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As the demand for English language education grows in Asia, there
has been a parallel growth in the development and implementation of
standardized tests at the local level. Offering much-needed context
on locally produced tests in Asia, contributors examine emerging
models for English language assessment and the impact these
large-scale tests have on the teaching and learning of English.
Chapters address the following well-known and developing
high-stakes tests in different regions across Asia: the GEPT, the
TEPS, the VSTEP, the CET, the EIKEN and TEAP, and the ELPA. Brought
together by world-renowned testing assessment scholar Cyril Weir
and the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC), one of Asia's
leading testing institutions based in Taiwan, this volume is a
useful reference for evaluating, developing, and validating local
tests of English and their societal impact. Comprehensive and
research-based, chapters cover historic backgrounds, sociocultural
contexts, test quality, international standing, and future
considerations. Ideal for graduate students, researchers, and
scholars in language assessment, TESOL/TEFL, and applied
linguistics, this book will also be of interest to language
teaching professionals, language test developers, and graduate
students in Asian studies and international education,
intercultural communication, and intercultural studies.
Back Cover
Applied Linguistics and Language Study Series
General Editor: Christopher N. Candlin,
Christopher N. Candlin, Chair Professor of Applied Linguistics,
City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Since it was first established in the 1970s the Applied Linguistics
and Language Study series has become a major force in the study of
practical problems in human communication and language education.
Drawing extensively on empirical research and theoretical work in
linguistics, sociology, psychology and education, the series
explores key issues in language acquisition and language use.
Reading in a Second Language sets the testing and teaching of
reading against a theoretical background, discussing research from
both applied linguistics and cognitive psychology. Where possible,
it focuses on research into second language readers and
distinguishes different kinds of reading, particularly expeditious
as opposed to careful reading, and emphasizes the validity of each.
Sandy Urquhart and Cyril Weir relate testing and teaching,
discussing similarities and differences, providing a comprehensive
survey of both methods with the emphasis on those which have been
substantiated or supported by research evidence. Finally, the book
proposes specific research topics, and detailed advice on how to
construct tests of language for academic purposes and suggestions
for further research.
The book is intended for teachers, testers, advanced students and
researchers into reading in a second language and will also be
useful to teacher trainers, inservice trainees, experienced
teachers and textbook writers.
Reading in a Second Language sets the testing and teaching of
reading against a theoretical background, discussing research from
both applied linguistics and cognitive psychology. Where possible,
it focuses on research into second language readers and
distinguishes different kinds of reading, particularly expeditious
as opposed to careful reading, and emphasizes the validity of
each.Sandy Urquhart and Cyril Weir relate testing and teaching,
discussing similarities and differences, providing a comprehensive
survey of both methods with the emphasis on those which have been
substantiated or supported by research evidence. Finally, the book
proposes specific research topics, and detailed advice on how to
construct tests of language for academic purposes and suggestions
for further research.
As the demand for English language education grows in Asia, there
has been a parallel growth in the development and implementation of
standardized tests at the local level. Offering much-needed context
on locally produced tests in Asia, contributors examine emerging
models for English language assessment and the impact these
large-scale tests have on the teaching and learning of English.
Chapters address the following well-known and developing
high-stakes tests in different regions across Asia: the GEPT, the
TEPS, the VSTEP, the CET, the EIKEN and TEAP, and the ELPA. Brought
together by world-renowned testing assessment scholar Cyril Weir
and the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC), one of Asia's
leading testing institutions based in Taiwan, this volume is a
useful reference for evaluating, developing, and validating local
tests of English and their societal impact. Comprehensive and
research-based, chapters cover historic backgrounds, sociocultural
contexts, test quality, international standing, and future
considerations. Ideal for graduate students, researchers, and
scholars in language assessment, TESOL/TEFL, and applied
linguistics, this book will also be of interest to language
teaching professionals, language test developers, and graduate
students in Asian studies and international education,
intercultural communication, and intercultural studies.
