College English Test Band Research Articles

On the De-Common-Sense Validity of the Multiple Choice Questions in the Reading Comprehension of College English Test Band 4

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v3-i1/559 Abstract: The researcher selected 10 multiple choice questions from the Reading Comprehension of College English Test Band 4, and asked 102 freshmen and 126 postgraduates to answer the questions without reading the source passages. The result shows that the percentage of the correct choice of each of the 7 multiple choice questions out of 10 exceeds the average percentage of the 4 choices for each question. This suggests that the students' common sense does play a role when they answer the multiple choice questions of Reading Comprehension. The researcher, therefore, proposes a new concept De-Common-Sense Validity and discusses

Does Test Preparation Work? Implications for Score Validity

This article reports an empirical study that examined the pattern of test preparation for College English Test Band 4 (CET4) and the differential effects of test preparation practices on its scores, thereby drawing implications for CET4 score validity. Data collection involved 1,003 test takers of CET4. A pretest was administered at the beginning of a 2-month test preparation period; a posttest and a test preparation questionnaire were administered about 9 weeks later. Multiple regression and structural equation modeling were used in data analysis. The study found that test preparation pattern was better explained by the perceived functions of strategy use in improving test scores rather than the information processing mechanism underlying strategy use. Test preparation did improve test scores, but the effects were primarily from preparation practices via narrowing the curriculum, especially drilling. Although the effects were small in absolute terms, they represented almost one third of the effects from the pretest. Findings of this study suggest that the extrapolation validity of CET4 scores may warrant special attention in future validation studies.

Empirical Reforms on New-CET4 Communicative Listening Test

Following An Empirical Study on Problems Involved in CET4 Communicative Listening Test and Teaching. This article also selects two representative classes of sophomores coming from Hubei University of Education as the sample to complete the empirical research on what necessary renovations should be taken place in New-CET4 communicative listening test in the methods of quantitative and qualitative comparative analysis with the help of the instrument SPSS (Statistics Planning of Social Science). The research findings prove that such reformations should be employed in the traditional New-CET4 listening test as to enlarge the length of conversations step by step and involve conversational situations in Section A (Conversation Listening Part), to add short audio-news and video-episodes as well as subjective questions to Section B (Passage Listening Part), and to change traditional word and sentence gap filling into title filling, partial topic sentence filling and key words filling in Section C (Compound Dictation Part). Key word: Empirical reforms; CET-4 (College English Test Band 4); Communicative listening test

Washback effects from a high-stakes examination on out-of-class English learning: insights from possible self theories

There is still limited understanding of the impact of high-stakes examinations on students’ out-of-class learning. The current study attempts to fill this research gap by addressing this issue in the context of tertiary education in Mainland China. The study examines how far the revised College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) actually influenced Chinese non-English-major undergraduates’ out-of-class learning by following three cases in one university from the day when they began their college English study to the day when they sat the examination. A total of 106 diary entries and 30 post-diary interview recordings were collected in the study. The data analysis shows that, under the influence of the target test, the informants were more likely to change what they learnt than how they learnt. Furthermore, the types of washback seemed to be closely related to how individuals imagined their possible CET-4 selves.

An Empirical Study on Problems Involved in CET-4 Communicative Listening Test and Teaching

Due to testing and teaching are indivisible partners in language education, effective interface of each other will do a good contribution to their common progress and development. This article enlists two representative classes of sophomores coming from Hubei University of Education as the sample to conduct the empirical research on what are the potential problems involved in CET-4 communicative listening test and teaching in the methods of comparison and analysis with the help of the instrument SPSS (Statistics Planning of Social Science). The research findings demonstrate that some problems eager for reformation do exist; furthermore, most of subjects suggest that current comprehension-oriented CET-4 listening test and teaching and passing-exam-centered teaching activities should be transferred into communication-oriented one in purpose of promoting students’ authentic English communicative competence. Key words: Problems; CET-4 (College English Test Band 4); Communicative listening test and teaching; Empirical study

