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Angel Arias

headshot of Angel Arias

Assistant Professor and Graduate Supervisor (Applied Linguistics & Discourse Studies); Director (Language Assessment and Testing Research Unit)

Biography

Angel Arias is an Assistant Professor in the School of Linguistics and Language Studies at 杏吧原创 University. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Measurement from the Universit茅 de Montr茅al and a Master鈥檚 in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies from 杏吧原创 University. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in Education and Modern Languages from Universidad Dominicana Organizaci贸n y M茅todos (O&M) in the Dominican Republic. Dr. Arias鈥檚 research focuses on the application of psychometric models and mixed methods methodologies to investigate key issues in language testing and assessment. His work emphasizes validation research, examining the meaning, use, and consequences of test scores, and developing culturally responsive assessment practices that recognize and account for learners鈥 diverse backgrounds, experiences, linguistic repertoires, sociocultural contexts, and values that shape their identities. He has served as an external consultant for Qu茅bec鈥檚 Ministry of Education and as Chair of the Test Validity Research and Evaluation Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). He speaks Spanish, English, and French fluently and has previously taught English and French in the Dominican Republic.

Research Interests

Courses Taught

Undergraduate Courses

Graduate Courses

Selected Publications

Articles in Refereed Journals

Magabe, D. D., Schissel, J., & Arias, A. (2025). Developing a theory of change: How are teacher educators preparing pre鈥 and in鈥恠ervice teachers of multilingual learners? TESOL Journal, 16(2), e70021.

Arias, A. (2024). A short tutorial on validation in educational and psychological assessment. The Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 20(3), 24鈥31.

Baker, B., Arias, A., Bibeau, L.-D., Qin, Y. (Coral), Norenberg, M., & St-John, J. (2024). Rethinking student placement to enhance efficiency and student agency. Language Testing, 41(1), 181-191.

Arias, A., & Blais, J.-G. (2023). Evaluating the explanation inference of a high-stakes French listening test: An argument-based perspective. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 79(2), 77鈥100.

Appel, R., Arias, A., Baker, B., & Loignon, G. (2023). Insights from lexical and syntactic analyses of a French for academic purposes assessment. Assessing Writing, 58, 100789.

Appel, R., & Arias, A. (2023). Automated measures of lexical sophistication: Predicting proficiency in an integrated academic writing task. Journal of Language and Education, 9(1), 12鈥25.

Arias, A., Vessey, R., & Sheyholislami, J. (2022). Jumping through hoops in the Canadian immigration system: A critical view of the immigrant鈥檚 journey to citizenship. TESOL Quarterly, 56(4), 1430鈥1444.

Arias, A., & Sireci, S. (2021). Validez y validaci贸n de pruebas educativas: Teor铆a y recomendaciones.

Baker, B., Homayounzadeh, M., & Arias, A. (2020). Development of a test taker-oriented rubric: Exploring its usefulness for test preparation and writing development. Journal of Second Language Writing, 50(100771).

Special Issues in Refereed Journals

Schissel, J. L. & Arias, A. Eds. (2021). Language assessment innovations in multilingual contexts. Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices.

Arias, A., & Schissel, J. L. (2021). How are multilingual communities of practice being considered in language assessment: A language ecology approach. Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices.

Book Chapters in Refereed Edited Books

B茅land, S., Ch茅nier, C., & Arias, A. (2023). Une (courte) introduction au mod猫le de Rasch bay茅sien pour r茅ponse dichotomique. In E. Dionne & S. B茅land (Eds.), Appliquer le mod猫le de Rasch: D茅fis et pistes de solution (pp. 277-290). Presses de l鈥橴niversit茅 du Qu茅bec.

Presentations

Refereed Paper Presentations

Arias, A., Sinclair, J., & Jang, E. (2025). Supporting validity arguments through DET test alignment with Canadian Language Benchmarks. Advancements for multimodal measurement in language assessment: Duolingo & AAAL Symposium Series. Presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL), Denver, Colorado.

Arias, A. (2024). A pedagogical perspective on validity and validation in language assessment. presented at the Asociacion colombiana de profesores de Ingles (ASOCOPI) conference in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Arias, A., Al-kaboody, M. (2024). Examining validity evidence of constructs in applied linguistics: A systematic review. Presented at the International Test Commission (ITC) conference in Granada, Spain.

Arias, A. (2023). Reconsidering construct-irrelevant variance and underrepresentation: Towards a justice-oriented and antiracist validation framework in language assessment. Presented at the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics (ACLA), Toronto, ON, Canada.

Baker, B., Arias, A., Bibeau, L-D., & Qin, Y. (2023). Incorporating a progression of learning in a revised placement assessment with self-directed elements. Presented at the Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), New York, USA.

Appel, R., Arias, A., Baker, B., Hirch., & Loignon (2022). Discoveries in analysing recurrent word sequences and linguistic complexity in French academic writing assessment. Presented at the Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), Tokyo, Japan. [Online Virtual Conference].