This book tells the story of the British Council's seventy-five
year involvement in the field of English language testing. The
first section of the book explores the role of the British Council
in spreading British influence around the world through the export
of British English language examinations and British expertise in
language testing. Founded in 1934, the organisation formally
entered the world of English language testing with the signing of
an agreement with the University of Cambridge Local Examination
Syndicate (UCLES) in 1941. This agreement, which was to last until
1993, saw the British Council provide substantial English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) expertise and technical and financial
assistance to help UCLES develop their suite of English language
tests. Perhaps the high points of this phase were the British
Council inspired Cambridge Diploma of English Studies introduced in
the 1940s and the central role played by the British Council in the
conceptualisation and development of the highly innovative English
Language Testing Service (ELTS) in the 1970s, the precursor to the
present day International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
British Council support for the development of indigenous national
English language tests around the world over the last thirty years
further enhanced the promotion of English and the creation of soft
power for Britain. In the early 1990s the focus of the British
Council changed from test development to delivery of British
examinations through its global network. However, by the early
years of the 21st century, the organisation was actively
considering a return to test development, a strategy that was
realised with the founding of the Assessment Research Group in
early 2012. This was followed later that year by the introduction
of the Aptis English language testing service; the first major test
developed in-house for over thirty years. As well as setting the
stage for the re-emergence of professional expertise in language
testing within the organisation, these initiatives have resulted in
a growing strategic influence for the organisation on assessment in
English language education. This influence derives from a
commitment to test localisation, the development and provision of
flexible, accessible and affordable tests and an efficient
delivery, marking and reporting system underpinned by an innovative
socio-cognitive approach to language testing. This final period can
be seen as a clear return by the British Council to using language
testing as a tool for enhancing soft power for Britain: a return to
the original raison d'etre of the organisation.
This book tells the story of the British Council's seventy-five
year involvement in the field of English language testing. The
first section of the book explores the role of the British Council
in spreading British influence around the world through the export
of British English language examinations and British expertise in
language testing. Founded in 1934, the organisation formally
entered the world of English language testing with the signing of
an agreement with the University of Cambridge Local Examination
Syndicate (UCLES) in 1941. This agreement, which was to last until
1993, saw the British Council provide substantial English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) expertise and technical and financial
assistance to help UCLES develop their suite of English language
tests. Perhaps the high points of this phase were the British
Council inspired Cambridge Diploma of English Studies introduced in
the 1940s and the central role played by the British Council in the
conceptualisation and development of the highly innovative English
Language Testing Service (ELTS) in the 1970s, the precursor to the
present day International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
British Council support for the development of indigenous national
English language tests around the world over the last thirty years
further enhanced the promotion of English and the creation of soft
power for Britain. In the early 1990s the focus of the British
Council changed from test development to delivery of British
examinations through its global network. However, by the early
years of the 21st century, the organisation was actively
considering a return to test development, a strategy that was
realised with the founding of the Assessment Research Group in
early 2012. This was followed later that year by the introduction
of the Aptis English language testing service; the first major test
developed in-house for over thirty years. As well as setting the
stage for the re-emergence of professional expertise in language
testing within the organisation, these initiatives have resulted in
a growing strategic influence for the organisation on assessment in
English language education. This influence derives from a
commitment to test localisation, the development and provision of
flexible, accessible and affordable tests and an efficient
delivery, marking and reporting system underpinned by an innovative
socio-cognitive approach to language testing. This final period can
be seen as a clear return by the British Council to using language
testing as a tool for enhancing soft power for Britain: a return to
the original raison d'etre of the organisation.
This volume brings together a collection of chapters outlining the
principles and processes of action research and providing case
studies of practitioner action research completed by teachers in
the ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas
Students) sector in Australia. The Action Research in ELICOS
programme in which the teachers participated was an innovative
collaboration between English Australia, the professional body for
ELICOS, and Cambridge English Language Assessment commencing in
2010 and continuing to the present. An introductory chapter
describes the initiation of the programme and the professional
model adopted to support and facilitate the teachers' research,
while a concluding chapter considers the impact of the programme on
the teachers and on the ELICOS sector more generally. Case studies
by the teachers present the action research processes they
undertook to research receptive and productive skills and
assessment of these skills in their classrooms.
This volume takes a framework for validating tests that was
developed in language testing, and applies it to an admissions test
used for biomedical courses. The framework is used to consider
validity in the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). Each chapter
focuses on a different aspect of validity and also presents
research that has been conducted with the test. By addressing all
of the validity aspects identified as important by language
testers, this volume presents a comprehensive evaluation of BMAT's
validity. The processes of evaluation used in the book also promote
a cross-disciplinary approach to assessment research, by
demonstrating how effectively language testing frameworks can be
used in different educational contexts. The authors of the chapters
include Cambridge Assessment staff and medical education experts,
from a wide range of subject backgrounds. Psychologists,
clinicians, linguists and assessment experts have all contributed
to the volume, making it an example of multidisciplinary
collaboration.
This volume establishes how English language constructs were
measured in Cambridge English examinations over the period 1913 to
2012. An addition to the Studies in Language Testing series, this
volume provides an overview of English language testing over the
last century, with coverage of key theoretical and practical
aspects of the assessment of reading, listening, writing and
speaking skills. It includes examples of the Cambridge English
exams, old and new, and is the first volume to describe in a
systematic way the different theoretical influences which have
shaped the development of the constructs underlying Cambridge
English exams in the last 100 years.
