While emerging, the field of language assessment focused on adults learning English. We now observe an enlarged vision that blurs the distinction between first and second languages and considers learners diversity. Tracking this evolution, six major issues can be identified, each one represented by an abundant literature: 1) the nature of language competence and its components, 2) the challenges of the need for authenticity, 3) the complexity of the validation process, 4) the ethical considerations to guide the designers and users, 5) social expectations linked to language evaluation and, 6) the promises of technology applications for language assessment. As a result of this analysis, it appears that the field can be examined from several perspectives – psychometric, linguistic, pedagogical, and social.