Chinese and Korean college students’ perceptions of standardized English tests

Authors

  • Minhee Eom Department of Writing and Language Studies, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • Yong Lang Department of Writing and Language Studies, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • Caihong Xie Department of Foreign Languages, Hengyang Normal University

Keywords:

English as a foreign language, EFL testing, test attributes, China, Korea

Abstract

This study investigated college students’ perceptions of various standardized English tests used in China and South Korea. A total of 357 university students, 195 from China and 162 from South Korea, participated in a survey designed for this study. The survey asked the participants first to select one English test they knew well and subsequently to evaluate its attributes of: test quality, resources, cost, difficulty, test constructs, other skills, and other knowledge. The five English tests most selected were the TOEFL and the TOEIC in Korea and the NCEE, the CET-4 and the TEM-4 in China. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) and follow-up univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) found significant differences between the five English tests in all the test attribute variables except for cost. The comparisons between five English tests provided new insights into significant attributes of standardized English tests used in these two EFL countries.

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Author Biographies

  • Minhee Eom, Department of Writing and Language Studies, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

    Minhee Eom is an associate professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Writing & Language Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in descriptive linguistics, language and culture, assessment, and research methodology. Her research interests include language assessment, ESL/EFL education, quantitative research designs and third language acquisition.

  • Yong Lang, Department of Writing and Language Studies, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

    Yong Lang is a full professor of Applied Linguistics in in the Department of Writing & Language Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in descriptive linguistics, language and culture, fundamentals of language development, and sociolinguistics.  His research areas include linguistics, applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and cross cultural communication.

  • Caihong Xie, Department of Foreign Languages, Hengyang Normal University

    Caihong Xie is an associate professor of English in the College of Foreign Languages at Hengyang Normal University. She teaches undergraduate courses in translation and business English. Her research interests and publications are mainly in the areas of translation theories and practice.

The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics. Volume 4. Issue 1. March 2017

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Published

2017-03-31

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

Chinese and Korean college students’ perceptions of standardized English tests. (2017). The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 117-128. https://caes.hku.hk/ajal/index.php/ajal/article/view/410