Assessing Chinese in the USA: An Overview of Major Tests

Abstract

The past few decades have witnessed a rapid expansion of Chinese language and culture programs in higher education institutions as well as PreK-12 schools in the USA. The fast growth of Chinese education has naturally boosted assessment demands. To satisfy the demands, many tests and assessment tools have been developed in the country. Contextualized in the recent history of foreign language education in the USA, this chapter provides an overview of Chinese assessments in the country. Major tests reviewed include the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and its computerized version (OPIc), the Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI), the Computerized Oral Proficiency Instrument (COPI), the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), the Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese Language and Culture Test, the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL), the SAT II Chinese Subject Test, and the Chinese Proficiency Test (CPT). In addition, this chapter also reviews a small number of studies that either aimed to validate these tests or used them as instruments for various research purposes.