LIU Jianda
LIU Jianda is a Professor of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at the National Key Research Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. He is currently Vice-President of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. He has worked in designing, developing, and validating language tests in China. His research interests include language testing, pragmatics, and second language acquisition. He has published many papers in different academic journals. His recent book entitled Measuring Interlanguage Pragmatic Knowledge of EFL Learners was published by Peter Lang. He is now leading the development of China’s Standards of English Language Ability.
To support China’s development in the new era with talents of high quality, important changes have been implemented across the education system in China. Especially in foreign language education, great attention is now given to the introduction of formative assessment, and there is a shift away from teaching for the test to the cultivation of core communicative competencies. In 2014, the State Council of China decreed that a new assessment system of foreign languages should be constructed to generate a comprehensive reform in foreign language education in China. China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) thus became the initial focus. With the effort of more than 200 scholars from home and abroad, these were successfully developed and released in 2018 by the Ministry of Education. The CSE is expected to provide a set of transparent and consistent standards of English proficiency to enhance communication between English teaching, learning and assessment. This talk first introduces the changing environment for English language learning, teaching, and assessment in China and then undertakes an exploration of the concepts and ideas of CSE in relation to the practice of formative assessment. Afterwards, a review of formative assessment practice or reform in English language learning and teaching in tertiary universities in China will ensue. This talk finishes with some suggestions about how CSE can be applied to the practice of formative assessment in College English learning and teaching in China.