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Global ESOL Assessment Practices: The Washback Effect and Automated Testing in China

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Policy Development in TESOL and Multilingualism

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Abstract

The washback effects of ESOL assessment have not attracted adequate attention in terms of the teaching and assessment practices in language education. For instance, the impact of the College English Test (CET), which is a language test designed and developed in the 1980s, is signficant  in China; similarly, tests of other foreign languages such as Japanese, German, Russian, and French are crucial. These tests have impacted the teaching and learning of foreign languages in China. A synthesis of the reforms and developments in these language testing practices over three decades will be offered, with a focus on their role in the teaching and learning of foreign languages at Chinese universities. Moreover, computer-assisted language testing practices are developing rapidly, and information technology is becoming integral to language education. A major shift is taking place from automated evaluation of objective test items to subjectively scored writing and speaking assessments. With the development of technology-enhanced language assessment, new policies have been introduced that influence both language teaching and learning as well as examination administration. The current practices of computer-assisted language assessment need to be analyzed from the technological, educational, and social perspectives.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southeast University, Nanjing, China

    Chen Li

  2. Yorkville University, New Westminster, BC, Canada

    Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan

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  1. Chen Li
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  2. Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, Foundation Program, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Kashif Raza

  2. Dubai Men’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Christine Coombe

  3. Carnegie Mellon University Qatar, Doha, Qatar

    Dudley Reynolds

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Li, C., Abrar-ul-Hassan, S. (2021). Global ESOL Assessment Practices: The Washback Effect and Automated Testing in China. In: Raza, K., Coombe, C., Reynolds, D. (eds) Policy Development in TESOL and Multilingualism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3603-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3603-5_4

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-16-3603-5

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