Assessing the English Language Writing of Chinese Learners of English

This book explores best practices in assessing the writing in English of native speakers of Chinese, focusing on classroom-based assessment, feedback-based approaches, and teacher professional development. It reflects the international trends in writing assessment and emphasizes the importance of reading and writing in English for Chinese L1 speakers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 25 May 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This comprehensive book delves into the assessment of English language writing across China mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. It provides a comprehensive overview of the past 25 years of writing assessment in Chinese contexts, highlighting both the historical trends and the current practices.

The first part of the book explores the historical development of writing assessment in Chinese settings, including the various methods and approaches employed. It sheds light on the evolution of assessment criteria, the role of teachers in assessment, and the impact of assessment on learning outcomes. The second part of the book presents a collection of reports and research on various assessment strategies, such as formative classroom-based assessment, feedback-based or feedback-led approaches, learning-oriented assessment, portfolios, and teacher professional development in writing assessment.

The two-part division of the book reflects the international trends in writing assessment, with a focus on the UK and the US in the past 25 years. It highlights the increasing importance of English for international business communication, international political negotiations, and its growing use as a medium of instruction in certain subject areas. This surge in the demand for English proficiency has led to a significant increase in the number of Chinese L1 speakers learning and being assessed in English.

The book emphasizes the importance of assessing English language writing in a way that is meaningful and effective for Chinese learners. It recognizes the unique challenges and characteristics of Chinese writing, such as the influence of Chinese grammar and culture, and the need for assessment methods that are sensitive to these factors.

The vast majority of assessments of English language writing in Chinese contexts are conducted through large-scale direct testing, which typically involves simple prompts/tasks and short writing samples. However, the book explores best practices in assessing the writing in English of native speakers of Chinese, including the use of authentic materials, task-based assessment, and holistic evaluation.

The authors of this book, Liz Hamp-Lyons and Yan Jin, are well-known experts in the field of writing assessment, with extensive experience in teaching and writing about writing assessment. Their collective expertise is evident in the 13 chapters of the book, which are written in a reader-friendly language and cover a wide range of important topics.

Overall, this book is a valuable resource for educators, language testers, and researchers interested in assessing the English language writing of Chinese learners. It provides a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and future of writing assessment in Chinese contexts, and offers practical insights and strategies for effective assessment practices.

Weight: 594g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030927615
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022