Situating Language Program Evaluation

Located at the confluence of two broad interdisciplinary fields—applied linguistics and program evaluation—theory and practice in language program evaluation draws on a range of influences. In this chapter, we situate language program evaluation to provide a sense of the history and context that continues to inform work to date. Throughout the chapter, we interweave concepts from Norris (2016) who defines language program evaluation, summarizes its history, and suggests an agenda for further development. Importantly, we then draw on the transdisciplinary nature of applied linguistics to argue for a greater integration of mainstream program evaluation to spur the development of our field.