中国语言测试之源与流

我国语言测试始于20世纪70年代后期的英语水平考试，桂诗春先生对中国语言测试做出了具有开创性的学术贡献。我国语言测试学者探索了一系列新理论、新技术与新方法，从测试内部问题入手，稳步提升语言测试的科学性。语言测试在理论层面的研究呈现出明显的跨学科特征，认知科学、教育测量学、心理学及隶属于应用语言学范畴的二语习得均为测试的研究与实践提供了思路。进入21世纪，学界开始转向对语言测试外部因素的关注。在深度融合教学与评价的过程中，未来学界需要继续探究如何提升语言测试的科学性、如何有效应用《中国英语能力等级量表》以及如何对考试的社会性予以关切。

Origin and Development of Language Testing in China

Considered the hometown of exams, language testing didn't start in China until the late 1970s with the inauguration of the English Proficiency Test. As the founding father of language testing in China, Professor Gui Shichun made huge contributions in designing language tests and navigating the sound development of language testing practices in China. He advocated the modernization of language tests, featuring institutionalization, specialization, standardization, and computerization. He also called for a shift from product-oriented testing to process-oriented testing and adopted cognitive information-processing models for reading assessment and scoring. He was also one of the first few scholars who directed people's attention to the social dimensions of testing, maintaining that joint efforts must be made to bring about the positive washback of language tests. The past four decades has witnessed a flourishing in language testing in a number of areas. For one thing, huge efforts have been made in developing language tests for different purposes, along with researches on reliability, validity, factors affecting test performance and so forth. Language testers have introduced the mainstream testing theories, advanced technologies, and sophisticated methodologies in their research. For another, scholars have gradually turned their attention to external factors of language testing, paying special attention to the use of large-scale and high-stakes tests, together with the washback or impact of language tests. Following a delineation of the development of language testing in China, an attempt is made in this article to outline some avenues for future research. First of all, although efforts have been made in developing all kinds of language tests, to establish a scientific and systematic language testing system is particularly urgent yet challenging. Advanced testing theories should be adopted and validation research will continue to be a major research focus. Additionally, the application of China's Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) is a relatively scant exercise which is currently confined to linking language tests to the standards. Scholars are expected to make continuous efforts in applying CSE in other areas like language test development and reform, language teaching, syllabus design and so on. Further, social aspects of language testing and the professionalization of the field remain areas to be explored.  In summary, this article reviews the origin and practices of language testing in China over the past four decades and points out avenues for future researches, with the expectation of furthering the integration of language testing and language teaching, and improving assessment literacy of all the stake-holders.