Abstract
With the increase of China’s global influence, the Chinese as a foreign language (CFL)1 programs in higher education institutions have expanded worldwide and reached a stage that benchmarking must be considered to make sure that these CFL programs achieve their expected education quality. After reviewing and comparing a few possible options like the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR), this study argues that the new HSK, namely the standardized Chinese Proficiency Test developed in China, should be adopted for benchmarking students’ attainment in Australian tertiary CFL programs. Through supporting empirical data, it is proposed that the new HSK level 4 be established as the Chinese BA language proficiency threshold in Australian tertiary CFL programs. Benefits of implementing such outcome-based assessment in tertiary language programs have also been discussed.
Highlights
After reviewing and comparing a few possible options like the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR), this study argues that the new Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), namely the standardized Chinese Proficiency Test developed in China, should be adopted for benchmarking students’ attainment in Australian tertiary Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) programs
A review of the options used in benchmarking foreign language development such as CEFR indicates that the new HSK should be adopted for benchmarking students’ attainment in Australian tertiary CFL programs
This study aimed to find out which HSK level the BA holders in Australian tertiary CFL programs should achieve
Summary
Chinese, which was once hardly visible within the educational galaxy, has since become much brighter and its attraction is such that it could be ranked the second foreign language studied in various Asian countries just after English This metaphor is vivid in describing modern languages, and indicating the fact that Chinese as a foreign or a second language (CFL, CSL, or L2 Chinese) has become increasingly popular nowadays. The CFL programs have been expanded worldwide and reached a stage that benchmarking must be considered to make sure that these CFL programs achieve their expected education quality
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