Get ready to mingle! from authentic practice to authentic assessment

PurposeThis article examines how authenticity can be operationalised as a guiding principle for practice and assessment in second-language (L2) listening and speaking instruction. It addresses ongoing conceptual ambiguity surrounding authenticity by proposing a continuum that aligns classroom activities with real-world communicative demands, particularly within blended and asynchronous learning environments.ApproachThe study adopts a practitioner research approach based on illustrative classroom case studies from German and Russian L2 courses (CEFR A1–B1) at a UK university. Drawing on tasks involving authentic audio and video materials (airport announcements, street interviews) as well as AI-mediated conversational tools, the analysis traces how authentic practice can be systematically designed to prepare learners for authentic assessment. Data includes classroom artefacts, learner reflections, and instructor observations, presented as empirical vignettes that inform a broader conceptual argument.FindingsThe article demonstrates that authenticity is not an inherent property of materials but emerges through the alignment of task design, language input, and learner engagement. Across all case studies, sustained exposure to unscripted, socially embedded language supported learners' communicative resilience, metacognitive awareness, and confidence, particularly in oral assessment contexts. Authentic practice and authentic assessment are shown to be mutually constitutive rather than discrete pedagogical stages.OriginalityThe article contributes a multidimensional, practice-oriented framework for authenticity that bridges instruction and assessment. By conceptualising authenticity as a continuum and illustrating its scalability across proficiency levels and digital modalities, this approach offers a transferable model for designing L2 curricula that prepare learners not only for exams but also for spontaneous, real-world interaction.