English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia

A New Paradigm Bridging Global and Local Contexts

Lily I-Wen Su, Cyril J. Weir, Jessica R. W. Wu, Lily I-Wen Su, Cyril J. Weir, Jessica R. W. Wu

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780815368700
• eBook ISBN: 9781351254007
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

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.

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INTRODUCTION

Jessica R. W. Wu

Purpose of This Volume

This work aims to provide in a single volume previously unavailable access to in-depth analyses of six high-stakes English language tests, all of which have been developed and used in particular educational and cultural contexts in Asia. We will take a detailed look at the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT), the EIKEN/Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP), the College English Test (CET), the Test of English Proficiency developed by Seoul National University (TEPS), the Vietnam Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP), and the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) for the Malaysian Public Service. As O’Sullivan suggests in his foreword, these tests represent a radical paradigm shift in approaches to language testing. They illustrate the increasing trend towards the development of quality tests by locally based groups; that is, they are made by locals, for locals, in a specified local context. They contrast with the broad-spectrum global tests developed for worldwide use by language-testing agencies, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (see Chapter 8).

Tests of this kind are referred to in the literature as “locally produced,” “localized,” or simply “local” tests. However, these terms need to be interpreted differently according to the diverse contexts within Asia. This is, in fact, one of the key messages shared in the current book, where the definition of a locally produced test will be further discussed by the various contributors. In this introduction, “locally produced” refers to a test which is produced within a specific geographical scope and is developed by a local team composed primarily of non-native speakers of English (Dunlea, 2013; Wu, 2014, 2016), albeit often with input from external experts, usually native speakers of English. By contrast, an international test, such as the IELTS or TOEFL, is intended to assess learners around the world and is typically developed by native speakers of English (see further discussion of this in Chapter 8).

The enormous growth in numbers of EFL or ESL learners in these six regions has greatly increased the need to assess learners’ levels of English proficiency. In addition, in reaction to the forces of globalization, many governments in Asia have incorporated locally developed English language exams into their strategic plans for enhancing their citizens’ English skills. The growing need to assess learners’ English language proficiency in Asia has occasioned discussion, most notably in a special issue of the Journal of Language Testing (2005) which promoted greater understanding of language assessment policies and practices. It presented six different Asian contexts, and provided a window into “language assessment issues both common across the varied cultural milieu in Asia and specific to each national context” (Ross, 2008, p. 5). However, it should be noted that the content of the special issue focused solely on language assessment policies and their consequences. Moreover, the cases presented in the special issue included both tests developed by local teams and those developed by international testing institutions such as the Educational Testing Service or Cambridge Assessment English. All the articles in the special issue were authored by scholars. What this volume wishes to add are the voices and practical experiences of test developers.

Given the increasing trend of developing and using locally produced tests of English in Asia, the contributors to this volume believe that the time is ripe for a volume dedicated to presenting important endeavors in the development of English language tests for high-stakes purposes in their own local context, as well as the key issues and problems that are involved. Yet this book by no means intends to present a crude comparison of the test quality or testing services provided by locally produced and international tests or to promote competition between them. Instead, it aims to provide readers with further insight into test localization arising out of the experience of test developers from the aforementioned Asian contexts. We hope that by sharing the knowledge and expertise drawn from their experiences in developing tests of English tailored to local needs, this book can engender a greater understanding of the theory and practice of test localization.

Why the LTTC Supports This Volume

This volume was commissioned by the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC) and represents the LTTC’s enduring commitment to enhancing foreign language teaching, learning, and assessment. Aside from our obvious interest in this matter as developer of the GEPT, the LTTC’s long-term engagement in the Academic Forum on English Language Testing in Asia (AFELTA), whose membership is currently composed of nine testing institutions,¹ has strengthened our awareness of the pressing need to facilitate additional academic dialogues and discussions focused on the development of locally produced tests and related issues. When the LTTC hosted the AFELTA annual meeting in 2010, the theme “Language Testing in Asia: Continuity, Innovation and Synergy” was chosen to foster exchanges among AFELTA institutional members on how to meet the challenge of improving testing services to more fully support English language education within their respective contexts.

Furthermore, between 2012 and 2013 the LTTC welcomed visiting delegations from the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS), who sought to learn from our GEPT experience as they developed the first-ever made-in-Vietnam standardized EFL test, later named the VSTEP, as part of the country’s NFL 2020 Project. The LTTC’s consultancy to ULIS continued, providing three workshops in 2014 and 2016, in which in-depth know-how concerning test development, validation, and administration were communicated to approximately 30 ULIS faculty members and research staff involved in the test development project.

As a result of the LTTC’s frequent exchanges with both AFELTA members and the ULIS regarding our common interest in developing language assessment to suit local needs, we found “locally produced tests” to be a fascinating research area that has yet to be explored fully. By supporting this volume, we hope to draw more attention to this paradigm shift and continue making contributions to the language testing community, locally as well as globally.

Localization

Every test is designed for a different purpose and a different population, and its developers may view and assess language traits differently as well as describe test-taker performance in different ways (Davies, Brown, Elder, Hill, & McNamara, 1999, p. 199). Therefore, it is essential to build a more thorough appreciation of the salient characteristics that distinguish a locally produced test of English from a broad-spectrum international test of English. This localization is carried out through the process of contextual mediation in test design and development (Saville, 2009, 2010; Wu, 2016). Contextual mediation is the core strength of a locally produced test of English, representing its developers’ understanding of learners’ cultural backgrounds, learning experiences, world knowledge, and social needs. In other words, as Dendrinos (2013, p. 14) suggests, when developing a local test, “attention is relocated from the language itself (as an abstract meaning system) to the user (as a meaning-maker).” Such localization efforts are intended to result in the development of tests that are appropriate for local learners linguistically, visually, and even conceptually (O’Sullivan, 2014). This explains why each of the aforementioned locally produced tests is distinctive in its own right in terms of the localization features that influence test construction and administration, as each test reflects the test-taker’s communicative needs in the educational and societal systems within its intended context. Inevitably, each of these locally produced tests has its own context-specific problems and challenges. In short, localization remains the central concern with regard to the evolution, innovation, and impact of each of these locally produced language tests.