Influence of scores of CET6 and biochemistry exams on scores of toxicology exam with all-English questions

Objective To explore whether and how the medical students' performance in English and biochemistry studies on their exam scores in toxicology basics (in short:toxicology) with allEnglish questions.Methods The correlations between scores of toxicology exam with all-English questions and scores in college English test band 6 (CET6) and biochemistry test of 187 students in the eight-year medical program were analyzed.Results Score of toxicology exam was positively correlated with scores of CET6 and biochemistry tests to some degree ( the correlation coefficients were 0.359 and 0.413 respectively,P ＜ 0.01 ) ; the students who passed CET6 had higher score in toxicology exam than those who did not pass CET6 (P ＜ 0.01,by t-test).Conclusion Passing CET6 and having a good command of related subjects may be essential for adapting to all-English exam questions. Key words: Eight-year medical program; Toxicology; Bilingual teaching; All-English exam questions

Do test design and uses influence test preparation? Testing a model of washback with Structural Equation Modeling

This study introduces Expectancy-value motivation theory to explain the paths of influences from perceptions of test design and uses to test preparation as a special case of washback on learning. Based on this theory, two conceptual models were proposed and tested via Structural Equation Modeling. Data collection involved over 870 test takers of College English Test Band 4 in China. A perception of assessment questionnaire was given at the beginning of a 10-week preparation period; a test preparation questionnaire was given eight weeks later. Test takers who endorsed high-stakes, instrumental test uses as the primary purpose for taking the test tended to value test taking; test takers who perceived test design positively tended to attach high importance to test taking and appeared more confident. Furthermore, higher endorsed task value and higher expectation of test success jointly contributed to greater engagement in test preparation. Knowledge of the test was also related to increased self-regulation in test preparation and more practice of test-taking skills.

A study of the washback effects of the College English Test (band 4) on teaching and learning English at tertiary level in China

This paper presents pilot research findings, applying quantitative and qualitative methods, on the effects of CET-4 upon English education at the tertiary level in China. The research uses questionnaires delivered to 35 teachers and 210 students and semi-structured interviews with 22 teachers and 30 students conducted in five sampled universities in the city of Tianjin. CET-4 is a high-stakes national English examination measuring college students' listening, reading, writing and translating skills. Findings suggest the examination has a questionable validity but strong influence upon learning and the development of classroom assessments. Students are encouraged to learn for the test by memorizing word lists and doing past and practice papers and it is hard for the learning results to extend to non-test contexts. Classroom assessments highly resemble the exam both in test tasks and techniques. CET-4 exerts varying degrees of effects upon teaching at different schools. The exam and its prior language exams may contribute to students' low proficiency of using English for real-life purposes. They may also be responsible for teachers' unwillingness and simplicity of teaching communication. To examine the exact validity of CET-4 and to gauge more accurately the exam's washback, it is recommended a further nationwide CET-4 study be conducted.

Is Test Taker Perception of Assessment Related to Construct Validity?

This study examined test takers’ perception of assessment demand and its impact on the measurement of intended constructs. More than 800 test takers took a pre- and a posttest of College English Test Band 4 and filled in a perception questionnaire to report the skills they perceive as necessary for answering the test. The study found test takers perceived language skills and test-taking skills as equally necessary. Perception of linguistic knowledge negatively affected performance on the reading test, while perceptions of test-taking skills positively affected performance on the reading test and the essay test. Test takers’ perception of assessment seemed to affect the measurement of the intended construct, although the effects are marginal. The study also found instrumentally oriented test takers and test takers with higher starting English ability tend to perceive the test as more demanding, such perception, in turn, contributed to better test performance.

Skeleton Writing in Chinese Universities: Truly Effective?

