Taking a psycholinguistic perspective, this book investigates how second language (L2) learners' pragmatic abilities in English can be measured. It complements and extends earlier work on the testing of implicit and explicit grammar. The authors present a set of tests they developed using both well-established methods of measuring pragmatic…

The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) is a multi-level, multi-purpose Chinese proficiency test developed by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (previously the Office of Chinese Language Council International and, henceforth, referred to by its colloquial name "Hanban"). It assesses reading, writing, and listening skills of…

This test review focuses on the current version (2009) of [Chinese characters omitted] (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), literally translated as the Chinese Language Proficiency Test and abbreviated as HSK. Tailored to non-native speakers of the Chinese language, this test consists of six proficiency levels (Levels 1 and 2 as beginners, Levels 3 and 4 as…

Foreign language placement testing, an important component in university foreign language programs, has received considerable, but not copious, attention over the years in second language (L2) testing research (Norris, 2004), and it has been mostly concentrated on L2 English. In contrast to validation research on L2 English placement testing, the…

This study examined the factor structure of a Chinese version of the Verbal, Math, Academic, and General self-concept scales of the Self Description Questionnaire (SDQII) administered to high school students in China at two time points. Responses of 487 students were used. Item scale correlations and reliability coefficients were good.…

To examine the child variables which may affect the validity of a screening test in a heterogeneous kindergarten, 64 kindergarten children attending an international school in Taipei, Taiwan, were screened with the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning - Revised (DIAL-R). Thirty subjects were Caucasian, 21 were Oriental, and 11…

Discusses the development and use of a computer-adaptive test (CAT) for learners of Chinese. Each time the examinee answers a question, the CAT program registers the answer and, based on the examinee's response, decides whether the next question should be harder or easier. (23 references) (MDM)

Intersubtest scatter on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised for China (WAIS-RC) for 1,979 subjects was evaluated and compared with that of the WAIS-R standardization sample. Findings were similar, and differences in scatter range may be explained by cultural differences in values, educational approaches, and educational opportunities.…

The Chinese Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescents (MMPI-A) was applied in Hong Kong to a normative sample of 565 male and 664 female students aged 14 to 18. In conjunction with previous research, findings support the possibility of cultural differences in item interpretation, which should be considered in clinical interpretations…

The applicability of a Chinese translation of the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) (H. W. Marsh, 1982 and later) and the generality of findings based on North American research were studied with 844 students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Results support the use of the SEEQ in this Chinese setting. (SLD)

A short measure of trait and state negative and positive affect, the Chinese Affect Scale, was developed for Chinese-speaking people and tested in Hong Kong with 306 community adults and 314 college students. Scores had reasonable internal and retest reliabilities and high convergent and discriminant validity. (SLD)

Examined factor structure of responses to Chinese version of General Health Questionnaire from 2,150 Chinese secondary school students. Found that, although five-factor model (Anxiety, Depression, Inadequate Coping, Social Dysfunctioning, and Sleep Disturbances) was able to fit data, higher-order model with same five primary factors and…

Although the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has been administered to Chinese test takers in Taiwan and Hong Kong for more than 22 years and in China for the past decade, there is very little documentation on the history, test taker volumes, performance, or law school admission rates of these candidates. The current study addresses the following…

The descriptions of 200 tests for a variety of language groups are designed for use with the test file maintained by the Evaluation, Dissemination, and Assessment Center for Bilingual Education (EDAC). The content areas covered include reading, mathematics, self-concept, language dominance, language proficiency, and intelligence. Tests are…

Chinese University of Hong Kong students (n=844) each rated a "good" teacher and a "poor" teacher using a Chinese translation of the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) instrument. Good teachers were rated more favorably than poor teachers on all SEEQ scales, all SEEQ items were judged to be most important by at…