Glocalization

In addition to a focus on test localization, the notion of glocalization is also discussed as essential to understanding the dynamics and complexities that underlie the trend of using locally produced tests in Asia. Glocalization is a combination of the words “globalization” and “localization.” It has been described as the process of creating a product or service with a global perspective in mind, while adjusting it to accommodate the user or consumer in a local market (see Chapter 8). Hence, the expression “think globally, act locally” has become a common principle applied to organizations, business, education, and governance. It asks that employees, students, and citizens consider the global impact of their actions. In an effort to address the impact of glocalization on language education, the LTTC has called for a paradigm shift in how English is taught to EFL or ESL learners and how their English proficiency is assessed. “Globalization and Local Interventions” was therefore the main theme chosen for the LTTC’s international conference in 2016, where critical reflections on foreign language education were advocated. It is this thread that is being followed up in the current volume.

We do not intend to categorize language tests dichotomously as local or global, because the distinction between these domains is fuzzy. As Weir rightly suggests in the final chapter of this volume, glocalization may be indeed viewed as an alternative pathway in English language test provision; moreover, the glocal phenomenon in English language testing seems to manifest itself in two distinct ways in English language testing: Glocal Type 1 and Glocal Type 2. In Weir’s definition of glocal tests, Glocal Type 1 refers to an international test that aims for a good fit with a particular local context (e.g., Aptis). In contrast, the case studies presented in Chapters 2–7 of this volume are Glocal Type 2 tests in that they are localized in certain ways but global in others (e.g., compliance with international standards). Although these two types of tests differ in the direction of their glocalization, Weir reminds us that both tests should establish their suitability for local use and demonstrate validity for the local context.

Therefore, by inviting the authors to review their Glocal Type 2 tests in terms of both local and global features, we can gain a better understanding of how to strike a balance between globalization and local interventions when designing a test that is more appropriate for its intended purpose and target learners.

Structure of the Book

This volume consists of eight chapters. Chapters 2–7, written by colleagues who represent their respective test bodies, cover the aforementioned English language tests developed and used in Asia. The tests are categorized into three groups in accordance with their target test-takers, from a wider range to a narrower one: tests for general public (Chapters 2–4), tests targeting the tertiary level (Chapters 5 and 6), and tests for a specific group of people (Chapter 7). A brief description of each test is provided in the following paragraphs.²

Chapter 2 introduces the GEPT, a five-level testing system developed and administered by the LTTC since 2000. It targets English learners at all levels in Taiwan. The test is designed to correspond to Taiwan’s English education framework and meet the specific self-assessment needs of English learners in Taiwan, as well as provide institutions and schools with a reference for evaluating the English proficiency levels of their job applicants, employees, and students. The test has been widely recognized in Taiwan, and in recent years it has also been recognized by a growing number of educational institutions worldwide.

Chapter 3 introduces the TEPS, developed and administered by Seoul National University’s Language Education Institute since 1999. The TEPS is a large-scale, paper-based, standardized English test that is intended to measure the English language proficiency of Korean learners of English. TEPS scores are recognized by many governmental and non-governmental organizations, schools, and universities in Korea.

Chapter 4 introduces the VSTEP, the specifications and format of which were developed by the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS). It was released nationally under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Training in 2015. The VSTEP is intended for general purposes and targets adult test-takers aged 18 years or older in Vietnam.

Chapter 5 introduces the CET, which is designed to assess the English proficiency of undergraduate and postgraduate students in China. It consists of two levels, CET-4 and CET-6, and is meant to ensure that students reach the required English levels specified in the National College English Teaching Syllabuses. The CET has been administered in China for about 30 years.

Chapter 6 introduces two proficiency testing programs produced in and for the context of Japan. EIKEN is a seven-level testing system developed and widely administered by the Eiken Foundation of Japan since 1963. The development of EIKEN will thus provide a historical framework for the discussion of both tests in this chapter. The TEAP was introduced in 2012 as a collaborative project between the Eiken Foundation and Sophia University with the specific intention of contributing to the reform of university entrance exams in Japan.

Chapter 7 introduces the ELPA, originally developed through a collaborative project between National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) and the British Council. The ELPA was first launched in 1998 as a test assessing the workplace use of English by junior- and middle-level management officers in the Administrative and Diplomatic Service in Malaysia. It is administered by INTAN’s English Language Unit and is among the requirements for career development and advancement.

To help readers compare the similarities and differences among these tests, each chapter has the same structure and contains the following content:

• a history of the particular locally produced test, covering the origins of the test and milestones in its development;
• reasons that the test is considered more appro...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• CONTENTS
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Editor’s Note
• Foreword: Localization
• Notes on Contributors
• 1 Introduction
• 2 The General English Proficiency Test in Taiwan: Past, Present, and Future
• 3 TEPS and Its Family of Tests
• 4 Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency: A Panorama
• 5 Testing Tertiary-Level English Language Learners: The College English Test in China
• 6 EIKEN and TEAP: How Two Test Systems in Japan Have Responded to Different Local Needs in the Same Context
• 7 The English Language Proficiency Assessment for the Malaysian Public Service
• 8 Global, Local, or “Glocal”: Alternative Pathways in English Language Test Provision
• Index