This volume explores the impact of language frameworks on learning,
teaching and assessment, viewed from the perspective of policies,
procedures and challenges. It brings together a selection of edited
papers, based on presentations given at the 4th International
Conference of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)
held in Krakow, Poland, in July 2011. The selected papers focus on
the conference's core themes as follows: the effect of frameworks
on teaching, learning and assessment; the value of frameworks for
teachers, learners and language policymakers; the contribution of
frameworks towards describing particular languages.
This volume reports research that informs the development of
reading and listening assessment in IELTS. This volume brings
together a set of eight IELTS-related research studies - four on
reading and four on listening - conducted between 2005 and 2010.
Findings from these studies provide valuable evidence on the
validity, reliability, impact and practicality of the IELTS test;
they are also instrumental in highlighting aspects needing
attention, and thus directly inform the continuing evolution of the
IELTS reading and listening tests. The volume reviews and comments
on the specific contribution of each study to the ongoing process
of IELTS reading and listening test design and development.
Language Testing Matters explores the social and educational impact
of language testing and assessment at regional, national and
international level. It brings together a collection of 20 edited
papers based on proceedings of the 2008 ALTE Conference in
Cambridge. The selected papers focus on three core strands
addressed during the conference: new perspectives on testing for
specific purposes; insights on testing policy and practice in the
context of language teaching and learning in different parts of the
world; reflections on the impact of testing among differing
stakeholder groups. With its broad coverage of key issues,
combining theoretical insights and practical advice, this volume is
a valuable reference work for academics, employers and
policy-makers in Europe and beyond. It is also a useful resource
for postgraduate students of language testing, for practitioners,
and anyone else seeking a better understanding of the social and
educational impact of language assessment.
The volume reflects on how learners' L2 development between the
ages of 6 and 16 can be coherently described and their L2
assessment defined in terms of socio-cognitive validity. There is
particular focus on the theoretical foundations, language
competence model, development and validation framework, and
evaluation and review processes to provide evidence for the
validity of the Cambridge English family of assessments for
children and teenagers.Academics, assessment professionals and
postgraduate researchers of L2 development in children and
teenagers will find great value in the volume's theoretical
insight, while policy-makers and teachers will gain rigorous
practical advice for the young language learner's classroom and
assessment.
This publication highlights the need for test developers to provide
clear explanations of the ability constructs which underpin tests
offered in the public domain. An explanation is increasingly
required or if the validity of test score interpretation and use
are to be supported both logically and with empirical evidence. The
book demonstates the application of a comprehensive test validation
framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework
embraces six core components which reflect the practical nature and
quality of an actual testing event. It examines Cambridge ESOL
writing tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker,
Cognitive Validity, Context Validity, Scoring Validity,
Criterion-related Validity and Consequential Validity. The authors
show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its
components in relation to specific writing tests can assist test
developers to operationalise their tests more effectively,
especially in relation to criterial distinctions across test
levels.
This Studies in Language Testing volume explores the impact of
multilingualism on language assessment. It considers ways of
describing and comparing language qualifications to establish
common levels of proficiency, balancing the need to set common
standards and at the same time sustain linguistic diversity. Three
broad themes are explored. Quality and diversity are addressed via
avenues such as the quality of examinations and codes of practice,
as well as the research on impact in various state certification
projects. In relation to ethics and diversity, several papers focus
on the complex relationships between linguistic identity and
diversity on one hand, and immigration and citizenship policy on
the other, as assessment increasingly interfaces with language
proficiency requirements for citizenship and for active
participation of newcomers in social, occupational and democratic
processes. Transparency and diversity are examined through the
relationship of examinations to the Common European Framework from
a number of different perspectives.
This publication highlights the need for test developers to provide
clear explanations of the ability constructs which underpin tests
offered in the public domain. An explanation is increasingly
required, if the validity of test score interpretation and use are
to be supported both logically, and with empirical evidence. The
book demonstates the application of a comprehensive test validation
framework which adopts a socio-cognitive perspective. The framework
embraces six core components which reflect the practical nature and
quality of an actual testing event. It examines Cambridge ESOL
writing tasks from the following perspectives: Test Taker,
Cognitive Validity, Context Validity, Scoring Validity,
Criterion-related Validity and Consequential Validity. The authors
show how an understanding and analysis of the framework and its
components in relation to specific writing tests can assist test
developers to operationalise their tests more effectively,
especially in relation to criterial distinctions across test
levels.
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