English Language Proficiency: What is it? and Where do Learners Fit into it?

Abstract

Throughout my 42 years in language testing, whenever I have talked about overall English language proficiency I have always added (soto voce) whatever that is. I have come to suspect that we lack a clear understanding of ELP because: (a) we only define ELP in terms of the target language using myopic definitions and (b) we ignore the role in ELP of examinees and what they need from English.

Appendices

The Research Questions

• 1. What are the lexical, syntactic, pragmatic, etc. characteristics of English that are shared by all circles of World Englishes? In the written language? In the spoken language?

• 2. To what extent are tests like the TOEFL, TOEIC, and IELTS based on written and spoken idealized inner-circle NS standard English. To what extent are other inner-, outer-, and expanding-circle Englishes represented?

• 3. To what extent do students in English speaking universities interact in written and oral English with NS English speakers? Outer-, and expanding-circle Englishes?

• 4. To what degree are the ELP tests measuring literacy skills (reading and writing) as opposed to oracy skills (listening and speaking)? To what extent are the ELP tests focused on issues of accuracy, fluency, and intelligibility?

• 5. What is the effect on item statistics, total scores, reliability, and validity for ELP tests of presenting examinees with various inner-, outer-, and expanding-circle language samples as opposed to NS English samples for reading and listening separately.

• 6. What is the effect on item statistics, total scores, reliability, and validity for ELP tests of using raters from various inner-, outer-, and expanding-circle language backgrounds to rate writing and speaking samples from L2 examinees as opposed to the relatively homogeneous group of NS English speaking raters.

• 7. What types of items survive the piloting process (i.e., have the appropriate level of item difficulty and discrimination) during the process of developing ELP tests?

• 8. How are those item types that survive the piloting process related to the previous language learning experiences of the examinees?

• 9. Are examinees from different educational backgrounds scoring high or low on the test for different reasons? That is, what is the impact of the examinees’ nationality or language background on their total scores for reading, writing, listening, speaking, and other subtests, as well as on individual item difficulty and discrimination?

• 10. After developing, piloting, and revising an ELP test based on any of the alternative approaches discussed in Brown (2019a & b, see Suggested Resources), what are the item characteristics, descriptive statistics, reliability estimates, and validity arguments for the resulting test?

Suggested Resources

Brown, J. D. (2008). Testing-context analysis: Assessment is just another part of language curriculum development.” Language Assessment Quarterly, 5(4), 1–38.

This paper begins by defining stakeholder friendly tests, defensible testing, and testing-context analysis. It then provides a rationale for stakeholder-friendly testing and testing-context analysis (TCA) and discusses the stages and steps necessary for a TCA: (a) getting ready to do the TCA; (b) doing the TCA), and (c) using the TCA results. The paper also describes an example TCA that shows how this TCA framework can be implemented. The paper ends with a discussion of the benefits that a TCA can provide and how a TCA can be used to defend the use and validity of language assessments to all stakeholder groups.

Brown, J. D. (2014). The future of World Englishes in language testing. Language Assessment Quarterly, 11(1), 5–26.

This paper defines World Englishes (WEs) in terms of inner-, outer-, and expanding-circle English(es). Then it focuses on the issues involved in the relationship between WEs and language testing from two perspectives. From the WEs perspective, the language testing (LT) community needs to understand: (a) how the so-called English NS speaker norm is no longer viable and (b) how three aspects of English diversity need to be considered in LT. From the LT perspective, the WEs community needs to understand: (a) how LT has already added to our knowledge of English variation, (b) how LT has not entirely overlooked WEs concerns, and (c) how LT has never been only about standardized international proficiency tests. The paper finishes with suggestions for making cooperation between the WEs and LT communities more productive.

Brown, J. D. (2019a). World Englishes and international standardized English proficiency tests. In C. L. Nelson, Z. G. Proshina, and D. R. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of World Englishes (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

This paper zeros in on the relationships among WEs, English language proficiency (ELP), and the international standardized English language proficiency tests (ISELPTs) in terms of how the TOEFL iBT, TOEIC, and IELTS present themselves to the world; what ELP is; why the examinees are important in ELP testing; how the field can foster change in the ISELPTs; what alternative approaches to ELP might look like; and how testers could actually implement the assessment of some of these alternative approaches to ELP.

Brown, J. D. (2019b). Global Englishes and the International Standardized English Language Proficiency Tests? In F. Fang & H. Widodo (Eds.), Critical Perspectives of Global Englishes in Asia: Language Policy, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.

This chapter first provides background by reviewing literature on Global English(es) and language testing, including those by the author (i.e., Brown, 2014 and 2019a). Then the chapter discusses what ELP is; why the NS standard may be a thing of the past; what alternatives to the NS model for ELP might be useful; why changing the ISELPTs is so slow and difficult; and what strategies might lead to making actual changes in the ISELPTs.

McKay, S. L., & Brown, J. D. (2016). Introduction. Teaching and assessing EIL in local contexts around the World (pp. xiii-xx). New York: Routledge.

Global English Standard (GES) is defined here in terms of six points. GES: (a) is based on the system of English rather than an idealized NS; (b) acknowledges that a system of English exists that is taught around the world to NSs (of all classes and dialects) and non-natives alike; (c) stresses that the Grammar (with a capital-G) of written English provides a common relatively homogeneous framework in all Englishes; (d) recognizes the role of a common system around the world especially in formal written English; (e) avoids the idea that NSs own English by encouraging the notion that GES is owned by all speakers of English; and (f) can exist within all Englishes and their dialects as needed. (p. xv).