The paper outlines current advancements in dynamic assessment (DA), an approach that has much intuitive appeal for many second language acquisition practitioners, yet that has to date failed to take root in language classrooms. DA distinguishes itself from other approaches to assessment by insisting that "mediated assistance" of the examinee's performance, through prompts, hints, or leading questions, is crucial to understanding his/her abilities and promoting development during the assessment process. In this paper, the theoretical background of DA, different approaches to it, and teacher training requirements for optimal DA practices are reviewed, and implications for language classrooms research are suggested.