachers have proficiency in using technology and students feel encouraged to sit for the technology assisted language tests. This study also reveals that teachers from private universities have more experience with TALT and receive more training opportunities compared to their counterparts in public universities. However, many teachers are concerned about the technical problems that may arise during the tests and institutions’ inadequate funding and opportunities for using TALT. So, this paper finds the necessity to provide satisfactory technical support, funding, and training opportunities for teachers to enhance their competence in adopting TALT.