English language proficiency testing in Asia : a new paradigm bridging global and local contexts /

"As the demand for English language education grows in Asia, there has been a parallel growth in the development and implementation of standardized tests at the local level. Offering much-needed context on locally-produced tests across Asia, contributors examine emerging models for English language assessment and the impact these large-scale tests have on the teaching and learning of English in the region. Chapters address the following well-known and developing high-stakes tests: the GEPT in Taiwan, the TEPS in South Korea, the VSTEP in Vietnam, the CET in China, the EIKEN and TEAP in Japan, and the ELPA in Malaysia. Brought together by world-renowned testing assessment scholar Cyril Weir and the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC), one of Asia's leading testing institutions based in Taiwan, this volume is a useful reference for evaluating, developing, and validating local tests of English and their societal impact. Comprehensively and research-based, chapters cover historic backgrounds, sociocultural contexts, test quality, international standing, and future considerations. Ideal for graduate students, researchers, and scholars in language assessment, TESOL/TEFL, and applied linguistics, it will also be of interest to language teaching professionals, language test developers, and graduate students in Asian studies and international education, intercultural communication, and intercultural studies"