Changing Communicative Needs, Revised Assessment Objectives: Testing English as an International Language

TLDR

Postmodern globalization requires students to be competent in a range of English varieties as they move between multilingual communities, rendering the debate over local versus dominant varieties in proficiency tests irrelevant. The study argues that proficiency cannot be defined by a single variety nor taught or measured across many varieties simultaneously, so assessment paradigms must be revised. The authors propose shifting from discrete-item grammatical tests to instruments that assess negotiation strategies, situated performance, communicative repertoire, and language awareness.

Abstract

Abstract Postmodern globalization requires that students strive for competence in a repertoire of English varieties as they shuttle between multilingual communities. From this perspective, the current debate becomes irrelevant regarding whether local varieties or dominant varieties (British/American) be used in international proficiency tests. Because it is unwise to define proficiency based on a single variety and because it is impossible to teach or measure proficiency in many varieties simultaneously, we have to consider revising the dominant paradigms of assessment. The changing pedagogical priorities suggest that we have to move away from a reliance on discrete-item tests on formal grammatical competence and develop instruments that are sensitive to performance and pragmatics. In effect, assessment would focus on strategies of negotiation, situated performance, communicative repertoire, and language awareness.