English Writing Test is considered to be one of the most effective measures in SLL and SLT. In China, in order to improve the students writing performance in tests, skeleton writing is widely employed in college English teaching. As a result, it is not surprising to see skeleton writing being desperately used in all sorts of writing tests, ranging from College English Test Band 4 and College English Test Band 6 (known as CET4 and CET6) to postgraduate entrance examination. However, some people have doubted about the effectiveness of skeleton writing. In order to explore the effectiveness of skeleton writing, a survey was conducted in the Chinese academic year of 2008 and 2009 in eastern China. Results of this survey suggest that although most training staffs attached great importance to skeleton writing, students, especially those with relative low English level, can hardly benefit from it. This essay aims to offer the conclusion that skeleton writing is really of some help for few, but not for so many as has been expected.

College Students’ Perceptions on the Issues of Task-based Language Teaching in Mainland

The survey was conducted on 96 engineering sophomores in a northwest university in Mainland China with the purpose to investigate their favorite communicative tasks, their perceptions on their task performance as well as their opinions on the teacher role in the classroom. Besides, the study also tries to explore the correlations between different variables like scores of national College English Test Band 4 scores , participation frequency, and self-evaluation of personal performance. The results reveal a panorama of a Chinese task-based English class. First and foremost, the students’ preferred tasks are mostly two-way divergent group tasks. In addition, most students reported that participating in the tasks was very “exciting” and “beneficial”, while over a quarter students reported that they were somewhat disappointed at their own task performances. Thirdly, they perceived the college English teacher as a facilitator and tutor in learning strategies. Finally, the results show that the more frequent the students participate in different tasks, the better they evaluate their own performance. Besides, the higher the band 4 scores are, the more frequent they are willing to participate. This study sheds lights on the important issues for task-based instruction and helps English teachers and curriculum designers to address the students’ needs from the learner’s perspectives. Implications for the implementation of task-based language teaching are discussed.

Probing EFL Students’ Language Skill Development in Tertiary Classrooms

Research in second or foreign language learning indicates that for adult learners, the improvement of one language skill facilitates the development of other skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations among Chinese EFL students’ reading, writing, and listening development by examining their test scores on the College English Test Band 4. The findings showed that the resultant correlation coefficients between reading and writing and between reading and listening were low and not statistically significant. However, there was a significant relationship between listening and writing. It was suggested that factors such as the homogeneous sample selected, students’ motivation, and teaching methodology might affect the outcome of the research. The perceived implications of the research point to the importance of drawing close attention to teachers’ efforts in cultivating and developing students’ language skills evenly in the EFL context of China.

Language Learner Strategy Use and Test Performance of Chinese Learners of English

This article examines language learner strategy use reported by 121 Chinese learners of English through a questionnaire and the relationships between their strategy use and language performance on a national English proficiency test: College English Test–Band 4. Results showed that this group of learners reported using more metacognitive strategies than cognitive strategies in general. One subscale of cognitive strategies—inferencing—was reportedly used most frequently. Memory and retrieval strategies as a scale of cognitive strategies were the only significant predictor of the College English Test–Band 4, accounting for 8.6% of the variance in the test. A further examination of the relationship between the subscales of strategy use and the CET showed inferency and practicing naturalistically were the best predictors of the CET. The complex relationships between learner strategy use and their test performance are discussed with suggestions for further research.

Teaching English as a private enterprise in China

A report on independent ELT undertakings in the world's most populous country. The teaching of English as a foreign language in China has expanded rapidly in the last two decades. In colleges all over China, from key universities to small provincial institutions, non-English majors have to study English for at least two years and they have to pass the College English Test (CET) Band 4 before they can get their graduation certificates. In the year 2000, over 3.5 million candidates sat for the CET in the summer.

The College English Test Band Four Writing Section: The Constraints on Reliability in a Large-scale Writing Test

The College English Test Band Four is rapidly becoming the most widely used qualifying examination in China today. The test includes a direct writing component, although the bulk of the test consists of conventional multiple-choice reading-skills items. The papers of the writing section are sent to various centres where each paper is scored not by multiple readers, but by a single reader. In this article, the accounts of actual scorers are documented, describing the scoring process and the manner in which reliability is maintained.