B茅land, S., Arias, A., & Ch茅nier, C. (2021). L鈥檜tilisation du mod猫le de Rasch bay茅sien pour d茅tecter la d茅rive des items (item drift) 脿 partir d鈥檜ne hypoth猫se bas茅e sur la th茅orie. Presented at the 42nd colloquium of l鈥橝ssociation pour le d茅veloppement des m茅thodologies d鈥櫭﹙aluation en 茅ducation (l鈥橝DMEE 鈥 Canada). [Online Virtual Conference].

Arias, A., & Blais, J-G. (2020). Construct evidence of a second language listening test used for Canadian immigration. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME), San Francisco, CA. [Online Virtual Conference].

Arias, A., & Ch茅nier, C. (2019). Exploration de la d茅rive des param猫tres d鈥檌tems comme preuve de validit茅 : une application du mod猫le de Rasch. Presented at the 41st colloquium of l鈥橝ssociation pour le d茅veloppement des m茅thodologies d鈥櫭﹙aluation en 茅ducation (l鈥橝DMEE 鈥 Canada). Sherbrooke, Qu茅bec.

Arias, A., Loye, N., & B茅land, S. (2019). Validation des instruments de mesure en 茅ducation et en psychologie : comparaison de mod猫les conceptuels. Presented at the 1st colloquium of the Research Group in Pursuit of Validity in Drummondville, QC, Canada.

Loye, N., Arias, A., & B茅land, S. (2019). La validation par l鈥檃rgumentation. De quoi est-il question? Presented at the 1st colloquium of the Research Group in Pursuit of Validity in Drummondville, QC, Canada.

Arias, A., & Blais, J-G. (2018). Maximum Likelihood (ML), Bayesian (BAYES), and Weighted Least Squares Means and Variance Adjusted (WLSMV) estimation procedures: A comparison of estimation methods with binary data from a language proficiency test. Presented at the 11th International Test Commission (ITC) conference in Montreal, QC, Canada.

Arias, A., Baker, B., & Chapelle, C. (2018). Creating a validity argument for an existing testing program for university admissions and professional certification. Presented at the 40th Language Testing Research Colloquium, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Arias, A., Baker, B., & Hope, A. (2017). Skimming, scanning, search reading and reading comprehension: An exploration of constructs through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Presented at the 39th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia.

Arias, A., Laurier, M., & Blais., J. G. (2017). La validation du volet de la compr茅hension orale du Test de connaissance du fran莽ais 脿 l鈥檃ide de l鈥檃nalyse factorielle confirmatoire. Presented at the Canadian Association of Language Assessment (CALA). Ottawa, ON: Canada.

Arias, A., Baker, B., & Hope, A. (2015). Revising test specifications for the listening component of a high-stakes English assessment: A conceptual and data-driven approach. Presented at the East Coast Organization of Language Testers. Washington, DC. Ch茅nier, C., & Arias, A. (2015). Un seul score pour l鈥檈xpression orale est-ce assez? Presented at the 37th colloquium of l鈥橝ssociation pour le d茅veloppement des m茅thodologies d鈥櫭﹙aluation en 茅ducation (l鈥橝DMEE 鈥 Canada). Gatineau, Qu茅bec.

Refereed Poster Presentations

Arias, A. (2024). RaterLynx: A shiny app for incomplete rating designs of rater-mediated assessments. Presented at the International Test Commission (ITC) conference in Granada, Spain.

Arias, A., & Blais, J-G. (2021). Using Rasch measurement to examine the psychometric properties of a listening test used for immigration. To be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Orlando, FL. [Online Virtual Conference].

Homayounzadeh, M., Baker, B., & Arias, A. (2018). Mixed-methods development of a test-taker-oriented writing rating scale. Presented at the 40th Language Testing Research Colloquium, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Arias, A. (2017). Re-evaluating commonly held views of residual-based fit statistics in language assessment research: Rasch analysis of the CanTEST listening test. Presented at the 39th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia.

Arias, A., Stone, J. & Wu, A. (2013). Establishing cut scores through technological resources on the general version of the listening and reading tests of the 2014 Canadian English Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-G). Presented at the 35th Language Testing Research Colloquium, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. 

Invited Presentations

Arias, A. (2022). Unpacking validation approaches for applied linguistics: Current challenges and potential solutions to enhance accessibility and uptake. CCERBAL Online Research Forum.

Arias, A., Schissel, J., & Tavarez da Costa, P. (2021). Our journey into university English language education research: Transnational and transdisciplinary collaborations. Coalition for Diversity in Language and Culture. University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Schissel, J.L. & Arias, A. (2021). Multilingualism and assessment: Expanding validity frameworks. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in ELT: International Perspectives and Local Resonances: TESOL ELevate Virtual Conference.

Arias, A. (2019). Les enjeux de validation des instruments de mesure en 茅valuation des langues. Presented at journ茅e de r茅flexion sur l鈥櫭﹙aluation des comp茅tences langagi猫res : Enjeux et perspectives.

Arias, A. (2016). Le fran莽ais sur objectif universitaire. Presented to the comit茅 des 茅tudes du d茅partement d鈥檃dministration et fondements de l鈥櫭ヾucation, Universit茅 de Montr茅al, QC, Canada.

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