The place of language testing and assessment in the professional preparation of foreign language teachers in China

Since the late 1970s, following the major economic reforms that opened the country to the outside world, China has witnessed a growing interest in foreign language education and, hence, a substantial surge in the number of foreign language learners and practitioners. However, the situation of the professional preparation of the practitioners has been unclear due to the paucity of relevant research and literature. This study, therefore, set out to investigate the training of tertiary level foreign language teachers in China with a focus on language testing and assessment courses. A nationwide survey was conducted among 86 instructors of such courses for an overview of the current situation in terms of the instructors, teaching content, teaching methodology, student perceptions of the courses, and teaching materials. The results revealed that the courses adequately covered essential aspects of theory and practice of language testing. However, educational and psychological measurement and student classroom practice received significantly less attention. Comparison of the teaching content of the different types of courses did not show major differences. Suggestions were provided to highlight some under-addressed aspects of the teaching content and to set up a network of teacher-testers to create opportunities for practitioners to exchange experiences, professional knowledge and skills.